The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1843-08-29
NUMBER 40.
From The National lu,elligencer.
A LETTER FROM MR.. CALHOUN.
Fonr Hill, july IS, 1913

received from friend The National Intel
ligencer of the 18th and 18th instant, con-
tanning your remarks on volume recent
" published by the Harpers, of New
Iolk, entitled " Speeches Of Mr.. Calhoun,
delivered in the Congress OF the United
States from 1871 10 the present tImc."--
Your remarks are headed, Political
History--Suppressed Speeches Of Mr..
Calhoun" Suppressed is strong
word. The highest authorities define It
10 be, put down, destroy ed. concealed and
YOUR remarks leave no doubt that YOU in.
tended 10 use il in the strongest and most
offensive sense--thut is, that they have
been Intentionally omitted in the comPlia-
/ ton in order TO give partial and false view
/ Of my opinions; and, for that purpose,
/ false title was gwen TO the volume. To the
truth of this you pledge indirectly your
word by heading your remarks -" Political
History" The charge rs grave one,
and made IN an imposing manner, and IT
true the imposition would deserve The pub
lie reprobalion. The question, then IL, Is
! il true Let facts answer.
The title is, indeed, faIse--tasc every
way. II covers much not included IN the
volume, and omits much that is-reports,
letters, and other writings. on have no.
tced the former and called the public al
tention 10 it, but not the latter, though
equally obvious, and very material IN deter
mining whether the lalsity Of the title Is
mere error or fraudulent attempt az I'M
position. The one might, with some
pIausibitv, be construed 10 b. an attempt
al imposition; hut it is impossible tor any
ingenuity so to construe the other. 1t IS
i impossible TO assign TO il a fraudulent OBJ
/ iect. Bot if the one is an error, why not
! the other? In fact the very grosspcss of
! both can leave no doubt that they are
merely errors. 1t is not possible to open
the volume without detecting them. The
itule covers all The speeches Of Mr.. Cal
houn from 1911, when he entered Con-
gress, till the present time, while the yo-
I tune contains but one speech PRIOR to
1888. Again: it omits TO mention any
i thing but speeches, when Of the four first
! Of his productions Of which the compilation
Iis composed, only one is a speech. 10
make lis grossness more palpable, all these
are headed " Speeches" Has fraud ever
been known TO do its work in SO clumsy
manner 1t is idle to waste words on
thing so plain. The whole title is a gross
blunder, of which have much greater
reason 10 complain than any one else. 1t
locks much more ike an attempt TO lnlure
me than to impose on the public. |, how
ever, can suspect nothing of the kind
How it happened | know not; nor is It
material, so far as II relates to the object
of this communication but deem it due
10 myself to state all that know about it.
+, II 50 happens have never yet seen the
volume. saw the title and the adyer-
tisenent not long since for the first time.
] was, az may be imagined, indignant at
tho buader. | wrote Immediately TO
friend, who took an interest in the pub
(. LEGATION and corresponded with the pub
fishers, aud pointed out the bunders IN
the title and the objections to the adver-
llsement, and suggested the corrections
that should be made, which ! requested
him to have done forthwith. 1t was too
late. | received his answer few days
since. He informed me that he had per-
ceyed the blunders before he got my let
ter. and had prepared correction, but,
owing to some delay in the TRANSMISSION,
! it was not received in time. 1t may DC
proper to add, that the title | suggested
las we'll as can rccollect) was, "a seIec-
lion from the speeches, reports, and other
writings Of Mr.. Calhoun, subsequent to his
election as Vice President Of the United
States, including his leading speech on the
late war, delivered in ISL" 1t was
drawn up to make it full and accurate-to
cover the whole, and no more. So much
for the title.
| | come now to the selection or complIa'
ton and here take all the responsibility
1t was done by me, and if there be any
fraud or concealment, am charseable.-
In order that your readers may Judge,
shall state the reasons which governed me
IN making the selection.
1t is proper to premise that have been
iurred from various quarters, in the last
six or seven years, to have my speeches.
collected and published, and have during
the same period received numerous appii'
cations for copies ofmy speeches npamPh'
, let form, with which could not comply,
f because | had not spare copies. Since
my name has been presented to the people
lin connexion with the Presidency, app'ica'
ton for copies have increased, and have
! been more frequently urged to collect ana
publish my speeches, reports, and o'nef
G writings on political subjects hna'iy
: consented to the publication, because De-
}. Iieyed il to be due TO the People, IN the
position occupy, to afford them the means
of ascertaining the opinions ana senu'
5 meuts entertain on all political SUBJECTS;
: narticuIarly en- those which have agl'aleu
= ihe country of late, and on which the IRE.
sidentia election viii probably IN grea'
measure turn. That believed could hes,
:, be done by publishing what had SAID ans
written on those questions IN form "l'i.n
IS would make the work accessible to Tue
People. 1t would give my opinions an0
:, sentiments in the fullest and most au'non'