, 1840-08-08
CORRESPONDENCE
Boston June 10, 1874

CORRESPONDENTS.
Boston June 10, 1910.
Su--I was present, as a spectator, in the
Convention of AboIitionis,s. held at the
Melodeon, in Boston, the eth of May last.
TO nominate Electors for President, &c, OF
which Convention you were a member. ]
heard you state that the Convention of the
Abolition Society for Hampden County.
(which was held the latter part of January
in Springfeld.) passed resolutions against
General Harrison, and that lF.ereupon Mr..
WIN CALHOUN, member of Congress from
your district, had written home i letter from
Washington, to convince the ablotionists
that they were wrong in opposing Harrison.
and that you had seen it. That copies were
handed privately round among the aboli-
~tionists by the wings. That Mr.. Calhoun
stated in his letter, in substance, that Gener-
al Harrison was ,cith us 1.-THE abolitionIsts),
and would go oil lengths. and that he, Mr..
Calhoun, had this from authority, which was
understood to mean General Harrison him
self. But at the end ofthe letter was this remark
make suchuse Of this as you think best. but do
n~Otletitgctinto The papsrs." That this ietter was
sent by amember Of Congress. to induce us(ab-
olitionists) to believe that Harrison wasa n abe
iitionist and ought TO receive our support.
and that ii was wrong to deceive us, If 1t was
not so. You also alluded to a letter 10 the
same effect from a great man in Ohio, but
you never could see it. 1t was to be kept
from the press.
You also said, when called upon for your
authority for stating that General Harrison
was a profane sOsarer, that Rev. David Root.
of Northampton, formerly of Ohio, would
give his oath that when in company with
SO p~rafanely, that he was compelled to leave
him in disgust.
Having had a conversation with Rev. Mr.
Phelps and Mr. George Russell, the former of
whom was present in the Convention. and
learning that you would not state what you
had not foundation for, from your known
character for integrity, ! take the liberty to
inquire whether the above is q correct report
ofyour remarks, in the Convention; and also
whether you can identify the letter or letters
referred to, and which, | understand, Mr.
Calhoun now attempts to deny the existence
of, since General Harr'son's letter to Mr.
Lyons, of Virginia, of June l, in which he re.
affirrns his Vincennes and Alb of July speech.
es. Please answer this. and state further any
facts you know respecting the use made of
that letter, and its impression upon your
abolitionists friends.
Your obedient servant,
B. F. HALLETT.
To Rev. A. BRowN.
Northampton, Mass, June 80 84o.
Mr. B. +. Haiien: Sir,-Your letter Of
the 18th instant is before me. Duties con.
eapuont tn tnry nrnCoso o.. .z.
my giving it so early a reply as l could have
wished, and will now compel me to be brief.
Indeed, were it not that my name has been
pushed into an unexpected no,oriety and by
many branded with odium, | should decline
saying anything upon the subject which has
led to SO frequent reference to me.
You must be aware that the fact of nv
answering the letter Of a prominent demo-
crat, with a knowledge that it may be pub
lished' will be held up by the whig party as
an evidence of my secretly being engaged
in plotting to aid the reelection Of Mr. Van
Buren,. | ought, therefore, TO state that !
never did vote, and unless ! am very much
deceived, never shall vote for him for the
first Office IN this nation. On the contrary,
ia 1886, | voted for William Henry Harrison
for President. At this time / am opposed
to the election Of either him or Mr. Van Blu.
rem.
should readily have answered the in
quiries you PROFOUND had they been made by
a wing, but the wing editors, SO far as | have
seen, have thought proper 10 assume the
authenticity Of the statements published as
mine in the Boston democratic papers, and
have charged me with falsehood without once
inquiring if my remarks were correctly re-
ported. ] am thus forced to conclude, that
wish the matterto rest where it is. ]