The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-02-27
LETTER FROM JAS. HARLAN.

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IowAsCuv, Feb. IS, 1851.
IL. ALrnSp SASnkas,
Editw ID sveepnrt Gazette,
eir ia your prpsr u ,Ae 18th inst.
i. I eniy "a Some ono. " l.u caqnircs whether
/ shail be declared candidate tor SnPi. VI
Public destruction, y0u say:
s.No, for Gus ne cannot support nun, &c
- least lacks tive Qualifications that con-
demn him in our estimation. We believe
him 10 10 neither honest auf competent and
The claims IL sncl, msn we will mol urge
CIR any Office" !.
This denuncia,ion from such aq"arter,i
con5ess, sss.k ne by sarrrise--as r. d.a,''s'
less will my friends every where, unless
explained. This ! prol" - 10 give through
your paper.
IL The yeas l647 yoa charged mo $500
Tor tickets furnished NJ the elsc,i"u i"r
Supt. of Pub. Instruction, for which ! sent
you my note. 10 l646 you charged $4,N
luf similar sesvices. Informed YOU, as
nearly 81 can nov remember. that c"'n1
mi.tee Of my friends had made arrange
ncnts 10 nay these claims--,hat WAS then
unable 10 pay al tho bills &C that character
seat 10 me for settlement that i they
did MOI, ! would a. soon MS ] could. This !
have been doing. Bit ycs nre still unpaid:
and that, 70 far IS | know, Is the only cause
for your charge d dishancs'y.
Tho expenses Of the canvass in ISL,
also 10 lS46-the expenses OF the oit'cc tor
ycar-the expenses Il the courts int"
which ! was dragged ii th.t unfortunate
day OF party virnlence--nnd the expenses
af my family, more than consumed whnt J
received from the treasury, and what have
since earned. BY the mnst active indDstr.
compatible With my health, coupled with
rigid economy 90 that i has been lmPnssl-
bic for me, thus far, to pay all these old
ciaim.. But expect in less than month
10 satisfy your demands, which have, hi'h.
erto, been delayed in favor IL other more
imperative obligations.
lfporcrfy and dishonesty are mt synnn-
NOUS terms the man nf seant means and
The criminal are no. 10 l,a Consigned TO The
eams infamy-if il 10 still wrong 10 publish
every man 4 sconndrel, who il unable L"
pay promptly all his debts, then sou have
done me great injustice. II would have
been much more manly and honorable, we
think, for you to have presented the note
nod your account in due carm Tor payment
-rhicA yos hare never YET donc-and III
hey had not then been paid, IL have placed
hem In the hands Of officers of the law.
For by your wauton thrust at my char
,cter, should you be beliercd, al home Of
abroad, you have inflicted nm irrcpnral,le
injury. Ny character il almost tho only
hing have ever possesses which ! though
worth preserving: and one nf my highest
aspirations has slways been, 10 beqneath il
10 my family. Bat IL your as
er.ions are not believed, which will he the
:ase sooner or later, sm, viii have Injured
,onrself: the hbe!cr has, in every age, mel
fixed doom.
Your charge Of incompetence, is probably
10 the same cause With tho more
ibelous accusation above considered. Bui
% your opinions on that subject you are en-
lirely welcome.
10 Justice 10 myself request you 10 give
his letter entire 10 your readers.
Yours. Gc.,
JAMES HARLAN.
The above letter is plain but not suili-
GENTLY explanatory. We rcgre, the nc
ressity Of coming in contact with one who
from circumsta noes should have proven
warm friend. In the school in which VIC were
We we're taught 10 believe tina,
the man srko COULD pay his debts and he
FUSED to do so was not honest. Jas. liar
Ian has been indsbted to Us for about four
years sum Of money so email as to have
been within bis power 10 cancel at almost
any moment, il he had chosen 10 do il.
We have written him three times upon
the subject. The first time no sent his
due bill; the second letter, which was very
pleasantly worded, be answered with in
silt; the third he answered no. at all. lf
we had thought he needed the sum due Us
more than we did ourself we would have
given him the amount. Bat We too have
been oppressed with poverty. An honest
man never stops to inquire whether a
creditor is better of than himself, before
be pays just debt.
We did "present our note 10 due
FORM at least we employed an agent 10
call upon Mr. Harlan with il, but the agen,
could not collect il. We did no, choose
"to place his accoun. in The hands Of off.
GERS the law" Tor collection. We have
tried that method in other instances and
give Il ~ our experience, that rs general
rule we would rather surrender On accoun,
ia toto than resort to such nm alternative;
nor will we have dealings with a man who
expects " 10 adopt such . course 10
obtain settlement. Besides il Mr.. Hsr-
lan's "chsracier is almost tho only thing