Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-08-30
The Lewis Letter.


find letter over the signature JAS A. LEWIS. 1t
proper that the designed to be made of that let
ter be exposed and shall do it with gloves off 1t
is designed to impugn the motives of no set of
men but it is deliberate intention to expose one
of the lowest tricks has been fortune ever to have
encountered just on the eve of an election
What the objects be attained by the publica-
ton of this letter Is it affect the election of Gen.
Quitman We think not, for had that been the object
it would never appeared until the close of October and
then at hour too late to be successfully refuted be-
fore the polls were opened in November This letter
then, was intended to subSerue TEMPORARY PURPOSE
it designed influence the election of Monday and
Tuesday next. Ifnot why such hot haste in despatch
ing ito the country. Messrs. Harris, Young and
Wynne aimed at, and being unable to reach them
in any honorable and open manner, they stricken
at through Quitman They are to be held responsible
for the of Gen. Quitman and their party associa-
ton with him is sought to brand them disun-
ionists and traitors to their country If this letter
not designed to affect the and the election of Mon
day and Tuesday next would have been withheld un-
til after that election. This is clear
But in what position does this letter place Gen.
Quitman We will proceed to show. He is charg-
ed with writing letters to Rhett, and Maxcy Gregg,
urging them as the secession leaders, to keep South
Carolina up to the rack, and make her secede. This
is the language The purport of the language of one
the letters is charged be this "That South Caro-
lima must secede and that then Mississippi chip i'
He understood intimang that mississippi is not
ready for secession herself" and that sit will not do
for him Quitman to take this stand; yet if South
Carolina will only bring the issue he will sustain
her. Read the letter and if we draw from its
text correctly The purport of this is, that if South
Carolina secedes Mississippi will do so. This is hold
ing out said and comfort the secessonists of Caro-
lima. The intimation that mississippi is ready
for secession leaves it to be inferred that if Quit
man believed the State would sustain him, he would
make secession the issue. Now, fellow citzens what
conclusions flow from these premises-they are these
That Quitman is not only base but dangerous man ;
and if true that he is playing the double game
charged by this letter, the People, in their majesty
ought to rise against him, and hurl both himself and
his doube-dealng policy where the hand of the
recting angel will never find them. He attempt to
delude and mislead the People of Carolina. He at
tempt to guide and shape the policy of sister State,
by holding out inducements that she shall be sustain
ed, and that he but awaits the bringing of the is
sue, to whip Mississippi in. He travelling through
State declaring hostility to secession under
present circumstances-provng he has never adyoca-
ted it for past wrongsworkng hourly to impress this
as his honest opinions the People, and yet call
ing to the leaders of Carolina, secede, we whip Mis-
sissippiin What base hypocracy--whatd amning de-
ception. This, Felow-ctizens, is the position in
which the Lewis letter places Gen. Quitman.
Fellow-Citizens, many of you know Gen. Quitman
The is man advanced in years--his reputation
man has heretofore been spotess-he has acquired at
home and abroad some characterize has been honor
ed by you at the baliobox, and by the country with
National commission-he has enjoyed the character of
an rreproachable gentleman and now, if this
pondence with all the aggrevatng crcumstances-the
open as well as implied charges-the differences and in
timatons contained in this Lewis letter cere or are
TR E, he would forfeit the good will and respect
mankind and more especially would he deserve the ev
erlastng curse of those personal and political friends
who are sustaining him now. His character is stakeC
this, and if be shown that the charges and in
tmations truehe is morally and politically damn
ed.
/ The charges and limitations are not T RUE -
Gen Quitman has put his signature to letter stamp
ing the statement about urging the secession leader
to keep So Carolina up to the rack, and make her
cede &c, LIE But, fellow-citzens, there is an
other point in this matter, Note well. Gen. Quit
man spoke at Louisville, Winston co., on the 22nd
instant. Dr. Brown showed the letter to Gen. Quit
man. He wrote the following words on the letter
'That his private opinions both about the condition
"of Mississippi and what should be the course Of So
Carolina given in answer to confidential enquiries
shave been much mtsrepresented. He has not under
staken to direct what S. Carolina should do nor to
"Pledge Mississippi to any course of action"
We charge that copy, the original Lewis lette
was addressed and mailed at Louisville for this cit,
on the 22nd, the day Gen. Quitman wrote the abov
words on the one shown him by DR.. Brown. Who wa
it suppressed the words Gen. Quitman had written O
the Lewis letter. We charge in this com
: munity, nor do we charge DR.. Brown with the sur
e preston. Who was it !? that's the question.
+ How did it happen that the Extra was not put i
type from the original letter instead of copying fror
: the Macon extra. Was it that Quitman's hand writ
y ing nailed the base bantling to the counter Let tn
people reflect upon this, and say if not RICH
d when said, that the publication not ntende
to affect Qutman, but that it was aimed at HARRIS
WYNNE and Y DUNG.
Z This whole transaction is low and contemplate
1t shows to what shifts this chivarous Union party
pushed to keep excitement 1t started up with de
cepon written upon its brow, and every step forwar
it has since made has been at the expense of truth
And now, after having been driven from the field I
argument it resorts of to the weapons of star
1T der and falsehood The people may be deceived bu
unprepared to believe that the party that Bic
pogates such fasehoods and SANDERS as containe
in the letter in question, will make expenses out of
Il One moment more Here is letter contanin
matter calculated if true destroy and blast foreve
10 the character of an honored and respected II
has denounced the allegations in any way tending
impeach his integrity gentleman and man, q
i basely false. Yet his opponents, with degree
avdity more becoming the assassns of character thar
who would hold the scales of Justice with an i'm
partial hand have pushed the vile Islander into tn