Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-07-14
To Gen. w. II. Harrison, Gin. Ohio.
GEN. TIARRIsON.s REPLY.
North Bend, June 1, 1910,

North Bend, June l, 1S4O.
My Dear Sir: When [ received
your letter of the 18th April, | was
very unwell with a violent cold in the
head, which terminated in intermittent
neuralgia, or sun pain, as it is COM
monty called, which was so much in
creased by writing that | was obliged
for some time to do very little in that
way. When | recovered, my unan-
swered letters had increased to so fear
full a mass that | have not been able to
get through it, even with the assistance
OF mig conscience keeping committee.
And although | have adopted the me-
thod of getting rid of a large portion of
them by committing them to the flames
instead ofthe committee, such are the
constant Interruptions to which | am
subjected by a canstant stream Of Wis
itors, that / am able to make very little
progress in le5sening my file. You
have in the above, my apology for
treating you with apparent neglect,
which it was impossible that | should
do, as we'll from your high standing in
society, as from the high regard | feel
for you in consequence Of the long
and intimate friendship and connexior
between our families. But for these
reasons, candor induces me to say
| that | could never have brought my.
self to answer, the political part YOU
letter at all. | am convinced that upor
reflection you will yourself think tina
it was totally unnecessary, for | canno
suppose that my personal friends ant
connexions in my native State coulC
think that was less of a gentleman 0
an honest man than those ardent poll
ticians farther South, Stanley, Afford
Legare, Dawson, King, &c. The
, take it for granted thatI could not sui
fer my Vincennes speech and other
to be quoted by my friends to sho1
my opinions on the subject of abol
tionism, if did not hold the opinion
J. at this time-they have therefore trea
a ed with scorn and contempt, the char9
e of my being an abolitionist, and trul
n assert that [ have done and sufere
more to support Southern Rights tina
h any other person Moth of Mason ar
st Dixon's line. | have had indeed,
Of great number ofapplications from inc
ID viduals (nine-tenths, at least, my O
lie ponents) requiring me 10 reiterate VIII
st | have said or written upon the subJe
M of the u. States Bank, AbolitionisI
lie &c. l have declined Of late to answ
IL them at all; amongst other reason
ds because it was physically impossit
e, that should do it, and as they all
ur quire my opinions in manuscripts pa
he ticularly addressed to the writers, tn
he would not be satisfied with my writ
IN one letter and sending printed co
nd to each. l was determined, howey
ig- to avail myself Of the first favoral
Sc, opportunity, and referring to the
X tiers and speeches | had made on
to subjects | have mentioned, TO endo
Ike them all. This | have recently dc
i've in a letter to a committee appointed
,h- the Wing members Of the Leglslat
in Of New York. You will probably
adj ii published by the time this reac
trail YOU. Inrelation to the discussion
|, it tween Mr.. Randolph and myself IN
ed Senate, Of which a statement IS ann
hat ed to the address, what better evide
you could be given, that there is no Pc
ate bility Of satisfying my political enen
dee by anything that | could write than
ligs qarbled account which they have g
adj of that discussion? If the charge N
,ub- upon me by Mr.. Randolph IS auti
was tic, taken from newspaper reI
'eb- surely my answer to him shoulC
opv considered so also. 1t is worth.
arg % remark, too, that Mr.. Randolph n
lood no reply to my answer to his att