Piney Woods planter. (Liberty, Mi. [i.e. Miss.]) 1838-1840, 1839-10-05
70 the People of Mississippi

FELLoW-CTrIZERs:
Early last spring my name,
ne candidate for the office OF Chancellor,
was announced in the papers at Jackson.
Vicksburg and Natchez, and requested,
through others, to have it inserted IN the
public journals in other parts of the State.
AT this late day am surprised to find 1t
so generally omitted, especially IN the
North; and this is a reason for this brief
address.
During the whole winter and spring,
was detained in the Courts at Raymond
and Jackson, and prevented from visiting
distant counties IL during the two months
preceding the 9th inst, Mr.. Howard. the
Reporter of the decisions of the Appellate
Court, and myself, have been engaged in
the Compilation of a complete Digest OF
the Statutes of the State, with references
to those decisions, embracing as well the
laws in force, MS those modified or repealed,
ON which rights are still to be litigatcd;
with the acts of Congress relative to land
titles and other matters of application
here. and a Manual for Clerks, Sherltts,
and Justices of the Peace--a work greatly
needed; and if the intervening summer
has been actively used by any OF my com
petitors, in the usual modes Of efectloneer-
inc, either by tour, popular address, or an
extensive distribution OF printed circulars,
have the satisfaction of believing the
work, on which | have toiled, will be an
acceptable contribution to the Courts, the
Rar and the country. | have written
neither letter nor circular, and have
scarcely the time left within which to pass
rapidly through majority of the counties
on the track Of one or more OF my compe-
ttors, to tender in person my claims to
YOUR confidence and support.
In presenting those claims | shall dis
dain TO affect either dfiidence or humility.
The first eight years of my youth were
EMPLOYED in Virginia and Tennessee in
CARRYING on the current business q seve-
) raj Clerks Offices. From 1921 until 1884,
was exclusively occupied in the practice
: of law. in Alabama, whose statutory sys
| tenn is mainly congenerous with ours anc
Y ever since the latter year have continu
e ed the practice in this State. assert
); not yauntingly, but as fact importan
$ for YOU to know, that through those eigh
d teen years, without any iutermlssIon, tn
v burthen of heavy practice devolved up
. on me in the Chancery and Appellat
20 Courts; and if long experience couldlm
), part qualification to me for the high md
= cal trust solicited, | have received It,
Never until now have | asked the suttra
ges of nv countrvmen, nor desired office
:, seek that to which | now aspire, not
:, lone for its salary, for my profession yieltt
me a competency-but for the honor OF
% station at once as elevated as arduous,
v. which. by devoted exertion. n reputation
II humble but well earned, may be exte
0 ded.
$50 1t was and still is earnestly desired |
Get me. that the real and meritorious CLAIM
ig- claims of the candidates should alone
en- regarded, and their political creeds n
os- dragged before you for election or repr
sn baton. To the asplrants to the Nation
oil and State Legislatures, in which the a!
he tating problems of the constitution and
art measures of contested policy are to be g
not ved-where laws are to be enacted-n
S'iA duDI1lsLeTcu-ull pultg PiOui'ON'i"H '"
ced controversy ought to be referred. On the
eat victory or defeat can be tested. 70
ling Wing and your Democratic Conventio
eth did not nominate to judicial office. On
IAN tering the canvass had not even instr
ing 10 indicate to me resort to any cat
9th. wOrd, much less to cater to any class,
# so there be classes! but do feel permit
| cd
rom to appeal TO your uhlteu moral sehtil''
the and common interests, to respond by yt
NOT votes to the questions-has his life be
ind. one of continued probity and Of undevi
here ing moral principle? has he acquired $
the ficient legal knowledge and eminence
horn render him Qualified? are his head, he
~ . and habits such as to Justify him in asl
'oua ing to trust so exceedingly important
your rights?
But though it is incumbent on all to
VS. clude from the office of Chancellor e.
"iO'0 the names of party contention, yet v
ehce soon after three of the candidates W
grad announced, myself included, the va
e we City Wing held forth one of them as a
SIS vorte, to the disparagement of the res
lShss yea, as the ercluSire Wing candidate
mt OF if to be honest or capable, one must
shed Whig-as if, too, the elective franchis
hav- Mississippi should be illustrated by
they triumph of a Wing Chancellor! I
= and movement, am told, was followed up
that directly, but still very efficiently, in
lrcas- Southern Sun, and more directly in
ed, if Brandon Sentinel. The gentleman in
res it, ded thus to be advanced, must be fully
slf1 wholly exempted even from connivanc
D. he attempt. Still it is to be regrctte,
Il bClitical intolerance DiU bring eN
days J;sc,yJ--if foy No, heinz Whio n ca
DOT date must be branded as a Democri
y up though he will be neither the better
nave wiser for either title--I can answer