Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1844-06-13
WAsnlNeroNslMs 6. 1871.

I To Messrs. GATES s 9RArpa.
WAsHlNGToNs May 6, 1914.
Ny DEAR Sir haze received your
note. bringing 10 my no'icesa certificate
subscribed BY FIVE genEemsn. members
OF The present House Of re pSeseuta,iyes,
all OF them my poltscaIs opponents.
which you inform me is soioR The rounds
Of the Locofoco papers. Tie object OF
that certificate seems 70 be - verify the
correctness Of an extract iak4n from the
National Intelligence Of The ast OF July.
1870. In that extract ar,s stated by a
former member of the House Of Repre-
sentativcs q believe not nov living) 10
have remarked, ID debate w.Aich occur
red a year before, to the follo%mg effect:
-"If gentlemen will not aNowkus TO have
BLACK slaves, they must let us have tciite
ones for we cannot cut out tifswood, and
blsck our shoes. and have QUIZ wives and
daughters work in the kitchen1
l | think you attach an imsbrtance 10
his miserable attempt 10 prejudice mo
which it does not merit. Herr is an ex-
tractirom The files d the Intellk encer I'M
der date near twenty four Yeas ago. not
from any speech of mine, INT from
speech Of another member Oh Congress.
He does not undertake to givetny tords,
but merely states his imaression.of the
effect OF certain words used ey me year
before.
During The long and arduqas. discus
sion OF what was called The. Missouri
| question, | watso engrossed wvh the inn
portance Of the subject andso Neeply APP
prehensive Of the awful conseq aenees
which il involved. that neverIprote out
OF corrected any speech of uSae made
during the progress of The debate. On
the last aad most important occasion Of
The agitation Of that question, ii made an
elaborate speech OF sevefal hoeYs dora.
lion, no part of which, believe, was ey-
ef reported BY any Of the stshogssphers, as
] Acknowledgements was by me. IN
I II certainly will notHundertaks 10 recie
what ere The precise words used by me
90 the occasion Of. any Of the Numerous
speeches, short or long, which | made. in
Congress on the Missouri question !; bur
this will undertake TO assert. with the
most perfect confidence, that ! never used
The words, or any words which would
bear the import Of the extract 3 which
have alluded. am confident Oh it, be-
cause-I never entertained such II senti-
ment in my life. never contsived q
contingency in which would favor or
f5coun,enance reducing white meal4 sIave-
Try To such an imputation mag oppose
! the tenor Of a whole lie, dutins which
Emyfhulnble exertions have been constant
/ ly directed TO the preservation Of liberty
at home and the encouragement oil Iis es-
tablishment in foreign couniriess II I
have not been able 10 extend these exer-
lions tothe black race held in bondage in
this country, /; has been because df con-
siderations and convictions, sincerely and
honestly entertained, embracing the peace
| and happiness of both the white and black
races, which haye been often presented
10 thepubhc.
i tits quite possible that, in arguing up
H On, the existence Of the Institution OF
slavery ia this country | may have con-
i tended that The black race supplied those
| domestic offices which. under he'n9mes
| OF help, 'meniai servants and. 'domes-
tics, ARE to be found in every state of civil
| lied society, and consequently relieved
the white race fromsthe perform tnce Of
those offices. II have ever employed
such an argument. (of which | hA(e nc
recolle il is apparent how ersone-
ous inserences may have been dawn
'front.', which it-did not authorizes
II have no desire 10 disparSge fale indus
Try Of The wives Of any Of the cerfifer.
10 the extract. nor to boast OF tbatiu my
own family but venture 70 say that nc
lone ofAhem performs more domestic Id.
dosirv with her own hands Than my swiis
, does at Ashland. Il.
am, with respect, =
your friend and obedienl seryanaE
Hon.EJoHN Wars. H. CIAlT