, 1854-09-16
OLYMrIA, Sept. II. 1854.

j. w. WuEY-Yours of to-day asking
us to communicate to you the substance
Of the remarks made by Mr.. S. n. Wood
ruff has been duly received, and in COM
pliance with your request would report the
substance of those remarks as near as pos
sble as they occurred, as follows
1t was on the evening of Wednesday,
the 30th day of August, in the Washing
ton Hotel-at a time when the discussion
of politics in general was the all-absorbing
topic, and that of " free solism" the only
thing to cause excitement, the proceedings
of the free soil convention being then yet
fresh in the minds of our citizens. 1t was
on this occasion that the discussion again
naturally turned on politics-Mr. Wood
ruff, amongst Others, being present. A
jocular remark made by Mr.. b. Zone of the
Undersigned, who was conscious of the pres
ence Of Mr.. W., and aware of his free soil
principles,-and made for the purpose of
drawing said gentleman into q discussion)
as to the course which should, in his opin-
ion, be adopted to ertermiFdte free sollers
and Notwithstanding among 9TH
ers clause which should compel "aboli-
tion fathers to marry their daughters to
none but negroes" had the desired effect.
causing Mr.. W. to insensibly shrug his
shoulder and feel as though he had hap
pened in a "Tartar's nest fell in with
company from which he could expect but
little aid and comfort" and discover that
there were few present to sympathize with
him in his opinions and his then solitary
position. 1t was this remark which first
induced Mr.. W. to enter into conversation,
he Immediately replying to the remark by
saying that it was one of the means made
use of by the opponents of the party of
which he was a member to villify, slander
and turn into ridicule their good intents !;
that because they were the friends of the
slave, it did not4folloW, as consequence
that they should proceed to such extremes"
&c.
Some time after the above, and after
various other topics had been touched, the
question was put to him as to his "opin-
ion and views Of the letter of Cassius NJ
Clay" and particularly as to his (C.'s) pro-
ject or plan for dissolution of the Union
and in how far they were in accordance
with his own ~ saying to him that " as an
acknowledged leader Of the free soil party,
it would be but justice to suppose that
they were in unison :" to which he unhesi-
tatingly replied that he was friend Of
the Union, and would be the very last man
to vote for a dissolution of the same-that
G. NJ. Clay was fanatic and madman,
who was probably striving for the Presi-
dency, but would never, at least from his
(Mr. W.'s) party, receive it that they
did not look up to Mr.. G. as leader, nor
for their principles that he had no inter
est in common with them as party ; nor
was be known to them as one who, il in
power, would carry out or advocate the
principles of the free soil party" The
question was then put to him as to "whom,
then, he or they did look for q dictation OF
their principles or acknowledge as leaders
of the party 2" He readily replied that
| it was TO "such men as Hale, of New
Hampshire, HIm LLOYD Garrison, Of Mas
sachusetts, and Giddings, of Ohio nam
ing them in the very order in which they
here stand-and concluding, moreover, with
the remark that they were long known
and well tried, and had always been found
at their post in times of need, and true TO
their principles and party" of which he
avowed them as leaders to which the re-
ply was made, that "to have it said of a
man like Giddmgs that he had aitoags BEEN
true TO the principles and party of which he
was an acknowledged leader, (by Mr.. W.
admitted to be such), who had once been
almost unanimously expelled from Congress
for treason and sedition, was fit alone and
only to be the leader of the party of such
as claimed him."
I Next the position of Samuel James, as
defined in his letter, (which bad not, at