Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-11-30
Letter from DR.. clifford.

LIStIt 1kO1u III dllktiQ-
~ Laurel, Nov. 10, 1866.
Nix. n A. GoopwrS.-iSir;--I have
very little time or disposition 20 en-
gage in newspaper controversy. -
All yu, have gained BY misrepresent.
ing my position on the temperance
question, youare at liberty to use for
the good of the order. tars y ~
You seem to- be very ignorant Of
the fact that your paper teaches Jigof-
ry, &c., but not any more so than
you were some time ago. that a GER
tain text could be found in The bible
You remember that you lost your BIZ
bic on condition said text could be
pointed out to you, SO quick that IL
made "your head swim. /" = eo,t
At your own request / will point
ont zone short sentence. at least, from
the editorial OF your paper that teach
cs bigotry." Bigolry signifies, ac-
cording to Webster. "obstinate, or
blind attachment to particular creed,
or tenenls; unreasonable zeal or
warmth in favor of a party sect, or
opinion excessive prejudice"
Now, by turning to recent num-
Der Of your paper. you viii find under
the caption of"0ld Line Wings" that
your "blind attachment" to Neal Dow.
ism, Abolitionism. and Know Moth
ingism. has caused you to teach that
the great principles Of the Democratic
party are noso nothing but free whisky
and slavery and Romanism. Again
in your paper Of August the 10th ult.,
YOU boldly assert that "the principles
for which old lincism contends. are at
soar with virtae, and morally and
christianiiy."(D
For the present let the above ex-
tracts suflice-if they. are not perfectly
surcharged with bigotry, then you are
a liberal. high minded honest politician.
How you can deny with any kind of
grace being opposed to civil and reli-
gious liberty, after having taken the
obligations of the Know Nothing or
der, and straightway. in the cam
paign of 1854 began to give vent to
your feelings. by bitterly denouncing
the Democratic party as being "the
pro SLAVERY, pro Catholic and proJor-
eigner party, | shall leave for you 10
explain.(e) ~ ~.s. ~ IS
In the meantime you will permit
i've to say few words 10 your readers
in defence of sound morals and pure
democratic principles. Sound morals
signihes in the sense we use the term,
upright behavior; conduct in con-
formity to the Divine Law. Now the
Divine Law forbids lying in the most
positive terms; and hence. every time
your paper contains an Infamous false
hood (elther editorial or selected) il
does violence TO the moral sense Of
that portion Of your readers who are
the subjects of your malice.(3) 81,
When you published me ms ''dc-
funct liquor seller" in the sense you
commonly use the term, you know.
and everybody here knows, that you
published wilial and malicious false.
hood. ! defy you, and alrof your
kith, to produce single instance
where have made, bought, sold, or
used as q beverage any intoxicating
liquors within the last twenty years.
Now come up TO the work friend
Good in. or acknowledge in plain
saxon that you have lied. N)
Il comes with very i'll grace from
you. Mr.. Goodwin. 10 charge me with
being the cause of the perfect failure
of Neal Dowism, to suppress intcm-.
perapce in this community. II Lau-
rel township was the only place where
your favorite liquor law has signally
allied to do good, there would be
some sense in your accusations; but
until you can produce single person
who has been reformed Of bis intemper-
ate habits by virtue Of said law, you
only give a further exhibition Of your
bigotry.(5) tnh s qIls
deem il in accordance with sound
morals TO oppose, in every fair and
honorable way, Neal Dowism and
every other fanatical movement calcu.
lated TO iujure the cause Of temper
ance and designed toelevate contempt
iblo demagogues into political power.
When you clearly insinua,e that l
have encouraged the sale Of inloxica.
ting liquors 10 the children Of our best
citizens sand then stood by.when they
were raving like madmen and with u
iiendiSh exaltant laugh say: Where
is your liquor law nowg" You utter
asbasea lalsehoedas you could pnt
tcgeth or in SO many Words q ~
/ claim. Mr.. Goodwin. Ia be a law
abiding citizen. and | defy you. and
the most bigoted Neal Dowile taat
YOU can bring to your assistance, Ia
sisle tho ume and the place where 4
have ever encouraged such men as
nv fellop iaJorer in Somerset 10 deal