Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-08-26
The Assaults on Judge cholson,

feprenenSlble style OF attack than which some
Of the Democratic organs are making upon
Hon. VIM. 7. Gholson, the Republican nomi
nee for Judge of the Supreme Court. The ele-
vated character and personal popularity oil
Judge Gholson. his eminent talents as a iurist
and his universally conceded fitness for the
place for which, by no act of his own, but in
spite of his expressed wishes, be has been made
a candidate, should have at least procured him
decent and manly treatment from his oppo
nents. From the better portion of the De
mocracy, such has been the case. A few meu.
sing demagogues, on the other hand, rashly ca
ger to assail so conspicuous a tower of strength
on the opposite side, early commenced trying
to blacken Judge Gholson's reputation, because
forsooth, having been born in a Slave State
and passed a portion of his life in Mississippi
he at one time, as they alleged, actually held
slaves! And finding that no one denied this
grave imputation, they went a little further
and asserted that the Judge had not only own
ed slaves, but insinuated a suspicion that he
had, some time or other, sold some of them
At length. they bodily declared that on leaving
Mississippi for this State, fifteen or twenty
years ago, he " brought all his slaves to the auc-
ton block and sold them to the highest bidder
And at one and all these stages of their assault,
no words were violent enough to express their
pretended adherence of such enOrTnities.
Now, the people of Ohio. as these malicious
; spies and scavengers in due time will learn, are
not going to trouble themselves about the ear
~ anteccdents of a man, born in a Slave State,
and who, according to the worst that ~malignity
has alleged against him. has only done as slave
holders by inheritance and education are wont
to do, when everybody knows that, for fifteen
years or more he has been of the most highly
respected citizens of this Free State, coming
here from preference Of our Institutions, and
conseientiouSly and consistently supporting free
principles. Let these ~demagogues do their
worst. They will only help to swell the great
majority by which Judge Gholson would in
any event have been elected. This sort of dir
ty work always recoils upon the party that re-
sorts to it or give it countenance.
The last number of the Statesman publishes
the grand result of these housing operations,
so far as they have been directed to the finding
of proof to substantiate what has been charg-
ed to the account Of Judge Gholson, as twen-
ty years ago a STAKEHOLDER. This appears in
the form of a letter, bearing the signature ola
certain A1r. Rootes "a misprint for Rooter ,
who PROCESSES to have known Judge Gholson
in Mississippi, and also his private business.-
Whether this Rooter Tor Rootes). ostensibly
hailing from Pontotoc, Miss, is a live man or
much the appearance az having been written
by a rabid p~art:zal, in the latitude Of Central
or Northern Oaio. The writer, however, fails
to confirm the " auction block y story, while
e~vincing Il ma!igaut parporse to represent the
case in the worst possible light. and if the
Democratic organs accept this Rooter letter
as that Of their own witness, they have been
circulating an entirely gratuitous and ground
less f4:sehood. Here is the only pertinent por-
tion Of this precious document
i know, Of ny own knowledge, tlat Judge
Gholson, in your State, did own slaves while
he was a citizen Of this State, aai that he did
sell them before leaving this State for Ohio
Judge C. lived in this town during the whole
Of his citizenship i'll this State; therefore, I am
enabled to speak positively in regard to his
having owned slaves, and of lis having sold
them just before leaving Mississippi for Ohio.
Some Of the SLAVES, il not all of them, which
he sold, are stiil in this county, and | doubt
not the purchasers of them have Judge Ghol-
sons bill Of sale. OF this, however, | am not
certain, as l haze not had the opportunity to
see any Of them since the receipt of your let
ter. l viii in the course of & few days, farn-
ish you with such information. in regard to the
matter, as not even Glddiags wK dare 10 ones
ton ="
Whether this last sentence was interpolated,
or whether this Rootes is q fictitious parsonage
and the letter a sham throughout, or whether
he Is a rea! and vcritable b~lackguard, the read
or can judge for himself. Whether all that
this letter states be true or false, is not, as our
Democratic ~neighbor, the Enquirer has already
said, of the slightest consequence to the free
men of Ohio. Yet the malignant denunciation
and utilization basel upon the assumption OF
its truth, wH be regarded of some Importance
by independent frcenlen, as these intermediing
caiumniators will find, to the cost of their own
party. Judge Gholson is not a man Of such
as to render it prudent for these pet
ty dabbiers in politics to attempt to pull him
from his present exalted standing, by
this sort of detraction. On partizan grounds,
we can wish nothing better than its %continu-
ance. If Mr.. Rooter can turn up any further
" information of this kind" let him by all
means, make diligent use of his nasal organ.-
Cincinnati Gazette, 18th