Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-10-05
LETTER FROM HON. WIN. l.. YANCEY.
TO Tie Editors Oj ne Enquirer:
WAhM SPRINGS, GEORGIA,
n5ih S-pt. 1858.

MANN SPRINGS, GEORGIA.,
95ih Sept, 1858.
Geutlemsn:- Il have Just received forwarded to
me- from Montgomery suine back numbers vi "lhr
: ,uta," of ;he l4;h, 10Th, and l7th ins;., containing
MIR. Pryur's reply 10 my letter OF the 9h Angus, ant
An editorial article from The Nashville Union a',d
Aul-rican,'' aud alsu Il letter from MIR. J.S. Slough
ter.
/ canno. consent to crafty Mr.. P'yor's wan thA'
[ should meet him in a personal newspaper contr"
y.ray, even under his rather singular promise That ne
"wii re- publish your lmy) pieces IN = Inc south
can only recognise him as an editor. l was Original
ly induced TO write to him ~ "ea"EF vi -lne
South in no spirit Of "rontTocerSy," but rather IN
tie vain expectation that as my opinions snd position
had been misrepresented IN the columns OF
the South" ordinary courtesy would other
have yielded me an opportunity to defend my
selt in the columns OF that paper, or have IN
duced the editor 10 have corrected the errors
into which he had been led. The Editor OF The
South however, has refused to do me that simPle
act of Justice. In the abundance OF caution L hHu
provided for such contingency, and your own col
umns were kindly opered to my defence. Myown
newspaper subscription shows that leading Demo-
cratic Journals in five Southern States have gener-
ousIy and considerably re.puhiirhed thar oetehct;
and on a calm review OF the whole matter, am sat
i-had TO abide the Judgment OF the public without
any further reply on my part. Indeed, | must frankly
confess. that in such a controversy al MIR. Pryor
prnpos-s, .here would hardly be equality beiWeen Va.
For Instance, ! could not delay twenty days, alter re-
GElSlttp UN uu u y y tphAihh AhiSh ''PbfD Nh'tN f'
lished nv r.uly, and then with such calm, unruil, sd
and delightful compOsure, declare "really il had taken
me but a day Ia write this brilliant four and a hall
column article; for | have not found leisure tor q care
full perusal of the eulogy on yourselt and associates
uuG, vfsterdav :" Why, sirs, | could never do 40
brilliant a thing, even if l had not eleven days pre-
viously ION 81 Sepiemberl in a public card, defend
ing myself from a ca'umny, said 10 DC inunu IN tnst
.eulogy." declared thai the 'euloey." &c, appears
in the Enquirer this morning, and ii contains not a
single cord of the accueation," &c! l have no such
brilliau, faculty, as would enable me to make such Il
statement, without "a careful pei usal' OF the matter.
[ also, am deficient! in that faculty, which, Judg
ipy of is frss exercise by The editor OF The South
mus, be a valuable one, in his estimation, that would
,rv. condemn and pass sentence upon a public man,
iu a neighboriug State. for what he 10 eaying ana 40
ing there, without ever "hdring read either 81 ms ser.
eral spetches on the subject" And l am go old fashioned
and npfi fsd for This sort of controversy, that / could
not sacrifice a reputation, for csndor and justice 10
indulge in a ptuOus sarcasm ana oraW DOWN b
laugh upon my opponent. .
The tact is, MesSrs. Editors, l have not that KIND OF
ability which enables some people to dl5ouss the
opinions oil a gentleman, who occupies no official posi-
tion. aud whose opinions are to be found In hs pub
,shed speeches, without having at least read those
speeches. ! know that some people possess such a
faculty, In q lGrgs degree, and it is eminently useful
when one lie pressed by 'oiher engagements" and de
sires TO make a eolemn assertion that "the articles
coutains not q single tcord of the accusation" &c.
trust then, that the public will take this unaffected
COlnDHrleOn OF my lUdUINJ " COupslb in'o'
" with Mr.. X. A. Pryor, i'll the spirit in which It 10
written and allow ms TO decline doing 30.
IL is true that some new matter has been broached
10 Mr.. P's letter doubles furnished him 6y certain
political scavengers in Alabama; but as they relate
chiefly to events occurring twelve years since and
consist of a calumny, purely local, and which was
promptly met and exploded in 1916. l can witness its
galvanic resurrection i'll the columns O f"Iht South'
without uueasiness. l should not have again taxed
your courtesy, In reference TO this matter, were it
moi fur the uneouivocal denial blythe Nashville Union
aud American of the fuci which | had asserted rela-
tive 10 Tennessee, confined in the following extract
from nv letter to Mr. Pryor:
an Inc MethuGist Conference her delegates voted
s,siust striking out the suti slavery clause in liz dis.
