Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-09-14

much depends. Neither those with whoml act,
nor myself can consent that any doubt should resi-
on matter Of such pimportance eut lacihg luii
reliance on the fearless irankness of your charac5
ter on their behalf and my own, respectfully ask
of you whether that report, which your oouthefn
supporters believe to be without foundation as OPP
peculiar position which occupy must plead my
apology for troubling you with this ms, letter
fsa.i -s-. Your obedient servant
ZGA&iyL>s3 -- ~ EDWIN DE LEON.
Gen. F. PIERCE, Concord, N. H. ..o.
Coseonp, N. H., July %, 1852.
My DEAR SIR Surrounded by pressing engage
ments seize the earliest opportunity TO reply 10
your letter of the17thi instant. much regret lhat
any thing connected with myself should nave Deeh
the cause of disagreement between you ana gen
tlemen whom you have been associated III the edi-
torial department of the Southern Press. ..a-
do not remember to have seen what purpoIts 10
be a.report of speech delivered by me al NE"
Boston in this State, in January last, until my at
tenton called to it, as republished IN the ne
public. The pretended report Isl and presume
was designed to be an entire Misrepresentation
It is not merely untruthful but is 50 grossly aud
absurdIy false as to render in this vicinity, any de-
NAL of its authenticity entirely unnecessary. The
two pa pers qouted- -the Independent Democrat pu"
lished in this place, and the Democrat, published
in ,Manchester-are thoroughly abolition journals;
and have been and are zealously opposed to the
Democratic party. For a long time prior 10 the
meeting at New Boston, and ever since, they have
been unsparng in their attacks upon me personally,
and in their bitter denuncation OF what they have
been pleased to term my pro-savery sentiments
But it would be something new for either OF those
papers deny the consistency OF my Opinions upon
the constitutional rights OF the South IN relation 10
slavery Myopinions and the ayowal Of them have
been everywhere the same. Ever mindful OF the
difficulties and dangers which so long brooded over
| the assemhlage of wise men and pure patriots to
whose spirit Of concession and Retiorts we are IN
debted for the Constitution under which we have
enjoyed such signal prosperity, advancement, ana
happiness, have regarded the subject as TOO vital
and delicate to be used as an element OF seclonal
appeal in party conflicts My action and my Ian
guage in New Hampshire, touching this matter,
have been at all times and undel all circumstances
| in entire accordance with my action and language
at Washington. i4g ~
tatves were not republished in the Era for the first
| time They have been again and again paraded TO
arouse the passions and prejudices OF our people
against me individually, and against the party win
which it has been my pride and pleasure 10 act
There has been no attempt TO evade the force OF
the record. 1t has been at all times freely admit
ted, and my position sustained upon grounds satis-
factory TO my own mind. i am not surprised 10
know that the attempt to prove me an abolltlonlst
provokes much merrment among men OF all par
ties here ;; and this weak and untruthiul Sketch 81
Of what purpors to be my speech, is 1eaily 100 H.
dicuous to be considered in any serious iieht. :.
am in the daily receipt OF letters, prepounding
the greatest variety OF curious questions, upon all
conceivable subjects. Letters of this character
cannot be answered, of course. No individual
could command either the time or strength the her
culcan task would require. may add, that such
| a correspondence would by no means comportw with
nv views of duty. The Democratic party sent its
delegates to Baltimore not alone TO nominate cam
didaes but to rearm principles and to present the
leading issues upon which the canvass stould pc
conducted. ,
III could deem myself capable OF improving the
platform there adopted, it is quite certain that
should decline, either at the call OF individuals or
| :.t:a, u, he chnrua nf
which any attempt to alter, amend or enlarge 1t,
would inevitably subject me-
Your letter is of an entirely different character.
1t seeks truth in relation to an alleged TACT II
speaks of history which too searching an appeal
cannot be made. i appreciate the estimate you
seem to have of my character for directness, and
beg you to accepl my thanks for your efforts to
vindicate my claim to that trait, at least before
am, with high esteem, your most obedient ser
'"'''' o gee. ''-' J. '1i' FRANK PIERCE.
| EDWIN DELEoN, Esq, Washington, d. Z.
The extraordinary character of this reply Of Gen.
/ Pierce leaves ms no alternative but to believe the
| writer insane. That he would deliberately pen
| such batch of untruths in HIS right mind, IS too
monsirous for belief. Considering (what is true,)
that this Mr.. De Leon, zone Of the editors OF the
Sou hern Press is rank disunonist, and that
| Gen. Pierce regards all such men with the most
unmitgated horror, we can hardly deemit credible
that he would enter into correspondence with HIM
at all. But suppose in this we are wrong. he
| certainly would not, unless laboring under some
halucination, venture to make issue OF Veraclty
| against many unimpeachable citizens as have
already swornt to the accuracy of the reports of his
new Boston speech. He must be insane
| Before God and the hundreds who heard that
speech, he kno,os that he uttered the sentiments
attributed to him in all their length and breadth
| He Kno,ps that he uttered similar sentiments at
| Bradford and in this tolrn. And yet he dishonest
| ly or nsanely denies them, and claims the Presi.
L don tban md hofh uttered
in disapprobation of slavery, nor performed any
act inconsistent with the Office of bloodhound!--
Nay, he utters downright untruth in relation to
| the Independent Democrat, when he says 1t has
been 'unsparing in its attacksupon him personally.
| Every reader of this paper knows we have spared
him. q We have made no personal attacks on HIM
| This no man better understands than himself
/ Why, then, does he state the contrary? sS.1
But we will not pursue this subject at the pres
| ent time. Weregret to see Gen. Pierce place HIM
| self in the humiliating position he now occupies.
In the first place it silly in him to write let
ter at all. In the second place. he should not have
written to fire-eating disunionist.- And in the
l :hird place, he Should have written the truth
AS it is he will suffer for being found in bad com
pany for having joined issue on question OF va
racty already decided against him; and finally, for
evincing spaniel-like craving for the Presiden-
cy, at the expense Of all self-respect, which must
lose him the respect and confidence of high minded
men, North and South. General Pierce will lose
thousands ofvotes by this letter in the free States,
while he will not gain in the slave States. 'st
i That our readers may see that we are not singu-
lar in our Judgement we publish the following
| from the Cleveland (Ohio) Democrat, edited by a
Il high minded Southern man.. That paper, after
saying what everybody feels, that sThere can be
doubt that Gen. Pierce made the speech attributed
i to him. continues: 5i,.if - al
\ Not content, however, with the affdayits, the
protest of. Democratic members of Congress, and
the letters of influential partizans Of New Hamp-
shire, denying the charge, Gen. Pierce is out him
self with an epistle, declaring it false! q, 80 49,
Il Let it so stand! But is such servility to be re-
warded? Can it bel, Is the man who bors thus
to pledge to slavery his all, to convince the South