The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-08-27
Cen. Wallaca,s Letter.

tons late attempt in the Senate to revive the
SANDER that the Mississippi Convention was got
ten up by Mr.. Calhoun, and that Gen. Wallace
acted as his agent. Our readers will recolect that
this statement was promptly contradcted by Cen.
Wallace at the time, but Gen. Houston saw proper
to repeat it, which called forth letter in reply,
from which we make the following extracts:-
The studied assault which the Senator has
made upon me may not perhaps, be character.
lied by the element which always attend the
crime Of felony, to wit: malice aforethought
The malignant hate which, while living, he bore
to another, who in life lived upon a moral emf.
nence, which his malice could never reach,
burns so iercely in his bosom yet, that he can
not permit his ashes to repose in peace. The
sanctity of the grave affords no shield against
the Senator's inpotent vituPeration, and he at.
temps to drag me into view to enable him to
add venom to the arrow which he hurls at tie
memory of the honored dead and shall per-
baps teach that Senator in the end that he shall
not use my name, either directly or by implica-
ton, for such purpose, without having admin
istered to him merited rebuke.
AN act like this, which includes in it copus
deficit the sweeping of all other vices and
which can be truly characterized only by the
term meanness,i is without paliation or iustifia-
bic pretence, and can produce no results but to
cover its author with the scorn and contempt of
mankind.
"The Senator say the eagle seeks his prey
at distance he does not seek it about the
eyrie." will bring to the mind of the Senator
another illustration of the qualities of the eagle,
to which he has aptly compared Mr.. Calhoun.
"1he Senator and Mr.. Calhoun once sat
together in the Senate chamber. They were
equal in Senatorial rank, but their equality
ceased. The country will bear me out in the
testimony we give, that there was wide differ.
ence between the two. This difference was
precisely that which exists between the eagle
and the owl The one scars aloft in the broad
light of day, and gazes steadily at the face Of
the sun. The other shuns the day, hides its ig-
nominy in darkness, and disputes with the rep
tiles with which it broods the right to batten on
garbage. The Senator can be at no loss to de-
terlnine the place assigned him i'll the back.
ground and twilight of this picture.
81 have said the Senator does not act with.
out motive. may be able to afford the pub.
lie key to the motive which has prompted the
Senator to assail Mr.. Calhoun and South Car
olna with unmitigated ualignity for the last
quarter of a century. will, for a moment,
Messrs Editors, change the venue from you to
the Senator himself, for the purpose OF pro.
pounding to him a few direct and plain inter-
rogatories, and hope he will favor the public
with distinct answer to each.
81 ask you, sir, did or did not Mr.. Madison,
soon after the battle of the Horse Shoe ap.
point you to the office of sub-lndian Agent for
one of the southern tribes!
"Did or did you not, sir, hold this office un.
til Mr.. Monroe come into power, and MIR. Cal
houn under him, as Secretary of Wars
"And did, or did not Mr.. Calhoun cause you
to be removed from the Office of sub-lndan
agent, for maIfeasance, in oAicea Mark the
word, sir, say malfeasance, not deemlng it al.
together in good taste to use term with which
ali are familiar, who are acquainted with the tt.
ties of the criminal code. Will you, sir, give a
direct answer to these interrogatories, without
resorting to your usual prevarications! I9e
public will be gratifed, doubtless, to hear your
response.
IF these questions be answeredin the affirm.
ative, or if you remain silenssthespublic will be
no longer at loss to discover the source Of
that hypocritical pretence of patriotism, under
cover of which you have for the last twenty. five
years given vent to your spleen against Mr.. Cal
houn and South Carolina. Until you answer
these inquiries, in charity to YOURSELF sir if not
those compelled to listen to your croaking. pray
cease to make yourself hoarse with the parrot
cries of Calhoun South Sarolina,' Union :
1t is said to be fact well known to those who
are acquainted with the history of criminal jI.
risprudence, that convict who has once stood
in the pillory, never looks at that instrument OF
punishment afterwards without an involuntary
sensation of anguish. You, sir, would perhaps
be credible witness on this subject
elf anything is to be learned from the histo-
~ of your life, you belong to school Of Phi'
losophers whose creed is only to be found in the
moral and political 1er non scrtpta. That creed
is briefly this, that dishonesty is cardinal vir'
tue, and knavery an accomplishment, which
alone can qualify disciple to act his part upon
the public stage. Of all the honors of this
school, you, sir, have shown yourself to be wor.
thy, and casuists might even conclude that the
pyramid of transgressions which time has erect
ed to your memory, and upon which your cpl
taph may be written, entities you, without any
additional achievement, to an honorary mem.
bership for life.
"If /, sir, in conclusion, felt authorized to Of