The Van Buren press., 1859-11-11
For the Van Burcn Press.

For the Van Burcn Press.
| Mr.. EDITOR !: When addressed you on
the oath ult., had no expectation, and re-
ally no hope of prosolsing d hitter reply to
my remarks. I much prefer smooth, easy
course, even in political matters, to exciting
controversies and upon second perusal
Of my article of that date, l can see moth
ing that have written to authorize An
Independent Thinker +" to assail me as try
ing to '' cry down. Col. Hindman '' by
low, fimsy abuse, lying ISLANDERS, malic-
ious insinuations, false charges, and other
acts designated by the highly polished Ian
guage of my assailant. l beg leave to re-
quest your s,ceet tempered correspondent to
read my communication carefully, and to
be sure that he finds something in it like
abuse of Col. Hindman, before he again
files to pieces. That communication con-
tains not one syllable against that gentle
man.
In my plain and unpretending way, l
merely presented to the consideration of our
fellow citizens of this county the question
for their calm consideration, whittier it was
best to follow the recommendation Of rs, :"
from Frog Bayou Mills, another and very
different correspondent no doubt, and who
exhibits the safae absence of temper and
feeling, to support Col Hilldman, a resi-
dent of another part of the State, who can
not possibly be expected to know and rep
resent our wants and wishes as well as a
gentleman in our own negnborhood, upon
the mere grounds of personal hate to a
third party in preference to Col A NJ
Wilson, highly esteemed neighbor, who
has resided with us ever since Arkansas has
become State, whom we well know, and
to whom we are well known.
| pretended to offer no facts in the case,
and consequently could have made no "false
charges - against Col. Hindman. l merely
offered an argument why we should not be
governed by personal hate and prejudice in
making our selection of candidate for
Congress. Instead of answering the argu-
ment he eliminates and flies into ill-tenper.
BY this he exhibits the weakness of his
cause and manifests too much feeling to be
considered an impartial or fair counselor
| am sure that did not indulge in " vul-
gar passion - in my last communication,
hope | will not in this, as ! hope 1 never
do III any of my transactions in life. But
L will not permit myself to be brow beaten
and scared from sense of duty by fiery
maledictions / want no office, / have not
been disappointed in seeking office, and l
have no ill-blood towards any of the aspi-
rants. | only seek to guard my fellow citi-
zens against rash and hasty action, or be
ing led on too fast by designing and incon-
slant men, who appear by their earnestness
and sensitiveness to have some concealed
motive for their violent course in the pend
ing Congressional election.
An Independent Thinker - starts with
alarm and anger at the utterance of the
idea that the democracy of Crawford Coun-
ty might entertain thought of supporting
some man other than the one whom he was
favoring--that they might be inclined to
give their suffra ges to Cox Wilson. That
the supposed mesmeric nap which he had
fancied that he had manipulated them into,
was broken, and that they were determined
to think for themselves. /" An Independent
Thinker - is a dreamer as we'll as a catalep-
tic operator if he imagines that Col Wilson
has no supporters in this county. He has
warm friends all over the county, in every
Township, aye, in this city, where An
Independent Thinker - Eliminates his doc
trines and when the gathering clans of the
democracy assemble, their voice will sound
as knell to the hopes and feelings of that
sweet tempered correspondent.
" An Independent Thinker says that
CIV" advocates the nomination of Col. A.
NJ. Wilson for Congress and offers no recon-
mendation for him except The fact of his
living in the western part of the State
Here, where Col. w. is known to every body,
ne needs no recommendation his merits
need no trumpeting He has not been with
us only " several times,'' but has been GER
tainly scih us and for us during the last six
teen years, firm and consistent democrat
the champion of its principles from 1874,
when his keen pen decimated the Clay clubs
of Crawford, Washington, Benton and
Madison counties through all the periods
and changes of the opposition" down to
the present dav There are too MANY old
settlers yet remaining among us who know
Aft. Wilson's claims too well to put them
up like chattels hawked at an auction to be
descanted upon by fippant auctioneer.
l claim for myself, Mr.. Editor some con-
sistency Last year l was favorable to the
election OF Western man as u. s. Sena-
tor. hearkened to, and believed good the
arguments then used why we should have a
Western man, and believe g An Indepen-
dest Thinker was for Western man.
then. Was he not ? Will he answer frank
ly! Ii it was important to our interests
to have Western man in Congress then.
why is it not just as important to have one
now What change has come over the
dream of " An Independent Thinker ?''-
Our interests are as important, and we need
the services of Western man as much or
more at the present time than weever need
ed them. The assertion Of g An Indepen-
dent Thinker" that it would be "venal''
in the Democracy of Crawford to stand by
their fellow citizen Of the Western counties
because they have stood by us in our times
Of need. is gratuitous. The act of assist
ing each other is one Of the fairest features
in human nature. He calls it selling the
democracy of Crawford to the democracy
OF Washington, Benton, Madison, &C., to
ask that our support be given in eoniunc-
tion with theirs for Western man. This
Is the extent Of his argument against the