Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-24
Ma. UPsnUR's LETTER.

The following p1psrs, appended to the Letter
Of the Hon. A. T.. Upshur, published in our last,
were, for want OF room, necessarily deferred until
to-day mar. ISr.
wAsursercx. Feb. 10, lsis.
Dear Sir: I think il due to you, at this time, 10
insure you that have as yet seen nothng 70 ehange
NV COW respecting your opinions and avowai
at them on tho subject Of the dissolution OF the
Union end to declare that have had for the last ten
wears the best opportunities, under almost oil cir-
eums,auccs, Of knowing, perhaps better than any
other person rot OF your own family, wha, your
opinions that subject have been, and what has
been your mode Of advocating and advancing them.
During the severe contest in 1882 and 1888, IN
the Williamsburg Congressional d District OF Virginia
between the Hon. Richard Coke and mysoli' the
test question was that Of notification. was The
ardent ami devoted opponent OF thai doctrine, anu
perhaps nowhere and at no time was nm issue eNel
more thoroughly and zealously dseusseu .nan mss
then tho effects and tendencies OF nnihheauon upon
the question OF union 6isunion. fou wero
citizen Of the district, and debated the question IN
vowed IN tho contest very frequently and iuEy,
publicly and privately, with me ana olhess, ano
often warmly. You opposed my election and I'D
vocated the election OF Mr.. Coke, who did no, ap.
prove Of tic course Of South Carolina under the
circumstances, but who advocated the docir mes on
which that State based her conduct. And must
saw that at no time in the most heated moments Of
the s,ruggle-a struggle which ragged so hercely az
TO bring my opponent and myself, unfortunately, TO
u scene which We both now resret-did ever hear
you or any one else advance any sentiments or eN-
pressons at all assimla;ed TO those which are now
mos, uniust,y, l think, attributed to you. So lar
from avoring countenancins the doctrine OF dis
solution Of the Union, whenevtr or my Trends
urged that disunon was the tendency OF your opln-
ions and doctrines, you invariably denied the posi-
t.on and attempted to show that hey and they only
were conservative Of tho Union, and were COM
Inended to you and to others for that especial Tea-
sn. ~ ,,:s
Such vera your opinions IN isS,, wnen num- hnr.
known them TO DC the same ever since. | have had
conversations with you every fall and spring, whilst
Attending your courts on the sublsci have read all
your writings the subject have never agreed,
and always debated with you on the subject; knew
your course especially in 1896, when we both sup
ported the election OF Hugh Lawson White, Of
Tennessee, as strong Union man as ever Wash
ington himself was for tho Presidency; have been
Intimately familiar with your opinions and course
ever cincc; and vet never did hear you declare
my sentiment or expression, at any time, under
any circumstances, similar 10 those mentioned or
inferred by Messrs. Harrison and Brax,on. And
| STILL as firmly ever, believe that those persons
must have incorrectly put their own differences in
the place Of your declarations and their true mean
ing. Very truly yours, |
Hon. A. P. UrsHuR.
From General (nO,r Judgtl BsylV. Of .ieesmae.
RIcHM ND, Feb. 10, ls42.
My DEAR SIR:-I have read MIR Philip Haui-
sous letter, ccnia ned in Mr. Bots publication, with
amnzement-not that could think il sustans Mr.
Botts-,he fact that it falls so short OF dong 50, is
itself matter Of surprise. For, coming from in
veterete Federalis OF MIR Hartson's slo my dispo
si'ion, expected that his Imagination would have
ds'or'el your opinions more than It has. But con-
derinc the character of,h conversations which he
tlils end his near reta'ion hip TO MIR Bors, am
nmaz q that he should have consented 10 come so
FLY before the Country as witness. And am
still more RACED that, in statement purportins 10
T. =. L.. - -
fallen into such gross naccuracy he has, at least
in instance, viz: He says that the conversation
which he details took place in November Of the & st
or second year of Mr. Van Burens administration
his only doubt seems to be whether II was the first
or c DAD. Now, Judge Barbour at that time could |
o have been 90 NJ 10 Norfolk 10 no the District
Court; for before that time he Justice OF the
SuHtemc Court. And am told that he never was
in No fo.s after Gen. Jackson conferred upon him
that appointment.
