Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-09-21

Republicans. SIM, undduhteu, = uea's no o""
right and lett, defying all odds and all numbers; anu
shsIl We of the South, especially you OF Inc press,
look on in silence. and not rebuke the unwarrhit'
I'd Interference OF the "Washington Unlon!' IL 'hs
editor of that sheet was there in person, he "ouIn De
crushed to atoms; not go, however; he hres from NE
batteries at a distance, in the bushes, secure from
harm, aud with the hopes OF Inc spon' ~ tne us
lance. Clear the ring, | pray You, that ine Ieiehae.s
of the rights o: the South may have a ia'r neu, y
IN open fight. Do this. and Democratic princ.P!es
will triunph, and the cause of the people Do Jus'iueu
and defended. "A JACAsoH
Examiner please copy.
LETTER OF HON. w. l.. YANCEY, SC.
To the Editors Of the Enquirer:
EDGErIELD, S. C., Sept, L., 1913.
In your time houored journal of a recsnt date, when
| have lust seen here, in the interior Of South Caroilha'
where | 8m spending a short time, l noserVe ,e's'
Iom the Hon. WIN. L. Yancey, OF Aiahsma, 10 n. a.
Pryor, Esq, editor of The SOUTH, giving an slaoo
rate aud minute account OF The "l1eague VI oh'eu
Southerners,' its objects, ends ana alihe'
There are only wOp points ID this long cou1mun'c"-
ton, that l desire particularly 10 notice through your
colums, viz The designs OF The leaguers IN Alaoathh
aud elsewhere, and lis position and standing tnere
among the Democracy. feel constrained 10 do 80 from
the Tact, that MIR. Yancey's letter circulated throush
your journal without a proper correction OIL III ln1my
errors and illogical conclusions. would create ih VT
yinis a very incorrect idea OF the standing ahd lonu'
snce of that political hybrid, known az the Southern
League. My EXCUSE tor this, must be- found III Inc
following passage of MIR. Yancey's letter:
The only two leading Journals that have mace 'hs
League the text for repeated Assaults, WIN T ~nen :
Am ACQUAINTED, are THE South" and The Conteds'
| ra~tion"-and in both. tn League is regularly misre-
presented III a new party, designed TO overthrow ihe
Democracy
With the latter of these journals my name is assocl'
sted IA one of its editors and proprletors, AND l AN
always prepared Ia defend what appears IN lis col
umn- and 1 sm tho le-- reluctant 10 do 40 at present,
from the fact that Mr.. Yancey has proclaimed himself
u public man" and therefore anenaole 10 puoic
criticism.
Mr.. Yancey labors with great earneatness aud zeal
to prove that the moveme ut that tho has eel on foot III
| Alabama, has not di-uuiun for liz ohlect. a sta'e
ment of Il fact by him we should not question: Du'
this is Il matter to be- determined by proof and opih
ion. and upon il We take issue with him. The ipten'
tlons aud designs of an association of this klud are
best determined by the known political opinions ana
avowed PURPOSES of lie members, both ID ana ou'
of liz meetings. Lei us 20 then 10 the fountain source
The acknowledged .author OF th- move. YOU genius
men, doubtless know Mr. Rnfhn, and | ask you II liz
is not known in Virginia A. al open and avowed dis
unionist, one that desires to sre the government ORC
ken up nor or al the shortest possib!e period! IL
asked himself, and he would speak out boldly thr
true sentiments OF bis own honest heart, he would tell
You that he had lost all hope Of The Union, thinks u
ought To be- dissolved at once, and that this idea o'
Southern Leagues WAS put forth by MN ~ the oea'
means he could devise TO m That ObJect.--
Coming 10 Alabama where the idea was reproduced
we u III flpHlSbUnrIy u I't f'O''h'i
aud Jealous advocates of the League 10 be- dlsunloI
Know Nothing; we should certainly have said lead
ing Know Mornings il Mr.. Yancey had not asked
what leading Know Nothing has had any prominent
connection with iuaugurafing these Lragues' and
speaking i'll their iavor7 IL there Is one, l AIN no.
