Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-06-25
Political.
INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE.
FROM THE RICHMOND WING.
RIcnMoNp, April 18th, 1910


Dear Sir-The circumstances which this
letter will explain, will excuse me, hope,
for intruding myselfupon your attention.
Among the numerous charges which have
been put into circulation against you by the
presses and partizans Of Mr.. Van Buren,, the
two most relied upon and deemed most po-
tent in the South, are-that you are FEEDER
alist and an Abolitionist. Satisfied, from the
evidence before them and the whole country,
that these charges are equally unsustalned
by truth, your friends have met, denied, and
as they believe, refuted them. AS the pros
pect of your election increases, however, and
the heart of the patriot revives with the hope
Of the success of one, from whom he expects
a wise, economical, and Republican Admin
istration, the nalignity of your enemies seems
to increase, and the spoilsmen become more
reckless and desperate in their efforts to retain
the power by which they make their spoil
Of this, the conclusive evidence will be
found in the Richmond Enquirer of the 10th
instant, in a production purporting to be an
address from the Van Buren, Central Com
mittee here. In that address, it is roundly
asserted that you are a Federalist and an Alb
olitionist, and that your friends in the South
support you, knowing that you are SO. This
statement is made here with knowledge of
the views entertained by the Wings OF Virgil
MIA, as expressed in the address TO the People
of the State, published by their Convention,
which was held in this city in the month of
February last, of which l send you copy by
the mail of this day. j regard the charge,
therefore, as an impudent falsehood against
you, as it certainly is against the Wings OF
Virginia, at whom it is especially levelled !;
and if made by an anonymous scribbler in a
newspaper, might be passed by with con-
tempt. Butas the charge is now put forth i'll
an imposing form, and the subject of Abolition
is one of absorbing interest and paramount
importance-and as | could not, and am
sure the Wings of Virginia, and the South
generally, would not vote for any Abolitionist
living to be President of the United States !;
(scarcely sooner than they would for a Flori-
da Indian and as have been placed before
the People of this State for the office of Elec-
tor upon the Wing Ticket, have thought it
due to you, to the Wing cause, and to myself,
to ask you to furnish, under your own hand,
your denial of the charge, in a letter to me,
which may publish.
beg leave to say, that the denial which l
expect, will, in my opinion, advance your
cause with all good and rejecting men
! through the land; but whether it will ad-
vance or injure it, it is equally due to your
self and to US, that you should furnish it, as
am satisfied that you would be as unwilling
to advance that cause by any fraud, as we
should be to be made the instruments, appa-
rently, or dupes of it. Be pleased, therefore,
to say to me, whether you still entertain the
sentiments upon the subject of Abolition ex-
pressed in your speech at Vincennes, in 1885;
whether you ever Were member of an Abo-
lition Society in Virginia, and whether you
have designated the Richmond Society as an
Abolition Society; and what was your politi-
cal connection, if any, with the old Federal
party.
With great respect,
/ am, sir, your friend, &c.
| JAMES LYONS.
To Gen. W. II. HARRISON,
Cincinnati, Ohio.