ciplipe-whiie she maintains, on her Supreme Court
bench, and in the chair of law professor hip III her
University. one who openly declares slavery to Do a
r .-al, social, and political evil"
4, rsla,ion to this, the Editors of the Nashville
"Union snd American make the following denial
and comment:
"The allegation that The delegates from Tennessee
in the Methodist Conference voted agains; striking
out the anti slavery clause in the discipline, IL totally
false. Every delegate from TennesSee voted In favor
of strik ing out thu, clause. Ii Is equally untrue that
We insiu;ain upon our Supreme bench a man VINO
.npenly declares ,iIGt slavery Is Il moral, soclHl and
DuIi.jcsl eyii,' These statements oil Col. fancey 4
display the most disgrsceiui Ignorance or a most cnl-
us6l. disregard for the truth OF HE assertions. And
such is the material OF which THO tissue OF aosurdltles
~consist."
do not pretend 10 be familiar with tbs history Of
tba Methods: Church. | had heard the fac. stated,
a. I have stated il, and the authority for the state
iuent was handed TO ms by an eminent metAodist.-
[ have it before IN. now. Ii s The Southern Christian
Advocate" OF 18Th October, 1857 ltstems TINT there
WIS among the general rules OF that Church. nne Tor.
bidding the buying and selling Of sIavee, and one OF
IN. venerable Bishops OF the Church had been
privately ceu-ured for an alleged violation OF that
ruiz. The Alabsms Methodist conference bad
adopted a resolution in favor OF rxpung'ng tue RUE
80. a L. ID annual uSC
taken, at their several meetings la tbs Advocate"
now before me, ia an account OF the meeting OF the
Harnesses Conference. ri Murfreesboro, on I'm Oeto-
Der, 1857, Bl-hop Early presiding. The following is
an extract from ls proceedings, VIZ:
1.-The proposition o; thu Alabama Conference, 10 sir'6e
ont from OF the general rules, the rule on the slave
,rads, gas mol cOacarred IN, by a vote OF 81 to d.
This is my authority for that statement, and l appre-
bend that such a publication In an organ OF tha'
church, will hardly be set aside as naught, even by
such vehement and i'll natured assertions as Inc ABOVE
from the Union" and "American." ,
As to the other fact, the denial by the Union and
.Americap" lie a mere trick, having neither substance
or truth. 1t will be observed that alluded to but
lone" person ss holding such Objectionable seDti-
ments, and described him az holding two offices, or
stations in Tennessee, Wig: a. being on the Supreme
Court bench, end slso being Law Professor 10 one oi
lIsr Universities. The Union and American Dc
MES that th-r. IL any such man on the Supreme Court
bench. 1t seems that was in error In that part OF
me uFSCfU III ~ iuhy
But there il a Judge Green, yer recently, and / be.
liaye now, u Professor Of Law in the Cumberland
University Law Sch "ol, at Lebanon. ! have been
informed that le has been a Judge on the Su.
prems Court bench of Tennesses.. tie wrote a
letter to the American Tract Society, in which
he declared "SLAVERY TO BE A MORAL. So
CIAL AND POLITICAL EVIL"-and this let
ter has been published to the world a. Inc
sentiment of an eminent citizen OF Tennessee. ms rs
not denied -m,N not be deniCd. | am very well con
,.,,, N.usro E.tiiota thar fhssn. inrOntrOyprtlDle tArtR
shall be- considered rs specimens OF 1.-THE material OF
which my letter is composed, IA suggested oy me
" Union and American !" but a disin'ereated po6'ic
will be very apt to come to a conclusion quite diil7r.
emf from the Editors of that pnper, IA TO their efiect
and character. II, 10 the view they were false, they
inlght be- considered ss a tiasu7 oi acsurditiea''
now that they are proven true, what are they -
If considered in the light of their being 'aipe' th-y
are hgrshly 10 be construed "a 'dispfdging a most
disgrocful ignorance, or n most cntPn6b disregard
for tie t,uih Of his my assertions. now that they
stand forth "a proven facts, what Judgment snail
be- passed upon those editors who have 40 mhlig'
nantly and reck lestly denied their truth, and VINO "a
TO one of the facis, were guilty OF q snPprfss'o
reri7 They welt knew that Judge Green had been
on the Supreme Court bench, aud was then Law
Professor, and had announced such political heresles:
Yet their carefully worded denial would iead the
public 10 believe that my entire statement was ia'se'
a mere Gaiumny!
One word ss 10 Mr. Slaughter. ! have had enough
of correspondence with him; especially "a he seems
to have this peculiar moral and mental ~obliquity, to
wit: that all correspondence with him lie public, unless
advised to the contrary. He requests thhtl VIII pub
lish his letter 20 me. I would c%heerfully do 40. were
it in my power, but looking upon his letter as private
and not derming i, of any Importance, ] destroyed 1t,
a. soon as | had replied to it.
Thanking you. gentlemen, for your very generous
conduct, in opening your COLUMBIA 10 my dstenos, re
"''"' '0'' "'so's"' W WIZ L. YANcEY.
TT
PUBLIC MEETING IN FAUQUfER.
TO the Editors Of The Enquirer:
SALEM, FAuaUIER COUNTY, Sept. II.
Gentlemen :-You have before noticed in your
psper the existence Of q =" Slave Trade Party" in
Fnuouier county. On its possible magnitude you