The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-08-02
From the Dubuque Herald,
A FEW WORDS IN SELF DEFENSE

FEW WORDS IN SELF DEFENSE.
Gentlemen
While absent from home during the las,
week, . copy of the Miners Express OF
the lth inst, by CHARGE fell into my hands, IN
which noticed an article signed Alta San,
wherein the writer uses my name, and calls in
ques,ion some of my acts. The article serrns
to have for it's object the relief of MIR. hail,
one Of the democratic candidates for the repre-
sentative branch Of the Legislature, from Ger
tam political delinquencies laid to his charge =
The otfense for which some are disposed TO call
him to account 10, his failure to support me for
Congress in the canvass Of 1852.
In the plea made for Mr. Hall by his friend
from Whitewater. whose article | now an
swering, among ther things he says" How
Mr. Hall did vote at that time do not know,
hut suppose he d; d not vote for Judge Clark:
1T US exam ne for few moments, the poslti""
{ those men who oppose Mr.. Hall on that
ground, and in 50 doing bring to our aid aud
assistance few facts
"Judge Clark, it will he recol'scted, WIS
he President or Chairman OF Democratic
Convention, held in The city Of Du uque about
two years previous to hat time, and il is notori
Gus that he not only b"lted the nominate ms
then and there made. hnt actually voted tor the
xhig candidates. This tact never has been.
ana never can be den.ed. this charge against
me is an old one, Of S,me tive >ix years
standing, and believe no opportunity to use
u against me has ever been snff red tn pass by
hose hn have wished me evil than gOad
Still should have caus. Of complaint and
should make none if tie precise facts were sta
ted-but much Justice and candor could har
div be expected from mind small enough to
m Ike Tie charge, knowing v hat the facts were,
- it j. presumed The Whttwa. writer did Al
hough this same thing was irumpeted against
NE in my election in 1851, and in The cavass OF
1852, also in the Senatorial election, let il
''ass then as 1t was verbal only, and noi likely I"
d. any considerable injury But al il is nav pub.
llshed in journal having q considerable circu-
lion, have thought proper tn notice it, lest j
might prejudice the minds of some against
me, whose good opinion value
The convention Of which the Whitewater
writer speaks, was city meeting, in I649
think, for the purpose Of nominating candidates
tor the then ensuing election for muncipal
ohcers-ainoDg other nominations made was
that Of an individual for city Marshall, who by
his character and habits represented to me
was quite unfit for The pos ton I therefore
voted for his wig oppnnent, Chariest Hew-
III, Esq, eminently fiji for the important
duties of the place, and who mad. cpn'essedly
the best Marshall the city ever had This is
the extent ofmy boiling, if it deserves to be
characterized IN that way, and known 10 be So
by all who have J knowl. dse on the subject
and those who lave none, are hardly justified
in speaking of it, But from the manner in
which The charge in the article in question is
made, it mi hit easily be inferred that there
were County and Safe nominations made at
that time, and that was so derect as to refuse
10 support them. This is utterly untrue.
These remarks accomplish about all | have
to say to set myself right resp citing a chare,,
triding in itself, and yet calculated to produce
erroneous and Injurious impre ssions. But
will venture word or two mure. Suppose
erred in the matter of voting as did for the
wing candidate for Marsha, a local office, the
injurious Ell, cts of which, If injurious at all,
we're local in their operation, and scarcely par
taking Of political na;ure at ALL Did this
justly Mr.. Hall in setting himself in array
against the democratic nominee, the nominee
VI his party, ~ a most important national cleo
ton, IN which he slrove to throw one half the
politica az power OF the State into the hands Of
the opposing partys And that too at mos
critical period. upon the eve of a Preside ntial
election, when all eyes in every part of the
country were open to every political result
every where when success upon every con-
tested Geld was encouraging, and defeat dis
cnnrdg1ng and dlSheavt@ ming
II 10 little short of childish to say that he did
not vote fur the opposing candidate He failed
TO do what he could for the success Of his party
in "a important case as ever presented itself
in political affairs. exrent in 4 Preside ntial can
vass In that Mr.. Hall did no, vote for the
whig candidate. admit he struck his own
party but me blow instead oftwo, but for au. hit
he knew that might prove fatal ifthera is a
source 1t pardon or comfort here, I would not
Withhold it.
The writer from Whitewater says he does not
know that Mr.. Hall failed TO ie for nle as the
democratic candidate for Congress in 1852
He has been before charged with it, and SO far
as know has refused to excuse himself by a
single word, although he has been out in the
public prints in heightened rxruIpations from
other chargrs. [ take it the fact is notorious
that he did not only oppose the democratic
candidate for Congress in 1852 but that he was
active in pr ducing others 1 do 81. His friends
from Whitewater seems to put the thing be-
tween Mr.. Hall and myself This is not the
true view Of tiff Mr. Hall was 81 ming, it was
m IRE against the party than me, and that is the
light in which he is called to account for it.
II Mr.. Hall finds this expose T. cu', he has no
body to blame bu. himself, or his friend from
Wbithwater-and If he has been an ipjudcous
friend, have only 10 say that all men are liza
BILE 10 suffer from the folles OF ill-iudgin
friends. II here are others Of the party who
are disposed 10 regret such commnnr alton as
this at this time, / can only say that it is the
proper tine for self defense. But Tor the art
icle in question, | should have remained silent
If the people Of Dubuque think Mr. Hall Of
sufficient trust w"rthne IS and. qualifications to
aid IN the most important service of making
laws for them, shall not be found complain
ing as have usually fnund myself able 10
endure what others cod'd
rie writer from Whitewater calls in question
some Of my public acts Il need be, will attend
to them at some other tim., and upon some other
occasion.
LINCOLN CLARK