The true Democrat., 1855-09-04
Capt Pike's Letter to the Gazette

complains of the war he says the GovernO and ourself are wagng against him.
 His attacks upon the Governor are very bit ter, but the burden of his letter is complain against us for attacking him in personal man her. This complaint we repel as unjust to our self We have never spoken or written, to ou knowledge, unkindly of Capt. Pike as man As a politician we have assailed him, and we admit we have done so severely. For this we have no apologies to make--nothing to retract
 Capt. Pike commenced the war. He com menced by assailing us, not only personally but by assailing us in a manner that he intend. ed we should feel bitterly. He spoke of us as being unscrupulous and he recommended tc his confederates course that was to bring ,as te OUT senses-that is to rednce us to aoant, if DOS. sible, by producing collapse ID our subscription hst. This course Capt Pike recommended ir order to destroy our independence. He may think it not personal, and he may think it le- gitimate warfare, but it is course of conduct that soe have never pursued and never will to- wards any opponent, political or personal.
 And there is one feature in it that excited our indignation more than did the matter of the attack. It was the manner. He attacked us secretly. It was not the open man y warfare that we expected from him. It was done un- der the cover of the night, and the address was printed, and doubtless widely circulated but nc warning was given to us--no copy was sent to th n ,.l< its thunders were directed!
 We know Capt. Pike's apology for this omis- sion. It is, that he was s,oorm to secrecy. But who can give him auy credit for such an apolo- gy? Oaths that bound him to such course, he ought never to have taken, or, having taken them, he ought immediately to have renounc- ed them.
 Prior to the delivery of that address, Capt. Pike was never assaied in our paper. He con- menced the war, and he should not complain if he gets the bitter end of it. For our own sake, we hope never to treat him dscourteous- ly or unfairly--we hope we shall always act justly towards him aud every body else; but we certainly shall not sit patiently beneath his attacks-we certainly shall not endure his war upon us, because, forsooth, reply would be a wound to his feelings.
 He alludes to our brother Robt. w. J ohn- son. He does so in terms of kindness to him, but of reproach to us. This game has been played long enough We have been held up as an angrate because, in consideration of Capt. Pke's formerly having done Robt w. J John- son an act of justice, we do not now bear with his acts of injustice towards ourself His friends, in their communications to the Ca zette, have so represented and reproached us. We scorn their base attacks
 But, to Robt. w. Johnson, Capt. Pike has not always been just and kind. In his address of the 3Oth of April last, to his know nothir 2 brethren, he says:
 In year and half from now, you will be able to speak to you. Senators in Congress in a tone that they will be compelled to obev.- They have always clanaored for the principle of the right of instruction; and hope to see them instructed to carry out our principles or resign''
 This does not look like the language of kind- ness. It reads more like the vent of a long pent up bltterness--t reads more like the scorn- lul language of vain glorious boaster, over one whom he thinks he has under his feet At all events it reads very different from the following extract taken from Capt. Pike's let ter in the last Gazette:
 N Nor do 1 choose to be put down as an ene- my to Senator Johnson It is true 1 wish tc see him instructed to vote for change in the naturalization laws presume if instructed he would obey. If he did not, the democratic doctrine would require him to resign I repu. dlate the idea that there is any personal un. kindness in that"
 Capt Pike has joined the know nothings and he +s now their chief. He organized them ir this State and was their first President And il his first address, delivered at the first meeting of the State Council, he was careful to direc the whole force and bitterness of the order against our Senators and the editor of the True Democrat. He seemed te be fearful tlat the natural acutcncss of the know nothings would not point them xp the proper objects of attack and therefore he directed and instructed them Senators Johnson and Sebastian, and ourseIf were the only ones, he pointed out as fit subject. for know nothing condemnation. He wanted our clamoring Senators to be forced to resign and he wanted" "Me hca of the oYle,'' to bt placed upon the True Democrat
 Capt Pike is grossly mistaken in the motives of the Governor for prosecuting the suit agains the Real Estate Bank and the following iron his letter is wholly incorrect, unless he admit. the charge that has often been made acains him. htat, ,he is tue Reat -Egtotc Bank:
 The Governor is perfectly welcome to hay, as much investigation made as he plcases. know that the war he and others are wagino i aimed chiefly against myself I defy them all scorn and despisc them al by far too mucl to hate them."
 At the Legislature of 1852-'3, a law was mas sed requiring legal proceedings to be institute, against the Trustees of the Real Estate Banl to divcst them of the trust which law also re quired the Governor to appoint two skilfu lawyers to assist the Attorney General. Whel Governor Conway took the oath of office h swore faithfully, to execute the laws. This sui his oath required him to prosecute, and that h has done so, up to this time, with vigor and sue cess, we do not think can be construed int matter of reproach against him, or into perso nal warfare upon Capt. Pike. In all of his ap pointments Gov. Conway has been just to Cap Pike. He has made more appointments 0 whigs in the prosecution of-this suit, than de mocrats,.. ..and he has done so in order that h might give his opponents no cause of com plaint.
 In the prosecution of the suit, he has nc gone beyond his legal duties to assal Gap Pike or any one else. If the suit falls heavil upon him, he must condemn the laws of hi country, and not those whose sworn duty it to execute them. Capt. Pike has been ofte heard to say that he would be glad to be rid C kh Il l. olz