Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-09
1he CrLttenden Letter.


Judge Dickey, an old-line Whig, recently
delivered a speech at Decatur, Illinois, in
support of Senator Douglas, in the course of
which he read the following letter from Hon
John j. Crittenden:
FRANKFORT, August l, 1858.
My DEAR SIR: | received, some DAYS ago.
your letter of the 10th of last month. in which
you state the substance of a conversation be.
tween us, in relation to Judge Douglas as
said to have taken place in April last, at the
city of Washington. You ask if your state.
ment 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 oc-
CURED at Washington during the last session
OF Congress, and most probably in April,
though | cannot say that remember the
month. Your statement of that conversation
with very slight exceptions corresponds with
my recolections of it. AS you state in your
letter, did in that conversation speak of
Senator Douglas in high and warm terms. l
said. in substance, that the people of Illinois
little kae,O hoto much they really o,ced him !,
that he had had the courage and the patriot
ism to take an elevated, just, and independ-
ent position on the Lecompton question, at
the sacrifice of interesting social relations, as
well as of old party ties and associations. and
in defiance of the power and patronage of an
angry Administration, supported by a domi-
nant party, and disbursing a revenue of some
SS5,000,0O0 year; tnat for this noble con-
duct he had been almost overwhelmed with
denunciation that the attacks made upon
l.. H., 1,l.o r Al. L 4
quent, personal, and fierce; that throughout
the entire session he must have felt the con.
sciuusness that he was in daily danger of be.
ing So assailed in debate as to force him into
alterations and quarrels that might in their
consequences involve the loss of his honor or
the hazard of his life; that, Notwithstanding
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, heroism 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 letter, than attempted
to detail the whole of that conversation,
which embraced much more, but the above
statement contains, as we'll as | can recolect.
ever else was said was in accordance with it.
This conversation with you, sir, formed but
part of many other conversations of like
character, which had on the same subject
during the last session of Congress. In these
conversations, did among other things ex-
press my high opinion and appreciation of
the conduct of Judge Douglas on the Lecomp.
ton question. l expressed it frequently, free
ly and openly, and was careless who might
hear or repeat it. Under these circumstan-
ces, do not feel that it would become me to
object, or that | have any right to object to
your speaking of our conversation, when
have myself so frequently and SO publicly
declared the whole substance of it.
have thus answered your letter, as | felt
myself bound in duty to do. l must add,
however, that do not wish to be an officious
intermeddler in your election, or even to APP
pear to be so, and | therefore request and
hope that whenever you have occasion to
speak of our conversation at Washington, or
of this letter, you would do me the Justice to
explain, and TO acqut me of any such volun-
tary intemeddling, or of the presumption
of seeking to obtrude myself or my senti-
ments upon the attention of the people of
Illinois.
l am, with great respect, yours, &c,
/ / CpYrrE<nrN