aware of the fact."l
We do not wish to call the names of private gen
t!emen; but we think that MIR. Gancey himself vii
conc-de that those who talke for il. worked for ii
dad mot Tor il in Montgomery and at Bethel, icere al
least kn0p NOfh,ngS, ii 10! leading ones. Ihers
were. also, q few Democrats, but their Democratic
robes encountered them about rs mucn as an Indian
hunting shirt. and they would swsp them ri any mo
mrnt for Il djsunt0n round "a 6ont, which, wlthUn
much violence to nomenclature, Theses League move
mrnts might br denomipated il IL well understood
with US in Alabama, in Montgomery especially, tina
The signers of the League are only dissatisfied oisap'
poiuted, disunion Democrats Or X now Nothinge, who
ssek the overthrow of the Democratic party. A
their last meering III Montgomery, an intelligent Insm
Der declared his purpose to b.. in joining the L-ngue
t. bring about a dissolution of the Union within tht
aho.iest possible time We may not use his pr.cirt
lnngaa.-. bat such WAS me purport And, finally
what does SIR. Yanc.y himaelf say, in hs letter e
Mr.. Slaughter, 10 reference In thesn ls1gue-
"L-t u form these LEAGUES ali over The Cotton
Sta:es, "a il is only in them We can hop- Tor any Fl
ieciive mnv-inenr,' and, ~ the proper moment. b.,
one organized. concerted action. We can p~recipitnt'
tho Go. ton States INTO u r-Noinf'nn
THIS latter was SAID 10 hr private; then we take il
~ the homes, Ou;-spOkrn s-nt'm -n's of The nuthor.--
u Is sur tlf NDb-t " EliNNAF icb'rl IHni W" IVui WI
our true thoughts and feelings, opinions and purpos
e.. Pubic men" 90 not always prorlaim 10 tbs
world their real ends and desigus, Tor /: would, il
mauy instances, defeat them. They reserve this usu
ally Tor the private ear of q friend, to whom they
uDbosom ;lismsslves without reserve.
II it not clear. thsu, :Ioin The premises we Inv,
adduced, that the whole movement was conceived il
a disunion spirit ana design, and that lie members
from their Hvowcd -untimrnis and opinions, have
Joined il with q view of breaking up the Govern
ment
We find the following opinion uttered in Mr.. Yam
c-y's letter, alter rnumerating several papers for anC
against the League:
Il believe that the msjoriiy of The know.No,hine
journals in Alabama oppose the League-I beli-v.
that y majority OF those of the Democratic party
that have expressed all opinion, ARE in favor OF thu
League, or, having examined lis constitution, ant
published it, have expressed an opinion that Their,
was nothing wrong III the movement, however in
practicable"
The paragraph is very skifully worded, bat ihs
inference Clearly suggested 10 the readers mind ia
that the League meets with little or no opposition II
Aiabams but from the Koow NOthings. and that II
receives most OF its countenance and support from
the Democratic journals. We should hardly notics ,hi
IT, Alabama, where the exact status of the Lacquer,
are we'll understood by every one but IN Virginia
II might lead to a very improper idsa OF what public
Sentiment l. in my State with regard TO it..
We thank Mr.. Yancey for the adroit compliment
that the only beading" journal in Alabama ''thst ha:
made the League the text for repeated assaults" is the
Confederation but he might have mentioned ma
ny others whom nee gladly recognize as Heading" co
laborers in the Democratic cause; such as the "Tus
cutnbia Democrat" ''Selma Sentinel" 'Haynevillt
Chronicle" ''SuRpter Democrat. ~ South Alabam
iau,'' Vaudeville Banner" and many Other-. who's,
names DO not now occur to Va, quite AZ leading, ri
Ia, I, as those ment oned by Mr.. fancey az such. We
very frankly acknowledge that several Of our Demo
cratic brethren Of the press in Alabama have either
taken no notice OF the concern ri all, or have SAID no
thing against it. But We thiGk tho reason obvious
M one has ceAtGrcd he attempt 10 form II Lcdgat
rhere the paper Is printed. Montgomery is thu only
place whers II iHs been attempted, and As the Demo
cratic sentinel at that point, W. felt bound to notice il
a. We have, and keep our party out OF il; and, II ha'
Kept ont. The truth il, for come time after the League
movement WAS st Oh foot, We, ourselves, took nc
adveIar notice of il in the Confederation The
movement WAS alnost siii-born from the beginning
The crude, deformed bautling was ushered shivering
into the world before even its wardrobe had beer
prepared Its doc;ors and wet nurs-s were attentive
but st;ii the III shaped lac"S nature would neither
grow nor become strong. Inc voting popu'ation o.
Alabama is in the neighboThool Of serenity thousand
The last we heard of the League, ii numbered jus
t,ocnty-aim. aud ihis WAS Il long while after ia inau
guratiun. The attempt 10 form one at Benton, in our
State. utterly failed though the meeting for the pur
pose was hernldsd with great p"rnp, and Mr. Ysucsy
went down Tor the express purpose AT ibis We were
a III le surprised; fur we had supposed that q smnl
squad could have been obtained there to march Il
Washington City, pull down The national colors,
burn the Capitol, impris0u the President. and behead
Henry 4 Wiss on the route. We certainly knew Of
no other spot in Alabama where the Lsaguers might
have found rs many c%cngenis! spirits IA N Benton
Saunders county, Alabama; and when they failed
there. Mr.. Ysncey might have exclaimed. liz N.po
leon at Waterloo, when the Old Guard recoll-d,
stout est psrdH."
So you will readily Ree, Messrs. Editors, that it was
from the insigniicancs of The movement in Alabams
that the Democratic press has not more generally In.
ken ground against it. For some time the Know