The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-22
MA. upsHuR's LETTER.
wAsHlSoros. Feb. 10, 1912

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 1872
DEAR SIR | think il due to YOU at this time, 70
assure you that have yet nothing to chang.
my convictions respecting your opinions ana aso"a
of them on the subject OF the dissolution OF he pnon,
and TO declare that have had for the last ten years
the best opportunities under almost all circumstances,
Of knowing perhaps better than any o'her PeIon o'
of your own family, what your opinions on ,na' SUI
lect have been and what has been your uioue VI aa
vocating and advancing them 100, 100.
Williamsburg gressional District of Virginia, be-
tween the Hon. Richard Coke and myself, the test
Question was that of notification. Was the ardent
snJ devoted opponent OF that doctrine, and perhaps
nowhere and at no time was an issue ever more tho
roughly and zeaously discussed than then the e
feels and tendencies of notification upon the ques-
ton of union or dsunion You were citizen of the
district, and debated the questions involved in the
contest very frequently and fully, publicly and private
ly, with me and with others, and often warmly. You
opposed my election and advocated the election of Mr.
Coke who did not approve Of the course OF South ga
roina under the circumstances, but VINO advocated
the doctrines on which the State based her conduct
And must say, that at no time in the most heated
moments of the struggle struggle which ragged 20
ferccy to bring my opponent and myself unioftu
nately, to a scene which we both now regret-uiu
ever hear you any one else advance any sentehts
or expressions at all assImated to those which are
now most uniusy think, attributed to you 80
far from favoring or countenancng the doctrine OF us
solution of the Union, whenever or my friends urgea
that disunon was the tendency OF your opinions and
doctrines you invariably denied the position and at
tempted to show that they, and they only, were con-
sentative of the Union, and were commented to you
and to others for that especial reason.
Such were your opinions in 1883 when nuhca-
ton was contested throughout Virginia. have known
them to be the same since have had converse
tons 18th YOU every fall and spring, whilst attending
your conrts on the subject have read all your writings
on the subject have never agreed, and always de
bated with you the subject; knew your course es
pecally in 1885, when both supported the election
of Hugh Lawson White, of Tennessee, as strong
Union man as ever Washington himself was, for the
Presidency have been intimately familiar win your
on;nions and course ever since; and yet never DID
hear you declare any sentiment or expression at any
time under nv crcumsta noes, similar to those men
toned or inferred by Messrs. Harrison and Braxton
And still, firmly ever believe that those per-
sons must have incorrectly put their own differences
in the place of your declarations and their true mean
ing. Very truly yours,
Hon A. P. UpsHuR.
From General (no,o Judge,) Bayly, Of .4ceomac.
RICHMOND, February 10, 1912,
My DEAR Sir have read Mr.. Philip Harrson's
letter, contained in Mr.. Bolts publication, with
amazement-not that think it sustans Mr. Bolts
the fact that it falls short of doing So is itself
matter Of surprise. For, coming from an inveterate
Federalist, of Mr. Harrison's gloomy disposition |
expected that his imagination would have distorted
your opinions than it has. But considering the
character of the conversations which he details and
his near relationship to Mr. Bolts, am amazed that
he should have consented to come fully before the
country as witness. And | am still more amazed
that, in statement purportng to be so minute and
circumstantal he should have fallen into such gross
inaccuracy as he has at least in one instance viz .
He says that the conversation which he details took
place in November of the first second year of Mr.
Van Buren's adminstration-hi only doubt seems to
be whether it was the first or second. Now, Judge
Barbour at that time could not have been going to
Norfolk to hold the District Court for before that
tine he was Justice of the Supreme Court And
am told that he never was in Norfolk after General
jackson conferred upon him that appointment.
| do not know that you will undertake to prove
negative. But should you, and my testimony be of
any use, it is at your service. You and have been
neighbors. | have practised law in your courts ever
since have been at the bar. During the session Of
your courts in which have practsed for ten years,
dned with you nearly every day and very frequent
ly we spent the evenings together. On these occa-
sions politics was most frequently the subject Of
versation. You and have entertained very nearly
the same political sentiments and representing for
six years an adjoining county to your own we have
conyersed and correspondent freely, particularly in
reference to questions affecting the stability of the
Union. And | declare that if you ever entertained
such sentiments Mr. Bolts attributes to you, they
were concealed from me.
Very truly your friend,
TIL. H. BAYLY.
~ Hon. A. p UpsHUR. &f