Democratic banner., 1846-12-07

contents of the tracts distributed by MIR
Lyman Scott, of Rockport, Illinois, to the
women and children, at the Temperance
meeting held at this place, on Sunday the
29th ultimo. The meeting had been called
by the friends of temperance in this place.
'anG Messrs. Naylor and Scott, both of Pike
county, H., invited to address the people
on that occasion. Mr.. Navlnr addressed tnc
people on Saturday. and Mr.. Scott on Sun
day, combining their remarks strictly to the
subject of Temperance. After Mr.. Scott
had concluded his address, he took from his
'saddle-bags, a number Of Tracts, which he
distributed amongst the women and CHILD
rem. But what seemed a little stran~e at
the time, he %neithrr spoke of the sentiments
Iof the tracts, nor offered one to any gentle
man in the house. The tracts were not eX-
iamined, nor was any investigation made in
to the subject, until the people had reached
their homes. Some of the husbands and
fathers then for the first, took ituPon them
selves to examine into the subject matter
of the tracts so profusrly distributed among
their wives and their little ones To the
surprise of all, the subject of Temperance
was not even remotely touched upon by a
solitary tract. But they were devoted al
most exclusively to anti-war and anti-slave-
ry notions. Some of the citizens now be-
came much excited, and assembled tOgcth-
er, for the purpose eff selecting IA committee
to wait upon Mr.. Scott, with a polite re-
quest, to leave town sat his earliest prac-
convenience" But before they
could carry their purpose into execution,
ascertained that he had already left.
They then determined to collect them to-
and send them in a bundle, to his
at Rockport.
They were not so much displeased at the
sentiments of the tracts though they were
Tot atall palatable to Missourians,) as at his
,lan of circulating them. If he had frank
y apprised the people Of the true char
acter of his publications; or if he had dis
them among the men, as well as
among the women and children, they would
lot have felt SO indignant. But under the
they were compelled to
ook upon it, as an attempt to practice the
,~rosset d deception. He came over o~stensi-
'ly for the purpose of furthcrins the tenn
cause, and throughout his address
delivered n 1.-THE hearing of his male auditors,
lie confined himself to remarks bearing up
,n that subject, but no sooner had he con
that address, than he commenced
and without remark, distributing
the women and children, papers
bearing upon a very different subject. Such
conduct was neither open nor marty, nor
it calculated to further the cause for
which he professed to labor. The Tenn
cause is here esteemed a good one,
md its numerous friends can but regret,
lie ever visited the place as its advo-
cate. The frank disclaimer Of Mr.. Naylor
will Of Course put the matter right, so far
IS he is concerned. We give it below.
RocKPoRT, Dec. 3d., 1916. !,
E DRAPER, Esq.
Dear Sir:-Your letter of the : !
st. is Just received, and | hasten to reply.
'ou cannot easily imagine my surprise on !
caring Of the excitement created in your
lace BY the circulation Of those tracts or
aptrs, by MIR. Scott on Sunday last. My
redicament in reference to their ~circula- :
ion was precisely the same as any other
erscn in the congregation. | neither knew
is object nor their contents, nor do | vet
now either; | have never seen IL of them =
kept while he was distributing them.
link proper to assert positively and une-
uivocally, that | was, and still am, unad-!o
ised and totally unacquainted with the
ontents of the paper in matter or meaning,
nd equally so with regard to his object in
istributirs them; and in this matter | had =,
o more participation than any other spec-
ator in the church, and if | had known
ZEN to have been Abolition tracts, would Ii
zen and there, have disavoweG any parti-
ipation inthe transaction. Thought at the il
inc that | would afterwards inquire of MIR. u
/. what they were, but the Gil cumstauce