Daily American telegraph., 1852-08-26
WASHINGTON, Browns Hotel,

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To the Editor Of the Union:
l observe in the columns Of your paper this
morning very strange perversion of some re-
marks made by me at Winchester, Virginia, CO.
pied from Democratic campaign paper there.
On my return from o visit for health to the
mountains of Virginia ! stopped for the night at
Winchester, and was invited to address, with my
friend, Mr.. J. Randolph Tucker, on the other
side, political gathering assembled around the
hotel. The spirit, humor, and good feeling that
prevailed at the sallies and passages in the dis
cussion between Mr. Tucker and myself could
never have led me to expect this serious and fla
grant misreport of what / then said. do not
remember naming Thurlow Weed or Thaddeus
Stevens, but referred to Mr.. Seward and other
Northern politicians for the purpose of showing
their probable influence upon the Presidential
vote; as also, on the Democratic side, to Mr.
Van Buren, and his associates, whose influence
and support was relied upon for Mr.. Pierce
indicating that both parties looked with deep in
terest to the vote of the North. | denied that
Gen. Scott was under the influence of Mr. Sew
ard or any other man, North or South, and in
sisted that Maryland, devoted she was to
Southern institutions, would not support him if
she believed he was hostile to the South, but that
she had an abiding confidence in Gen. SCOTS
independence and fidelity to the whole Union
In summing up the probable vote, l claimed
North Carolina, Kentucky, and other Southern
States; and so far from repudiating their sup
port, appealed to Virginia to prefer her distn-
guished son to gentleman Of the North, with all
the prejudces and opinions of the North on the
subject of slavery.
AS to the charge Of desertion from the Wing
ranks, among distinguished Wings, such as
Messrs. Webster, Gentry, Toombs, and others, /
alluded to them personally in no offensive sense,
and the ridiculous perversion of playful remark
referred to in the comments you have made to-
day, and which has been strangely tortured into
q serious attack and insult, only say that no
one who heard me at the time will with truth say
he SO understood it.
My known respect for Mr.. Webster would have
forbid any attack upon him; and l recollect
referring in my remarks to his great fame
and long devotion to the Wing party as grounds
to repel the imputation of his now classifying his
whole life by refusing to support the Wing nom-
nations.
The playful remark thus misquoted and mis-
applied was, that refractory politicians might
sometimes be brought into the traces as horses
were-by the whip or physicing with stimulants /;
and expressly disclaimed the application of it
now sought to be given in an offensive sense and
it was to meet in playful way the charge seen
in the papers that some Of the best and fastest
Wing steeds had 6olted
The precise language used by me do not re-
collect; but certainly no words were used in the
sense and for the purpose charged by the paper
from which you have copied, and which you on
that authority attach to it in your editorial re-
marks.
hope you viii do me the justice to give this
note place in your paper.
Your obedient servant, Y. COLLINS LEE