The Arkansas banner., 1845-12-31

our columns, on the very eve Of the meeting of the convention, period, above all others, that should be free from political difficulties between correspondents, calculated in the remotest degree, to mar it's harmony, or de- stroy its concert of action, apart from the object that caused it to assemble
 "AN OLp SETTLER" claims il as a right, to be heard through onr columns in defense of his friend We, therefore extend to him the privilege, however, regretiug much the time, that it gees forth to the public.
 The above remarks, are we think, alike due to ourselves. and tIe rcaders of lhe Ban ner, in publishing it:
 COL. ASHLEY, AND ITS aLtEparD PLEDGES. To He E2t,or of dhe artaasas Banner.
 I StR-l have read the communication of .,JefcrSon,n in your paper of the l7lh inst, and find in il the following most eXtraordi- nary paragraph, which, think, requires q few comments:
 'sAt the commencement of the lasl session of the Legislature, Col. Ashley was a eandi- date for the SsHale, and was well convinced i that he would be elected, if Governor ' ell, whose friends were deSirods ot placing his name before tlfe Legislature, in connection with the senatorship, should not be . eaHdi- date. To prevent the Governor from be coming candidate, Col Ashley went to 8 number of members of the Legislature, and i other gentlemen. and stated 10 them, that '.hc only desired to serve out the uneXpiried DOT l lion Of Gov. Fullon's term i'll the Senate :; i that his character had been slandered by his enemies, in connection with his business transactions, and that fl he could be elected to tie Senate, il would be an endorsement by his political party, and would eilectually ei-
 face the stains attempted to he impressed up- on his reputation by his enemies, that he was getting cid, and that he would DO perfectly contcnted to retire, after having served out the three sessions made vacant by Gov. Ful- ton's death; and that fl the friends ot Gov. ' ell would induce hlm not to be candi- date at that time, and give him helr support, that he would not be Ill the way oI ell at I the next Legislature. He made this state- meut to Gov Adams, Judge Saeed, D.. Bor- i land, Col John G. Walker, of the Senate, A. B. Greenwood, Esq, of the House, 10 Judge i Oldham, and Maj John S Houston, of John son county, besides other gentlemen, and he requested Judge Sneed and Dr. Boraad To make the declaration, ln his name. To Gov. :. Yell, which they did. He urged gentlemen to eleclioneer with members ol the Epgsia- 1 ture, upon those gtoun Is, which almost every member ol the Legislature will remem- Der was done.2
 Now, Mr. Editor, you have, believe, been personally acquainted with Gel. Ashley, lol more than dozen years past and, presume, is most others have done, have known him as ranking at least among the foremost mem beTs of our bar, and given hum credit for the possession of high order of talent and intel lect as well Us a reasonable share ol shreWd- aess-perhaps y ou will say, as much of the latter quality as usually falls to the lol oi one man. Well, if this be so, then let me ask you, if you believe Col. Ashley could have been SO great StRpfetoR as to have made the pnriie and lshiaag proposition to Gov. Y ell, that" "Jellersono charges him with or any other proposition resembling il i? Do you believe any sensible man, who is ac- quaiuted with Col Ashley, can be made to believe so absurd d story can answer for you. lou do not. It Is too absurd to gain credit any wheFe.---lt is true, l cannot say, of my own knowledge, that he did n0t Bat, if he did, vii! confess he was a great CT simplelon than had supposed him to be. and possessed of far less shrewdness than he
 had credit for among his acquainances -
 Hence, am free 10 say, that do not be-
 lieye he ever made such proposition, nor
 indeed, any thing like 1t.
 The gentlemen whom your correspondent refers to, as his witnesses, to prove his charge : against Col Ashley, are, so far as my ar- l qHaihtanee with them extends, men of unim. | peachabie veractV, who would not, | an sure, Intentionally make false statement, 0 wiliully givea wrong interpretation to a easu
 al or jocular conversation, to inJure politi
 cal opponent No, sir. they would not : They would scofh so base an act Then sir, ! say, that not one oi them would be vii ling to hazard his character for veracity, b, endorsing so preposterous charge.
 z But, sir, suppose any one or more of then : were to endorse it, what predicament woult he place himself in ? Those gentlemen oc
 cupy some prominence in the democratic : ranks, and are all looked up to. in their fe spectiye circles, for counsel and instruction by those who have not had the same oppor
 mniiies for acquiring information in relation
 10 the qualifications of candidates for the sta tions aspfed to. Will these gentlemen. then , or any one of them, be wiling to come ou , and testify, (on oaa or on honor that they were priry to bargain 5et3reea Coi. .3saiet aad Cor. Yell, or, ii you please, proposi tion from the formcrto the latter, that, if Gov Yell would permit Col. \. to be elected Sen ator, he (A.) would not be candidate fo , reelection, but would leave the track clea for Gov Yell; Or, will they testify 10 th,
 truth of the charge as quoted by "Jeflefsoan
 If they will. believe every honest democra will denounce hem as not entitled to tht confidence of their party, asd ! would say
 they deserved t. Ii such proposition hae been made to them, or come 10 their know
 ledge, their obvious duty to lhcir party was to expose ii, and Iet the party or parties ma
 king or aecedng to il, suffer the consequen , ces of an attempted haud oil the people Af,fa h, i II t