American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-12-27
LETTER OF MIR. CARtILE.
WASHINGTON CITY, y. G. /
December Is, 1866. {

DeoT oTf-- 1our favor, lnqulrlnG
whether l would be candidate for
reelection to Congress is received. +
am in the daily receipt of letters ma
king similar inquiries and therefore a.
vail myself Of this public way to answer
them all. ] have never, at my own in
stance, announced myself candidate
for any office. I believe the people
should confer Offices upon such persons,
AS in their Judgment, would best pro-
mote their interest, uninhucnced by
party dictation, or caucus nomination.
The people of our district entertain, so
far as / am able to form an opinion, the
Same great constitutional principles,
which have ever guided my action, and
upon which depends, in my opinion, the
permanently of our institutions; but
there is 4. this time, seeming differ
cncc of opinion between the majority
and myself, rs to the meaus to be cm-
ployed in the administration of the gov
crnmcnt, to advance our interests and
maintain our institutions. ..
| believe in my heart that the con-
tinucd agitation of the question of sla-
very, is fast loosening the bonds that
bind MS together as one people, and
must ultimately end in the destruction
OF the best Interests Of our section of
the Union, if not in the destruction of
the Union itself. The party with which
l formerly acted, and whose original
principles still and ever shall main
tain, has allowed itself to be diverted
from the maintenance Of the principles
of democracy, as inauguratcd by JET
ferson and successfully enforced by
Jackson, and has accepted the section
al ISSUE which the fanaticism of the
non-slaveholdng states has from an
early period in our history sought to
bring about, but in which effort they
never could have been successful, had
it not been for the conduct of the pres
snt administration and it's friends, in
the last and the present Congress.
In proof Of this, we have seen men
of all parties who are as far apart as
the Northern and Southern poles, upon
great constitutional questions, wclcom-
I cd, without tho rccantation of II single
political opinion, into the ranks of the
Democratic party, upon the sole con-
dition of giving their support to the
nominees Of the Cincinnati Convention,
thus exhibiting to the world IL party
organization, having nothing in com
mon but the namc-adoptinga platform
upon which the fillibusters, frc-eatcrs,
fcdcralists, frcc-soicrs, and co.opcra-
ton disunionists alike could stand
each putting his own construction upon
lt--re-enacting the platform Of 1852,
which proclaius eternal hostility to n
system Of internal improvements by
the General Government, but taking
care before they adjourned, to adopt a
resolution favorable to a Pacific Rail
! road.
Virginia anti internal Improvement
Democrats voting for Presidential
nominee, who but three years ago made
a speech in Philadelphia, expressing
the sentiments contained in the letter,
which he, in September last, quie tly
despatched to California, assuring that
! people that he was in favor Of expend-
ing the treasury Of the nation in the
construction Of railroad to their bor-
dcrs--co- operating with and having for
| their leaders the men who have voted
away millions for the construction of
works of internal improvement in the
west and northwest, and at the same
time refusing to receive for Virginia.
who gave away an empire, few mil
lions Of acres Of land, to aid in her
present struggle to complete her pub
lie works now fast going to decay.
In view of these facts and the fur
Their fact, that snch policy was daily
weakening the South and strengthen
ing the North, and the still further
fact that this same sclf-styled Demo
cratic party, was as much the creature
OF slavery agitation as the Black Re.
publican party Of the North, | could
not, i'll the conscientious discharge of
my duty to my country, vote for the
Cincinnati nominees. In this / differ
ed with a ma jority Of those l have the
honor to represent. Looking to that
vote, and that alone, have deter
mined not to be Il candidate for re-
election.
| ain prepared to give Mr.. Buchan-
an fair and honest support, should he
in his administration, keep in Wow the
Old Democratic landmarks, and to act
by him, as did towards President
Pierce, whose vCtocs | sustained, when
he was deserted by many who arc rec
ognizcd as orthodox opponents of De-
mocracy.
have cndcavorcd faithfully, and to
the best Of my ability, to discharge my
representative duties. I am willing