The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-03-14
REMARKABLE { { coNTRovERsY.


REMARKABLE oNTRovERsY.
The National 1hteiigeneer CONTAINS stte "a.
lowing correspondence between Gen. S6jSids,
recently elected United Siates Senator llbm
Illinois, and Judge Breese, recent HSenafofR "a
that body from the same State. Il appears t6as
bad feeling was engendered by The, resuk of
the election, by which, through d parry ra6cus
in the Legislature Of Illinois, the latter vas
superseded by the former. Gen. ShisB3E'kad
been law student in The Office Of Judge
Breess. ss, Fs' ~ 1ssgisi5F
WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 1913
Sr,-On my return 10 this colafry from
Mexico, broken in constitution, feeble III kesifb,
and still suffering under the effects Of wa,pds.
you were the only man in the city aaE Wssh-
lngton y ho received me with coldness and sun.
kindness. When this city honofed ns Wiih .
public dinner, which was generously istsD6ed
as compliment NOT only to me htt fofn5 6hte,
you were the only man who declined q atead
that dinner. You went further. Yoa pr1paga-
ted report hele in Washington, and cifrpis.
ted it afterwards ILLINOIS, that w4s iAs3fgf.
BILE TO the Office OF. Senator; and this, teo, a6er
| had poured out my blood lkewnser ID tbe
battle fields Of my country. You ipuhlished an
article in the St. Louis Repsblicah charging me
with ineligibility-doing that which 4 fh0ggbs
no man in these United States would hxs6 besn
mean enough TO do in my case, eyen II i had
been true. You, however, did this, kueHiag L
to be untrue. Onthis subject have simply to
say, that had been defeated hy y6.s. on ahaf
ground, had sworn in my hessta tknnsyoa
never should have peofited by your md.
depend upon il, I would taxsskspt that voW,
regardless of consequences! ghaa, however.
is now past, and the vow il cancelled IN syous
defeat. Why address vow now issisagly this:
In ls40 you gave me something in the
shape of final certificate Of natnnjixsfioa IN
Efingham court. You knew at the time that
was naturalized by law, and by Ne safifaii.
cation of my father while I wSs "a minoes i
told you the circumstances, ann, as ! tlSselalk.
ed of going to Canada in case Of war, 5oS Of.
fered to give me certificate which lHou6
simplify the proof in case Of dififHfiftut egew,
| wish you to give me q letter acknowledging
these facts. | write you d pfisats ieftef for
that purpose. should have sent q fieH q
once and imperatively demand such o letter,
but felt that, in disgracing you Z wasd dis.
grace the State that made you aHds sn5self
Senators and also wished TO give you On
opportunity TO, make this acknowlsasehent
quietly. II; however, you psssiss - your
course Of injustice towards ma and refuse this
request, 1 here give hsfais Svstei eihgllsf tho
consequences fall on yeaE ews head--I shsil
hold myself acquitted both before God a1f msn
for the course I shall feel bound fo parsse 10
wards you. Your obedient ssfyaAs,
,. Jas, SHEfbs.
Hon. Sidney Breese. fra.& ss.,s1
-. --.sI siaE,l IDOL ,sss;Si
Gen. Shields begins hi, Letter by = slsEifipgt to
The wounds he received in Mexico. - This aflu.
sion seems quite unnecessary. 2 The whole
country, a-d particularly
are familiar with the fact that be bears honor-
able scars upon his person. For these sounds
he has already received liberaf share 'of gym
palhy from his grateful coontsymep.a How.
ever, am not disposed TO cavit at ibis part Of
his letter. 1t is matter Of Taste thAt t5oes not
deny mos. positively that r treated Gen.
Shields with goodness and unktRdlcsss on bis
return from Mexico. Immediateif % hiUsHi.
val in this city, called to pay my fesFcrts 10
him, and not finding him at home, LEFT ny card,
as is the custom. few days after rtbiasI met
General Shields when bis manner tossagis me
was so cold and repulsive thar tssw all4ssuilisr
intercourse was at an end, and od coursef did
not attend the dinner givento hia.g II opess
that did not treat Gen. Shields With sseottness
and unkindness," for Ien,eftained, aE thss time,
none other than the most friendly feelings To-
wards him; and l confidently appsaf % the
whole history up to this time Of sour pefsonal,
professional and political intercoufsei 20 sSpport
this declaration. As to his eligibility TO the
office of Senator, can only say that ftApropa.
sa,ed' no areport,". here or elsewhere, in re.
iation 10 il. In conversation apoR ths Subject,
[ stated TO friend fact, which the rscord OF
the Effingham circuit court will estsbtssh, and
"blood," no matter where or how apoesef out,
cannot alter that record, or change the constI.
tuition of the United States. The assertion OF
Cen. Shields that charged him with s'paeligi.
bi1hy" in an article in the st. Louis, ,RePabli-
can. not only is not true, but is witbeat any
color of truth. positively assert, sad defy
contradiction, that did not write, nor cause to
he written. nor knew until after it's publication
that il had been written, that, or any other art.
Gle, for that or any other paper, IN relation 10
this subject. - :
Nh, the least so Of the nanya remarkable
,,ssoces Of this letter of Gen. Shiefds,is Is the
allowing: "on this subject lhare simply TO
cav that had been defeated by you on that
ground, (,hc ground Of iineligibiityl had
sworn in my heart that you never Jhould have
profited by your success; and, dspendeupon a.
would have kept my VOW, regaoiiess OF con-
SEQUENCES" Certainly it is tortnnase Tor the
honor of the country, that this rash WOW" has
been "canceed" by my defeat! General
Sbi,lds submits his pretensions to a seattn the
Senate to Democratic caucus OF the staiinot'
Ic"sIa,ure, and agrees, expressly, or BY the
cIearcs, L implication, that be will abide their
decision and yet i, appears that. q! this very
moment, ..he had sworn in his heart tedefeat
The M will Of the party, If !. had proaosinced in