Columbus Democrat., 1839-07-20
SMALL MATTERS.

Ia compliance vita our promise to Mr. Joseph
$ Leake, We publish his subjoined communica-
ton, addressed 10 the senior editor few re-
marks, and We dismiss the subjee, forever from
our columns. Il Mr. Leake wishes to gam noio-
rety BY figuring in The newspapers, he must
hsnesfonh call upon our neighbOr Of the Argus,
who has hailed his determination 10 become an
independent candidate - as the brightest omen
Of The success Of the Wing cause IN the county
He cannot say that we have treated hin unNsily,
for we now give him hearing through our CO.
lumns, and be shall not in future have any cause
Of making such charge against US, for We will
not again notice his impotent efforts TO SOW DIS
senllons among Us, and defeat the democratic
ticket. Bu, to his communication Mr. Leake
charges US with disngenuousness, because we
asserted that the wings were egging him on to be,
come a candidate. It's true, that in saying this,
we overlooked the fact, that he had announced
himself in the Argus. We should have said
continue instead Of become q candidate. But
this alters the case very little. We were speak
ing Of the course of the wings, and We we're JUS
ufed IN saying, that il was one of their tricks,
and part of their policy to induce MIR Leake to
be candidate. This was the fact-every nun.
Der of their organ, the Argus, proves it. But it
seems We did Mr. L. great injustice, and were
guilty Of foul insinuation, in imputlng to him
any wayerng of purpose or disposition to decline
being candidate; and why sol Simply be-
cause we had (erroneously, it seems) formed too
high an opinion of Mr. Leake's devotion to the
democratic cause, to suppose that he would pur-
sue any course calculated to defeat the party in
this county. Notwithstanding his letter of March
last, and the many personal interviews Of which
he speaks, we still had hopes that he would de-
cline running. We could not see how any man
Of common sense, whose bosom was animated
by Que spark of principle or selfrespect, could
thrust himself upon party, uncalled for uSso.
LIGHTED, and AGAINST The urgent remon-
slrGnces Of his lcarmest friends. Mr. l.. knows
that he cannot be elected--,hat he will not get
even respectable vote-yet he persists in being
candidate, for what purpose, and with what
view, he himself can best tell.
As to our making war upon him with "a cor,
morant appetite to feast upon mangled reputa-
tion," Mr. l.. knows that il is foul insnuation,"
utterly destitute Of truth He knows, that We
supported him warmly in 1887, and that we
would give him an equally warm support now, if
we thought he could unite the party. We have
never said aught to njure his character as man,
or his standing as polncan-on the contrary,
we have done all that we possibly could fot him,
and if he was not popular, Lor the choice OF the
democratic party in the county, il la, God knows,
no fault Of ours.
In asserting that the .icket nominated in our
paper was the only ticket that could succeed, we
meant no, to intimate that all the merit of our
party is concentrated in the individuals nominat
ed. We merely mean, that the party had united
on this ticket, and that jnder the circumstances
Of the case, il was the strongest that could be
formed. We had nothing to do with the torma.
ton of it--no more than Mr. l.. himself had. -
The names Of the gentlemen were recommended
in our paper as suitable candidates of the party,
at the earnest solicitations of many democrats
ltom all parts of the county.
But enough. These are small matters, and
we will not bore our readers, with them any long.
er. Mr. Leake's letter, and his efforts TO divide
and defeat the democratic party Of tho county
may go for what they are worth. We shall be
silent as to his course in future What we have
said has been more in sorrow than in anger
Mr. Leake is evidently acting under the influence
Of embtered and disappointed feelings which
blinds his better judgment. He stands a memo
rable and striking instance Of the truth Of the
old adage, "whom God wills to destroy, he first
makes mad"