The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-05-19
MR.. PREsToN's REPLY.
COLUMBIA, May IL, lS4l.

To Benj. Y. Martin, Esq.
SIR,--I have had the honor to receive
your no,e enclosing to me certain resolu.
lions passed in a meeting of a portion o'
the citizens of Abbeville.
The temper and language Of those con.
cerning myself, SAVIOUR 80 much more OF
personal bitterness, than of political dis
cussion that should hold myself dis
charged from any obligation to notice
them, but that feel it due to the pubic
not TO permit some assertions contained IN
them to pass without contradiction:
In the fifth resolution being the hrst IN
which nv name is mentioned, am de-
nounced for acting with party whose
principal objects known - me- mo moi
publicly avowed, were National Bank, a
Protective Tariff, and the distribution oi
the proceeds nf the public lands;
It is moi the fact that the Whig party
had any object known TO me and not
publicly avowed. I. could not be the
fact, for the Whig party consisting ofs
vas. majority Of The United States must,
of necessity act upon publicly asowed
.principles, and consisting too OF great
majority of the Southern States, it could
not be implicated in conspiracy against
Southern interests.
Iii mt the fact that the distribution
of the proceeds of the public lsnds, has
ever been considered Whig party mea-
sure.
Ii is not the fact that in any just mean.
ino of The phrase il comes in as the High
Tariff party--eilher secretly understood
or publicly avowed--for il is notorious to
the whole country that as far as pledges
could be made by political par.y-the
Wings are pledged to the Compromise
Ac, Of 1888. Their candidates for Presi.
den, and Vice President were deeply. re.
peatedIy aud publicly pledged to it. and
the most leading men Of all the party
bnund to its maintenance by every posi-.
ble obligatiou--whiIe on the other hand,
The candidates Of the other party for Presi.
dent AMI Vice President, and their mos.
le adng and able partizan, (Mr. Wright OF
New York; were at all times the advoca'es
and supoor,ers Of the most extravagan!
svs,em of Prutection. The vote Of The
an,j.Tarifr States of Georgia and North
Carolina-and the present attitude OF Vir-
qinia, vindicate the Wing party against
this charge.
It is i7nnt not the fact that was elected Sc.
nator a. an opponent upon constitutional
grounds of a National Bank or a distribu'
iion Of the proceeds Of the public lands-
neither of those questions were thought
of or agitated in the State at the period OF
nv election. II my sentiments in regard
TO a National Bank were an element in
that election-it was not that was Of the
Republican State Rights School Of Madi.
son and Crawford-and had never denoun'
ced them and the whole body of the Re-
publican party who followed their lead in
The financial emergencies of 1876. My
strong aversion to a Bank Of the U. States
existed then and exists now-neither de-
creased or diminished, by the recent fail
ure of State Corporation of Pennsylva
mia, an aversion which could yield only
IN paramount necessity. such as over
ruled The objections of wise aud Palri"ti'
men in lSl6--whose character and fam'
must be aspersed, before denunciatioI
can reach me for following their example
So far from this question entering int
The consideration of my constituents a
either of my elections. the notorious cir
cumstances then existing, prove it to hav
: been impossible.