Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-08-28
General F. PIERCE, Concord, N. H.
Concord, n. H., July %, 1852.

Ny DEAR SIR: Surrounded by pressing engage
ments, [ seize the earliest opportunity to reply to
your letter of the 18th inst. l much regret that
any thing connected with myself should have been
the cause of disagreement between you and gen
temen with whom you have been associated in
the editorial department of the Southern Press.
| do not remember ever to have what pur-
ports to be a report Of speech delivered by me
at New Boston, in this State, in January last, I'M
til my attention was called to it republshed in
the Republic. The pretended report is, and
presume was designed to be, an entire misrepre-
sentation 1t is net merely untruthful, but is so
grossly and absurdly false to render, in this vi
entity, any denial OF its authenticity entirely I'M
necessary. The two papers QuOted--the LRdepen-
dent Democrat, published in this place, and the
Democrat published in MISUNDERSTANDING thorough
" abolition journals; and have been and are zeal
ously opposed 10 the democratic party. For along
time prior to the meeting at New Boston, and ey-
er SINCE they have been unsparng in their attacks
upon me personally, and IN their bitter denuncla-
ton of what they have been pleased to term my
pro-slavery sentiments. But it would be some
thing new for either of these papers to deny the
consistency of my opinions upon the subject of the
constitutional rights of the South in relation to sla
very. Ny opinions and the avowal of them have
been everywhere the same. Ever mindful of the
difficulties and dangers which so long brooded over
the assembage of wise men and pure patriots to
whose spirit of concession and earnest efforts we
are indebted for the Constitution under which we
have enjoyed such sigma prosperity, advancement,
and happiness, have regarded the subject too
vital and delicate to be used element of sec
tional appeal in party conflicts. My action and my
language in New Hampshire, touching this matter,
have been at all times and under all circumstances
in entire accordance with my action and language
at Washington. My votes in the Senate and House
of Representatives were not repubhshed IN the Era
for the first time. They have been again and again
paraded to arouse the passions and preJudlces Of
our people against me individually, and against
the party with which it has been my pride and
pleasure to act There has been no attempt to
evade the force of the record. 1t has been at all
times freely admitted, and my position sustained
upon grounds satisfactory to my own mind. | am
not surprised to know that the attempt to prove
me an aboltionist provokes much merriment among
men of all parties here; and this weak and I'M
truthful sketch of what purports to be my speech,
is really too ridiculous to be considered in any Sc
rious light.
am in the daily receipt of letters, PROFOUND
ing the greatest variety of curious questions, up
all conceivable subjects. Letters of this char
acter cannot be answered, of course. No lndivld
ual could command either the time or strength the
herculean task would require. l may add, thai
such correspondence would by no means compor
with my views of duty The democratic party
sent its delegates to Baltimore not alone to nomi
nate candidates. but to reafirm principles and tC
present the leading issues upon which the canvass
should be conducted
If I could deem myself capable of improving
the platform there adopted it is quite certain tina
/ should decline, either at the call of individuals
or associations, to incur the charge of arrogance
to which any attempt to alter, amend, or enlarge
it, would inevitably subject me-
Your letter is of an entirely different character
1t seeks truth in relation to an alleged fact; i
speaks of history, to which too searching an ap
peal cannot be made. l appreciate the estmat,
you seem to have of my character for directness
and beg you to accept my thanks for your effort
to vindcate my claim to that trait, at least befor
the public.
want FRANK. PIERCE.
EDWIN De LEON, Esq, Washington, d. G.