The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1840-03-19
LETTER or THE
Hon. William C. Rires,
oF VIRGINIA..

Castle Till. Feb. rs. 1870
Nv DEAR Sin: You inquire &c mr. what
ara ny sir~s on The subjeel Of The pend
ing Presidential election. and what course
| think ough. 10 be pursued IN il BY ihoss
Of us 10 general 81 The republican party
who have been opposed 10 The leading
measures Of The present administration.
While my name MAS recently before
The Legislature. hy he act Of nv friends,
~ a candidate Cor reelection 10 The Sc.
nale Of che United States. | declined. in
answer 10 various Communications from
members 81 that body, % give any pledge
of support % either Of the Presidential
candidates. - The condition of my rlec-
lion. did 90. because. while ills clear
that. under the constitution, senator Of
The United States can. in no possible
contingency. be called on, IS such. 10
give any sose or perform olher acl in the
election Of president. | believed lha. The
practice Of requiring Of those who might
be brought forward Tor The Office oil Sc
nainr. pledges 10 support this Or that
man Tor lie presidency, however il may
be otherwise viewed BY many honorable
and patriotic men, il practice fatally
calculated 10 destroy The Independence Of
The Legislative Department, and 10 pros.
,ra,e il ., the leei Of The Executive pow
er. whose innrdinaie growth and over.
shsdnsing influence already threaten the
very existence Of our free institutions.
In regard 10 81 those questions Of public
policy and legislation which were likely
10 come before the senate Of The United
States Tor lis appropriate and legitimate
action, my opinions we're fully known.
or IL they were mol 50. was ever ready
10 declare and explain them 10 The best
Of nv ability. in answer 10 any inquiries
which might be addressed To me. had.
moreover. been very recently in The pub
lac service, and my aeis in the discharge
Of The trns, cnn6ded 10 me. which we've
neither few nor equivocal, nor una,iend-
cd with circumstances Of peculiar trial.
were before the country, stforiing. a. il
seemed 10 me, ihe most authentic in,er-
probation Of my principles. a. well % The
sarest guarantee Of my future course.
| For these various reasons, 1 fell that
ough. no. 70 give any pledge Of support
% any Of The presidential candidates. as
he condilina Of nv election 70 The ssgpiSs
fGscTiheu 10 do so while my name was
recently before the legislature. in connec-
lion with The election for that Office.
These motives OF reserve have now ccas.
ed. My name 10 no longer before The
legislature for that or any other Office;
and As, in Time past, |, has never been
BY my act or solicitation Of mine, so.
whether /. shall al any time hereafter be,
will hpend on the free will OF others. not
mine. And in The event. even. Of my
name icing again presented To the legis-
laiure, by the parIiality and generous
confidence with which my friends and
fellow-slizens have been heretofore pleas
ed 10 Distinguish me. the presidential elec-
ton vii have been determined. and we
shall AZ Of necessity. have taken our
equal and responsible paris in il. before
the legislature. according to their recent
decision IN the subject. will proceed TO
| the election of senator Of The United
States. Under these circumstances. |
can no LOGGER feel the slightest delicacy.
a. a privae citizen, in expressing to you.
: freely sndwithout reserve, my opinions
r IN the in'ses'ing question you PROFOUND
10 NE.
, Your INJURY naturally divides itself
into two brnches. The frs, is. can we
support isi re election of the present
Chief Magltrste-fiiose Of US, mean,
/ who have Ken IN earnest in our oppns,
, lion 10 the eading measures and prevail.
ing policy|of his administration And
this questbn would seem properly and
plainly TO resolve itself into another.
Has he abndoned or Withdrawn any OF
those meaures. 10 which We have been,
and are sdl thus opposed! So far from
it. we hav seen that, in his recent mes
sage 10 Ongress, he has again brough,
. forward ad urged, with inctes sed defer
mina,ion pf purpose, his now cherished
sub-,reassy scheme. which, at the time
oI his election, all his political friends
believed 10 be frsugh,. and which zoe
still belised 10 be fraugh,. with The dires,
evils to he country. lie has moi only a.
gain earnsily recommended this scheme,
but he lis urged its adoption in The mos,
obaoxio's and Objectionable Of all The
forms ilhas ever assumed. | refer, oil
course, % wha, has been commonly call.
ed the Decie clause. or requisi.ion Of The
public les in gold and silver alone. This
rigorou feature Of The scheme had been
prelerni,led BY The president. in his more
neutrality-suspicious. Of IL, and was believ-
ed 10 30 finally abandoned BY him; bur
is now brought. forward in bold relief. i,
is understood IS The sine qua non Of the
new pliucsl alliance. which has been
ANNOUNCED TO the country. And The pre-
siden,euen tells as tina, he " believes no
period will be more suspicious" for the
introduction Of this hard money policy in
the oterati0ns Of the government. - than