Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-11-02
From the Fayetteville Arkansian
The Letter to Col. Hindman.

letter addressed to the Hon. T. c. Hindma three years and half ago, by the under signed. The following communicatio contains nothing of public interest, and tn readers of the Arkansian must blame MT Hindman for having it thrust before them on Saturday, the first instant, Mr. H. mad, aspeech; he was eloquent in the vitupera tlon and denunciation of the Governor Senators Johnson and Sebastian and tho True Democrat but in the midst of his Virulent attack upon the ''fanaily," he sur prised his auditors by reading private let ter letter never designed for the public v and which should have remained as was Intended, confdentid. As an introduction to the reading Of the letter. Mir. Hindman read the notice addressed by the Editors oi the Arkansian to w. L. Wilson, the Chairman ofthe Washington County Con- ventlon oflS56, requesting of him a state ment as to the relative strength of Judge Greenwood and Col H. in that conven- tion. The answer of the chairman was, that Judge Greenwood received large majority of the democratic votes; to this statement of Mr. Wilson's, Mir. T. J. Kelly reoined, stating that upon taking the ayes and noes
 
 A. B. Greenwood, declared to be the first choice of this county for Congress, and insert the name of T. c. Hindman, C it was evident that ayes had it'' In an editorial the same week, the editors of the Arkansian indorsed the statement given by the chair man respecting the strength of Greenw ood and Hindman in that convention. The latter had declared in letter to the State Rights Democrat, that he acquiesced in the casting of the three votes of Washington County for Judge Greenwood, although he had good reason to believe that sehe received more democratic votes than were cast for Greenwood. To support this assertion, was his profeSsed object in reading the fore going letter. In his introductory remarks he made it appear that the letter was abso- lutely necessary to exculpate him from a suspicion of willful mistatement; but since l have received a copy of the letter, and since l have conversed with an intimate friend of Col. Hindman's am fully pur- suaded that such was not his object; his pur pose in thus making public in his political speeches, and through the columns of a widely circulated newspaper, confidential communication, is not now apparent to me his expression of personal friendship and good will would seem to forbid the idea of g deliberate, matured, and malicious design tc inlure. But whether that was Col. Hind mans intention or not, 1 have this to say with regard to his course in relation to th' letters; that in calling upon me in such manner, and in such a place, for permission to read letter written hy me nearly fou years ago; and in aftewall Is reading the let ter in his subsequent SD eches at Benton vile, Huntsville and elsewhere; where h. did not have that permi. sion, he acted un fairly and ungenerously; to say the least o 1t. Col. Hindman has said that e hao good reason to believe that he received more democratic votes in the above mentioned convention than Judge Greenwood. Upon what authority did he make this statement? From my letter? Clearly not from that alone. "Ihare heard t stated, Jy members 2t'Me knom notting Ioage htot dedncting 4. '. 'in regular sanding' anu minors, vfo poted for Nr. Greenmood hte motion otf Nr. helly would hoUe been sustained" Is the language of the letter, and is the only sen tence in any manner answering the purpose for which Col Hindman pretended to read it.
 The reading of the letter, was uncalled for, unnecessary and unprecedented. Col IFS veracity was not in question; the state ment given by Mir. Wilson did not conflict with the statement made by Col. Hindman, and the request that information of the facts should be publicly given was not in any manner inconsistent with the declaration in letter to Col. H. that was informed by know nothings that Judge Greenwood received K N. and illegal votes And the indorsement by the editors of this paper, of the statement of Mir. Wilson concerning the relative strength of Judge Greenwood and Col. Hindman in the convention, does not conflict with any matter contained in my letter; on the contrary, the editorial remarks and the language of the letter coincide. The follwng is what the letter says on this point: '' Your friends tried to make up in noise oChat Mey scanted in num- Der" A concession by me, anxious as I was that Col Hindman should receive the nomination, that he was the weaker cand- date. have said that Col. Hindman has acted unfairly and ungenerously about this matter. l have been told that he express ed, on his way to this city from Van Buren, his intention to surprise me with the letter. l called upon him the morning after his arrival here, at which time it seems to me, It would have been proper to ask my consent to read a confidential letter; whether the omission to do so was intentional, or the well matured trick of a desperate politician, Col, Hindman best knows. It was not necessary to read my letter, even had Col Hindman's veracity been at stake for I simply wrote the information, received from his know nothing friends; whereas Col. Hindman had received other letters, Positiue and deciSjoe in their tone, concern ing the convention; and consequently, much better authority than my qualified state ments Why did not Col Hindman read one of these letters, if his object was what he avowed 1t to be, to vindicate the assertion he had made in the State Rights Demo- crat?
 With regard to the intrigue and opposi- ton so teelingly alluded to and animad- verted upon, in the letter, thave nothing to say. 1 presume ''cut and dried reso- lutions," and the formula of presenting them, are no novelty in Col. Hindman' s political experience. Concerning the pre- vious preparation of the resolutions by several democrats, and the intention to call Greenwood man to the chair, l as sume to have positive knowledge" but as being aware of any special instructions by Awhich the chairman was to be governed, 1t would be unreasonable to suppose was cognizant of them, for as 1 was at that time an enthusiastic personal and political friend o Col. Hindman; and making no disguise of my favoritism, and canvassing the streets as l did, industriously and earnestly for his nomination. 1t could not be expected that 1 should be fully apprised of the designs and plans of those opposed to him. ...-...... Any other assertion made by mo in this letter, concerning any gentleman, is either qualified statement, or was made on the authority of rumors to which my fancy tol Col. Hindman then, made me most lean to