Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-11-17

Il
ONE TO OURSELVES ALSO.
We have on more than one occasion, expressed
desire that the letter addressed by Hon. Shelton
Leake to Senator Hunter, should be laid before th
public, in order that the Democracy of the Stat
might be enabled to ascertain if the Senator'S ri
swers, which have been published, were full, and
rect to the questions of his interrogation, and if tn
questions Themselves were clear and conpreher
sive on the proper points. To day we hav
the qualification of presenting that letter
our readers. And we are under obligations
as will be seen to its author for this evidence of hi
assiduous spirit of accommodation. We willingly &C
NIT that Is not couched in such terms as c induc
the belief that it was cautiously written. 1t is plai
and pointed, submitting to the Senator, in languag
not to be mistaken, the important enquiry, 'are yo
friendly to the Administration and do you intend t
support tiff you are reelected p
The Senator's answer, it will now be clearly seen
was not direct or full. He does not say he approve
the policy of Mr. Buchanan far as it has been de
veoped but tells US that he 'hopes and expects t.
be able to support his Administration in the main.
Is there any thing like confidence conveyed in suct
an expression If 30 we are unable to discover it,
|
State.
We agree with Mr.. Leake, that it was not OF all ne
cessary that he should desire the Senator to LAY Whe
ther he approved the course Of "The Richmond
South" the "Charleston Mercury" or the New Or
leans Delta" The simple enquiry. if he was friend
y to the Administration and meant to support 1t II
the event of his reelection, was sufficient HAD MIR
Hunter in answer removed all doubt as to approva
OF the policy 80 far pursued by Mr. Buchanan, the
| Democracy would have been satisfied o. hs dis
countenance Of the course of the fsGonists.-
But when he tells US only that he :opes and
expects to be able to support it," We Eust be al.
lowed to think that he has expressed his friend.
ship in feebler terms than the Democracy Of Virginia
have the right to expect from their representatives.
Like Mr. Leaks, the great mass of the Democratic
party in this State is warmly friendly 10 the Ad-
minstration. Who will say that Mr.. Hunter is'-
His language is far from justying any slch conc!u
sion.
Mr.. Leake's letter to the Senator, which We pub
lish. is accompanied by one to ourselves also. in
which he says he is "sorry to say that The Enquirer
and the fsctoniss who sustain it, 80 far the Kansas
question s concerned are utterly at var, not only
with the men, but also with the principles of the good
old State Rights Republican party Of Virginia." In
acknowledgment Of which compliment, We have only
to say the gentleman will please pardon us for no,
accepting his opinion on the subject.
Senator Hunter finds in the interrogatr,to whom he
replied, an ardent admirer and advocate Mr.. Leake
gratutously informs the public that although "irre.
concably hostileto Governor Walkers policy" be is
"warmly friendly to the Administration" Why could
not Mr. Hunter cay the same, when he saware that he
suspected of sation with the opponents Of the Ad-
miustrationi Mr.. Leake is warmly friendly" the
Senator "hopes aud expects TO be able to support il.
There is apparently wide difference between the
two. Mr. Leake tells that he knew nothing Of the
Rockingham meeting, until he saw ts proceedings
published n the Enquirer" We, OF course, unhs
s,a,ingly accept his disclaimer. But he intimate
strongly that the resolutions adopted by that meeting
were prepared in the Enquirer" office. We have
heretofore stated that information relative to tie
Rockingham meeting was casual and vague. 1t j.
true we did hear that it was to take place, s,d
afterwards that it had been held, but beyond that
together of course, with it's object, we were altose
ther ignorant, until we read the resolutions in he
Rockingham papers.
Mr.. Leake, We presume, audes to our previous
statement, when he says, "you have given concluive
evidence that you knew of that meeting and of those
resolutions, before it 1.-THE meetingl was held" II
the gentleman will refresh his memory, by referring
10 what we said the subject, he will discover ;ha,
be has done US gross injustice. He will find no 'Icon
elusive evidence" of any knowledge of the resolu
tions, on our part-and as to his ungenerous in
sinuation that they were written in this Office We dis
miss it, with an unqualified and disdainul denial
To the Editors of the Enquirer.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. IL, 1857.
Gentlemen:-You have, repeatedly, called for the
| publication of my letter TO Senator Hunter, which
eicited bis letter to me published some time since
II had kept copy it would have been published
| along with his. l never dreamed, however, that my
questions were, at all, important-the only point be-
! ing, were Mr.. Hunters ricrs satisfactory 10 the
people of Virgnial Still, have no difficulty in
gratifying the curiosity Of 80 respectable journal
as the Enquirer" even though l may regard it as
idle. Hence, Mr.. Hunter has been written to, and
an exact copy of my letter to him obtained which s
now enclosed, for publication. | scarcely dare in.
dulge hope that you will be satisfied with ii, any
than you seem TO be with the two letters Of the
Senator.
| You will, at once perceive that did not ask him
what he thought Of the course of the "Rchmond
South" the "Charleston Mercury or of the New
Orleans Delta" Sooth to say, it never once entered
journals, or one OF them. or any paper or papers,
constituted the tests of Virginia Democracy. Had
| supposed 80, would, unheeitstingly, have asked
him what he thought Of the course of the "Rehmond
Enquirer" Such an enquiry might have been par
tcularly pertinent, as am sorry TO say that the En
quirer" (elarum ct venerable nomen,l and the "fac
tonists" who sustain it, 50 far as this Kausas ques
ton is concerned, are utterly at war; not only with the
men, but the PRINCIPLES of the good old State
Rights Republican Party of Vrgnia-at least, with
fhoao ipio i IN ham pdn
and conscientiousiy 10 sustain them.
i only asked Mr.. Hunter what he thought OF the
Kansas question; and whether he was friendly TO Mr.
Buchanans Administration He answered as
,could haze done myself, and as all immense major
ty of his constituents would have had him answer
To have propounded any questions about "The
South" and what you call "the Factionsts," would
have been impert;nent in me; and 10 have answered
them, would have been excessively foolish in h'n'.
You intimated very strongly, in your first issue
after the publication of Mr. Hunters letter to me-
(which have not by me,l that my letter guard
edly written, in order to save him from the necessity
of declaring himself more fully than he did. Now,
If that were 40 il was my faultno his. He not only
did not know, or have reason 10 suspect, ohaL was
going to write, but he had reason to believe that
meant TO write to him at all. But the truth is, you
we're utterly mistaken. The letter was not only not
"guardsdly written" but was frankly and hastily
written, with no covert views whatever. My only
design is fully expressed in the letter itself.
Bear with me little longer, gentlemen. You have
intimated that both MIR. Hunter and myself knew OF
the Rockingham resolutions or at least that knew
that suoh meeting was to be held when my letter
to him was written. Now, | will not defend myself
against such charge, farther than to say, that l
never prophesied, dreamed or heard of such meet
ing, until I saw the proceedings published in the
"Enquirer." Why did you suspect such thing =
You nave given conclusive evidence that you knew
of that meeting, and Of those resolutions, before it
1.-THE meeting) was held. Perhaps Won supposed that
the resolutions were so strong that they gave of
some Of their aroma in passing through Charlottes
willie, on their way from the Enquirer" office to
Harrisonburg.
consequence to any body but myself have no sort
Of connection with the politics Of the day-have
thing to ssk-nothing to hope-and, thank God, no.
thing to fear. have no interests but such as are
common to every Democratic citizen of Virginia.