The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-22
WILLIAMSBURG, February IS, 1912.


My DEAR UpsHvR The enclosed has just been
handed to me by one of the gentlemen whose names
subscribed TO it, with request that would trans
nit it to you. do with the greatest pleasure, be-
am satisfied that to every candid mind it must
convey satisfactory retuaton of the charge prefer
red against you. They are the only members Of my
class who used to be much with you, and are now at
the bar here.
Yet am bound to say that myself do not feel the
surprise expressed by those gentlemen at the mlscon
structon OF your sentiments by others On the con-
trary myself have been present when believed
that you were thus misconstrued | am much mis-
taken II was not present al that particular converse
ton in this place to which Mr. Harrison alludes and
if you and were not much amused at the extrava-
gance of his CONSERVATION, while listening to sent
ments and arguments which certain pre-occupttion
of his mind rendered him incapable of understanding
in their right sense. That occasion we spoke
of this and diverted ourselves at the sort of holy hor
ror with which he seemed to regard us, do remem-
Der. i have accounted for il thus To say that il
the Constitution is to be interpreted and administered
in certain way, 1t would be better to dissolve the
Union" and to say this to to whomit appears alb
souely clear that that is the true way, and the only
way in which the Constitution is to be interpreted and
administered is the risk of being understood by
him to advocate dsunon absolutely and unqualiiedly
10 himthe qualification you annex appears mere null
ty he perhaps understands you at the time as mean
ing nothing by itor he understands il dsngenuous
artiice to salve over an obnoxious statement and IT
neither Of these ideas actually occurs to him. the quail
ifcation passes out of his mind altogether. To his
understanding 1t does not al all qualify the PROPOSE
ton, and hence the proposition stands IN his memory
absolute and unqualified. This is true in re-
gard to men of discriminating and ingenious minds
When there are those present by whom sure
of being rightly understood, even the most prudent
man may be tempted TO amuse himself and others, by
deepening the impression which he has been
made, and provoking denunciatlons OF the heresy
which his antagonist imagines has been avowed. L
a IN | see d
markable for prudence badger Mr. Harrison in this
way, and send him away full of horrors that
should hardly have been surprised at his atribung
to YOU any political heresy whatever, without intend
ing at all to misrepresent you And yet declare most
positively, that, in all our close and condcntia init
macy, never heard you express sentiment lncon
sstent with those ascrbed to you by the writers of the
within letter.
| see that have used the pronoun we" in way
which may lead the uncandid to regard me bearing
testimony for myself seeing that my name has been
logged into this controversy. But am not seeking
to shelter my opinions by identifying them with yours
On the contrary, ] am bound to add that am the
more confident in my understanding of your senti-
ments because ,cent beyond you. To certain cx-
tent we agree. All that is said by my young friends
of you is equally true of myself. too nculcated
the same ideas, and it was my to bring them in
to your society, and to eod you to explain illustrate,
and enforce what deemed right and true. Beyond
this neither of us went in conversation icih them.
But when we two conversed together without wit
nesses, or in the presence only of very particular
friends question often arose on which differed.
Events had happened measures had been adopted,
principles had been avowed, which had led me to
doubt whether we could ever expect to the Go
yernment administered on its true principles. This
doubt your more sangune mind rejected some
times despaired of the Republic. You did
thought that foresaw evils that would render disuni-
on ineyitable You never did. So far from having
made up your mind to disunion positive good, ]
hx rlaC t,p.n
do more than to shake your faith for the moment in
the remaining conservative power of existing consti
tutonal deiences,n in which writer whose words
enormously attributed to you, declares he has
lost all hope" In this state of mind you could ne
yer rest and presently returned to the conviction that
good men would one day get into power, and that
four years would be enough to enable such to restore
the Government to its true principles. About this
cannot be mistaken, and have little doubt that Jones
Speed and Crump, may all remember discussions Of
this sort (See the p. S. of w. s. Peachy)
If | speak of the "Partsan LEADER | suppose
shall be understood as wishing to testify on my own
behalf. But this is not necessary, Whenever | take
the trouble to plead to the charge against me, shall
be at no loss TO prove, by sundry witnesses that the
book was written with view to operate on the Pre-
sidental election of 1886, by alarming the friends OF
Union with dread OF disunion as consequence OF
Van Buren's election that it hurried to the press
that it might be out in time; that the sheets were
sent off unrevised they written, with that
view and that when, for some cause, the publication
was delayed too long, gave up all thoughts of cir
culating the work and made no attempt to push il
into notice. But this, as have said, ! do not care
about avowing for myself When necessary, if il
ever shall be- | shall aver and prove it. But dc
aver, on your behalf that whatever other purpose
might have had, none other was disclosed to you
You were appraised of what was doing; you were
told that it was with a view to the coming election
and you were provided with the means of preparing
your review in urtherance Of that object that the