The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-10-26
crittnnden md pougIas.

Judge Dickey, OF ILLINOIS, IN recent
speech at Alton used the following letter
from the Hon. John J. Crittenden, of Ken
lucky, bcstowing an eloquent eulogy on
Judge Douglas, which must have a power
full influence in securing the American vote
for the champion of popular sovereignty =
gfsr, FRANKFORT, August /, 1858
MY-DEAR SIR:-I received, some days
ago, your letter of the 10Th of last month,
in which yen state the substance of a con-
versation between US in relation to Judge
Douglas, as said to have taken place in April
last at the city of Washington You ask if
your statement of it is correct, and for my
permission to you to speak of it, privately or
publicly, as occasion may prompt you.
/ remember well the conversation TO
which you allude, and the substance of it.
1t occurred at Washington during the last
session of Congress, and most probably in
April, though | cannot say that remember
the month. Your statement of that CONVEX
Satien, with very slight exceptions, CORES
ponds with my recollection of it. As you
state in your letter, / did i'll that CONVERSE
ton speak of Senator Douglas in high and
warm terms. | said, in substance, that the
people of Illinois little knew how much they
really owed him; that he bad had the cour-
age and the patriotism to take an elevated,
Just and independent position on the Le-
compton question, at the sacrifice of inter-
esting social relations, as well as of old par
ty associations, and in defiance of the power
and patronage of an angry Administration,
supported by dominant party, and disburs-
ing revenue of some $4,000, 600 a year;
that for this noble conduct he had been al
most overwhelmed with denunciation; that
the attacks made upon him in the debates
of the Senate were frequent, personal and
fierce. That throughout the almost entire
session he must have felt the consciousness
that he was in daily danger of being so as
sailed in debate, as to force him into alter
cations and quarrclS that might in their con-
sequences involve the loss of bis honor or
the hazard of his life. That notwithstand-
ing all this he had kept his course steadily
and firmly, and that throughout the whole
struggle he has borne himself calamity.
That there was, as it seemed to me, hero
ism in his course that deserved appreciation,
| If not applause.
In the above statement | have rather con-
fined myself to those particulars of our con-
versation suggested by your letter, than at
tempted to detail the whole of that CONVEX
sation, which embraced much more, but the
above statement contains, as well as recol.
collect, the substance of our conversation
and whatever else was said was in accord
ance with it. This conversation with YOU
sir, formed but part of many other conver
satiOns of a like character, which had on
the same subject during the last session O
| Congress. In these conversations, | did
among other things, express my high opin
ion and appreciation of the conduct of Mr.
Douglas on the Lecompton question. l ex
pressed it frequently, freely and openly, ant
was careless who might hear and repeat it
Under these circumstances | do not feel i
would become me to object, or that hav
any right to object to your speaking of on
conversation, when l have myself so fire
quently, and so publicly declared the who'll
substance of it.
| have thus answered your letter, as fel
myself bound in duty to do. l must add
however, that do not wish to be an off
cious intermeddler in your election, or evel
to appear to be so, and | therefore reques
and hope that whenever you have occasio
to speak of our conversation at Washington
or of this letter, you would do me the jus
tice to explain, and to acquit me of an
such voluntary intermeddling, or of the pre-
sumption of seeking to obtrude myself G
my sentiments upon the attention of tn
people of Illinois. am, with great rcspec
: yours, &C., J. J. CRITTENDEN.
To LYLE DIcKEY, Esq.