60 not know that you will undertake to prove
negative. But sho I'D you, ard nv testimony be of
any uss, Il is at your service. You and have !
been neishbors. have praciised law in your
ever since have been at the bar. During the
sion Of your courts, in which have prae,ised .er
ten years, | dined with you nearly every day: and /
very f;eq4onty we spent the evenings together. |
On ihsss occas ons politics was most frequently the
subject OF conversation. You ard have enter
tanned very nearly the same political sentiments;
aud representing for SIX years an adjoining county
10 your own, we have conversed and coresponded
freely, particularly in reference 10 questions affect
inc the stability of the Union. And declare that
ii YOU ever entertained such sentiments Mr. Bolts
s.l9lou.es TO you, they were concealed from me.
Hon. A P UFsHuk. tn. II. BAYLY.
NORFOLK, FEBR5ARY - 1912.
SIs have re,tiFfd your letter Of the sh instant,
IN which you ask me TO state "whAt opportunities !
have had Of knowing your opinions in regard to the
value Of the union and what / understand them ]
To he"
Ia the course Of twelve years have very often met
vi you while attending several Of the Courts in /
which You presided; and still more often in the
Getty Of Norfo and Williamsburg. We have travel
led oge,her have had the pleasure Of seeing you
at my house and my office; and We have correspond
ed by elter Ii has rarely happened that on any !
nj these occasions political topics not the sub
ject Of conversation, particularly the measures OF
General Jackson administration. On these, 10 con-
mex on with notification and on the subject of aboli-
ton, have often heard you express your opinions |
body and warmly, yet II never even occurred TO |
me that you a foe 10 the Union. On the con-
try, have regarded your strong opposition TO the
Proclamation, abolition, and the many other sub
leets | have heard you discuss, sprinsing from
your at achment to the Union, whose integrity you
considered % be in danger from the doctrines which
You opposed. am, very respectfully,
Hon. A. p. UPsauR. w. w SHARP.
mir. Sharp is an eminent lawyer, and now Pre- |
stent Of the Exchange Bank in Norfolk
WILLIAMSBURG, Feb. 10, 1s4I.
My Dear Upshur: The enclosed has Jus, been
handed TO me by one ofihe gentlemen whose names
are subscribed 10 IL, with a request that would
transmit IL to you do with the greatest plea
sure because ! am satisfied that 10 every candid
mind It must convey a satisfactory refuiaon Of the
charge preferred against you. They are the only
mem9ers Of my class who used TO be much with |
ypu. and are now a. the bar here.
Yeti am bound to say that myself do no, feel /
the surprise expressed by those gentlemen at the |
misconstruction Of your sentiments by others On
The contrary, myself, have been present when
believed that you were thus misconstrued. | nm
much mistaken II was not present az that particu.
lar conversation in this place. 10 whsh MIR Harrison
alludes, and If you and were not much amused at |
the extrhvagance Of his CONSERVATION, while listen |
ing 10 sentiments and arguments which certain
pre-occupaton Of his mind rendered him incapable
u understanding in their right sense. That on ono
OCCASION spoke Of this, and diverted ourselves
az the sort Of holy horror with which he seemed to |
regard us. do remember have accounted Tor il |
thus; To say cha, II the Constitution is 10 be in
torpretcd and administered in n certain way il /
would be better 70 dissolve the Union" and 10 saw /
this TO one to whomit appears absolutely clear that /
that IS the true way, and the only way in which |
The Constitution is to be interpreted and admins
tered is 10 the risk Of being understood by him
"a advocate disunion absolutely and unqua6edy. |
10 b a. the qualification you annex appears a mere
nulli'y, lie perhaps understands you at the time
IS meaning nothing by it, or he understands il az
dislngenuous artifce 70 saive over an obn xous
statementi and Il neither Of these IDEAS actually
occurs 20 him, the qualification passes out of bis /
70 nd ailoselher To his understanding, it does not