Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-03-30
Hon. T. c. Eindman,

avoided it if we could have done so with honor
 to the democratic party. For ourselves we nave
 no fear and but little care, but there dre othel
 interests paramount to ours.
 The strange attitude that the individua
 whose name heads this article has placed him.
 self in, demands an examination at our hands
 He has forced it upon us. In reviewing his act'
 and declarations we desire to do so in all cour-
 tesy. live shall speak of some of his acts wltf
 severity, we do so as the acts of a public mar
 and politician. We disclairn and shall avoic
 personalities, except when we use good humorec
 ridcule.
 We freely admit that Col. Hindman has
 talents as a public speaker, fluent writer anc perhaps, for we are no judge of fsuch things, as
 poet. Heis man of undoubted enersy-a rest
 less active man. We do not wish to detract one
 ota from any merit that he possesses. We
 would rather praise than blame, if be deserved
 praise rather than censure. We know that mis-
 erable busy bodies have poisoned his ear and instilled lies into his mind till he regards us as
 his enemy. We know that last summer, while
 we were his friend, that others for their own base purpose were representing the contrary to him. But let that pass It matters little what relations exist between us, but it is very mate rial that we should see how one who has been elevated by the people stands towards those who raised him. We had hoped to see Col. Hind man 20 to Washington with the best wishes of his constituents and use his well known energy for their interests We had hoped that our delegation would be a unit and work together for the common good. Instead of this he has pursued a course that has estranged his best friends, that has shorn him of any strength he once possessed and left him a mere wreck on the drift of public opinion. Upon a trial twas found that he was in the minority in his own town; majority of the democrats of his own county repudiate him. and there is not known democrat in his district who could not, to-mor- row, beat him two to one And this state of things is attributable only to himself. With all his smartness, brilliancy, fire and knowledge of tactcs he is utterly deficient in common sense. We have seen politicians who committed ire quent errors, but none so utterly devoid of iudg- ment as the Congressman elect. Ia his peculiar organization one faculty, that of self esteem, ab- sorbs all others. He deals out power and plac9 in advance as if the people were plotted out and he was sole emperor of the nation. He knows no limit-his mad ambition has no bounds From the officers of county to the choice of United States Senator-lrom the election in township to the General Assembly of this State, he interferes, hectors bulies, attempts to dragoon and dictate, and when beaten, as hs always is, then denounces. He stamps his feet and frowns and those who do not obey he forthwith ex- communicates. When we very gently aud quietly pointed out this pecuArity in his ds- position in the hope that it would lead hin to mend his ways, he whningly complains that we are blaming him for his too great zeal for de- mocracy. With the solitary exceptions of cut ting off the head from the dead carcass oi Sam. and his prompt repuIiatioh of the treason of Stephen A. Douglas, this ' little giant of Ar kansas" has spent all his energies in attacks upon democracy and democrats Nay more when vital questions were to be discussed, when important issues were made, he either remained criminally silent or espoused the cause of the opposition, and in one case came to the relief of man whom he had formerly refused even personal introduction to- This we are prepared to show. We regret we are compslel to do so. We would rather he had attended to the duties entrusted to him, and curb4d that miserable dis position to control, gag, and dragoon everybody and everything that he camein contact with The approaching session of Congress Is to be most important one and some have gone so far as to say it will be perhaps the last. We want ed him to expend his fire, his energy and his abilities against our opponents there. Instead of that he has frittered them away in warning upon democrats at home, dashed all his,prospects and led a majority of the people to believe that in- stead of rising young man who was capable of doing the State some service when actuated by patriotic motives they beheld a mere political adventurer. He gained the position he holds almost by force He might have held it by love. Without sacrificing one jot of ind epen- dence without yielding one tittle of his right to discuss public men and measures and freely ex- press his opinions, he might have kept aloof from these disgraceful squabbles and ofieious interference. Had he done so-had he acted with ordinary prudence-in truth, had he pur- sued just and high course, there would have been no office in the gift of the people of Ar kansas that might not have been his for the mere asking. But his overweening vanity de- stroyed it all. He deliberately tramples under foot the offering of a free people-he attempts to climb yet higher by dragging down those whom he thinks above hir'.
 We have written these things more in sorrow than in anger. We wish for his sake that this and more was not true. We would gladly shut our eyes to what we have seen and try to forget it. During the canvass last sumner his dietatorial course excited much feeling. We were written to, appealed to and asked again and again if democrats must be insulted and ridden over as they were in Greene county and elsewhere. Every mail bought us letters We expostulated, argued. reasoned aud told them that they must overlook these things We told them that this s.une energy used aoaipst our opponents would be useful. Even after his nomination we hal to quench fires that broke out agaips him. We promised for hin, that if elected he would do better. We had determined to take no part between demo- crats SD far as the columns of our paper were concerned. but our sympathies and our wishes were with him. And now, he repays us with abuse and vilifcation. Still, if he will try to teach himself that he is not the center of the universe--if he will retrace his steps and try to do right--f he will cease to throw himself into opposition to the people and their representa- tives even yet we shall rejoice to see him do well. We care not how much he may abuse us--no matter how credulously he may believe the lies of those who lick their lips, languidly shut their eyes and look as sanctimonious as
 Mawworms. Let him but strike but one blow
 for democracy, let him utter one word in de-