Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-09-10
LETTER OF THE HON. S. 5
PRENTISS.
vIcKsBURe, August 20, 1899.

GENTLEMEN:-
have been honored by the receipt O.
Your letter Of the 29,h June, transm I'll, !
10 me copy of the proceedings OF tbs
wings of Mad son county, at public
meeting led by them for tie purpose o
/ reronmendi g Il candidate to succeed the
Hon. r J Walker in the S.nate of the
u. States"
My own nomination for that Office o.
hi n honor and trust was entirely uLex
pected, AID at once grati6ed ard perp'ex
I'd ne. am rot insenslbe TO that amb
ton which cks tn good opinion of OH
ers, and is graiifed b. its ex b to-, ever
when colored h, kind part aIity ard riend
" prejudice. That the wings Of Madiso
deem me worthy ofoccupyil ga seat in the
CHEST dellberatIve bolv on earth. ha
not failed TO awaken tie most a'ef.
emo, oas. But was perplc xed as to II Ia
course pro er for me TO pursue. had
never INDUCED the vanity of SuppoSing
that my services could he of sufficient i'm
portapce to r. quire my continuance in pc
litIcal life any longer tl,an my inclnat or.
rronped. Accordingly after mature re
| fleet on. | bong since determined To- abau
ION at tie earliest opportunity, all Partic
patton, except as p lvaie CT zen, in pc
lifical atfal :; IN the contests of which
even my limited obServai on had discover
ed, imbecIliiy too fire. gently pass for capa
city, hvl ocriSv for candor. aud cold hearted
self hnesS for ardent and dis,nlet eSlrt
patri,t SIN. Political sc ence has hecom
Cor tie most part, The science of ,eceItO
| Nj Only are the dictates of reason anc
tXperence set AT nauglt. but facts EN-
elves dehed. PAYS cal truths TO cSs tia
moral, which Lave for ages been c1nsid
cred imprcgnab'e, fall Ii b"l,agured
cities beicr the cunning de, ices of m I'd
ern political " rfare. lii, mau~o.eum of
faistorv affords M proectiOn for the re
mains o the past Political >Oscery evoke
from item foul spIr Is which never actua
ted or controlled I cir ex stence-and the
ever Is oia 20 -mer age are compel ed To
bear false W tneSs before the present.
What happened yesterday is denied to-
day, ;nl plain modest truth is stared oat
of countenance by uudaclOus lpendaclty
The conclusion, therefore, Is not II be
wonder d at, that in I csc dark andcor-
rupt times, private happiness and public
service az, incompatible.
9th inclination and private intereS'
forbade me to abau !on my cherished AND
rapidly maturing plans of future fe. anc
admonIShed me of the rasnr eSs of agar
plurgng among 4 e wild breakers of pub
lic opin on where tie barQue that move,
straight forward, is almost sure 10 b'
swamred, waile the tacking and Veerin9
craft b. adapting itself t. each Suddel
chance of wind and wave, gains the 20.
IL safety. Tn the other hand, could no
Otget the Obligations which bind me I,
our beloved State-0bligat;OIs that >hal
never call uI on me in vain, " el ey
point Out IA mode by which can l.qudai'
any portion Ofthe heavy claim M SSISSipp
justly holds against ne. ! either was
r gardlesS of the graf tude due to the wing
for the bold, untiripg. and successful war
fa,e which thy have wFgrd against "a
Iparty M power; party under IN banelu
influence of whose destructive .Ileore
| anu Bid(AlOCS ttN w ttii
great nat on n ithered aud d. Ahov
all, / rrmembe with pride and exulaiio
that the wings of Mississippi had preserve
r the honor of the state, wen e Oppnsli
, party, Esau like. was bargaining IT W.
;; for mess of political pIttage. The,
and they alone are entitled 20 the lmmoi
tai praise of having warded off tie fir
traitorois blow aimed at the elective f NJ
! CHI Sc. II was beneath their stern respoir
that tie servle tools of tie PreSidel
shrunk abashed, aud II was upon e
= mandate they surrendered the rich jew
" they had stolen,
e Me, L e wings have already honored Il
beyond my humble deserts, and iii return
from political contests. | did not doa
that | s,ould be succeeded by those wi
would with -cqr al zeal and ampler cap
+. city, fight the great battle ofPrinciple.
6, nesitaicd. therefore, on receiving yo
E. communication, not from any q1eStl
my duty in sacrificing private and person
- considerations to tie success OF ths go'
: cause. but from le rs least tie partlaItI
or Of my friends in Madison had be,ray'
O them into an iujulcions selection. Fro
the subsequent action ofthe wings m otl
10 parts of State however, nave he
= forced to the conclusion. that whether ]
es 1 ciously or rot, they are de Tous OF pi
he eng me in nom nation. Beng coavnr
of this fact from the proceedings OF va
ols public meetings as well as the genei
expression ofte wing press, | do mr. h
=. tate any longer in placing myself IN I
lands ofmy political friends. wltl-the d
linct understand that nasmnch as
80 accede to Their wiShess not from motives
ersonal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, bat fron ;
= = ere desire to do my duty TO nv CONT
= 20 nv nalne shall at once be wtairal
to. from nomination., shonl1 subseq lent /
=. ,erva ion irflicate, as l. very probably "
some more appropriate candidate.
Y lie reasonable license Of an ep;stle Y
hardly admit o. an extended exposition
!. y POLITICAL doctrines, nor indeed, do coi
n er il the most desirable caannel for Ii
nculcatioai. Neither do deem.it reqt
~ Il