Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-12-07
The Infamous HELPER.

We give below the character of Hinton R. Hell
per, as delineated by the Hon. Asa Biggs, one Of
the Senators from North Carolina, on the 9TH April,
1858. Mr. Biggs has told the country who this
man Helper is. The sketch is strictly true. Mr..
Biggs said:
at will be recolected that during the Kansas
debate We had several evening sessions at one Of
which, that of the Goth March, I was not present
in consequence of indsposition The Senator from
Massachusetts Mr.. Wilson, on that occasion deliv
cred speech, which, in consequence of the great
press of business upon the Globe, was not publish
ed until Friday last and my attention to it was not
called until Saturday. Among other points made
by the Senator, he seeks to give faithful account
of southern society-slaveholders and non-slave-
holders; and presume he could not testify from
personal observation and knowledge, and as | sup
pose he preferred it. he introduces reliable testi
mony extracts from book, eatitled THE Impend-
ing Crisis of the Sonth," said to be writhen by a
"Mr. Helper of North-Carolina."
Being informed as to this author, | am unwilling
that such testimony shall 60 upon the permanent
legislative history of the country as coming from
th-Carolina, without placing in the same form
the character of the witness. 1t is due to North
Carolina, it is due to the Senator from Massachu-
setts it is due to the Senate and the country par
ticuaLy the people of the non-saveholding States,
to expose to public contempt the author of work
whose position, whatever it is, probably greatly de-
ponds upon his representing himself as "of North
Carolina" l feel becoming pride that the word
of North Carolinian is so generally considered re-
liable and, therefore, the more imperative is the
duty,to mark emphatically, as | propose to do on
thf occasion, any one that halls from that State
fho ISLANDERS her society and writes it in book to
deceive and delude others. The Senator from Mass
achusetts is striking example of the dupes thus
made by this catch-penny book and the deusion
is strong that without inquiry to the charac-
ter of the witness it is placed in permanent form
evidence from North-Carolina as to the state of
southern society.
want to dsabuse the mind of the Senator from
Massachusetts,, and those who read this book, as to
the reliability of the authority on which he relies.
Who, then, is this Mr.. Helper, of North Carolina,
relied upon in the Senate of the United States as
evidence from the South of the state of southern
sociey? l speak from authority that cannot be
doubted
Hinton Rowan Heller, the author of the &c I'm.
pending Crisis, is native of Dave county, North
Carolina. His first appearance in active life was as
| North Carolina. Mr.. Brown is an elder of the
Presbyterian church; and after Heller removed to
Salisbury he also joined the Presbyterian church,
| and, so far as was publicly known conducted him.
self with proprety. After living with Mr.. Brown
several years as clerk it understood at Salisbury
| that he formed copartnership with MIR. Coffman in
the book business and left for the North to lay in
stock of books. He did not return expected
but shortly thereafter went to California, and there
or shortly after his return, wrote book called
Land of Gold"
| lie returned to Salisbury about 1854, where hi
| remained some time without any apparent business
In the summer of 1857, as is reported and believed
| he procured surety for, and obtained money. He
| however about that time left for the North where
1
| Carolina After leaving NOrth-Carolina he chang
ed name from Heller to Helper; and it was disclos
| ed last year that while clerk for Brown he pur
Joined from him three hundred dollars, and after ar
exposure by Brown, Heller, making merit of ne
cessity, himself publicly conlesses, in handbil
which have before me, this thievng Oh his part
and excuses it upon the ground that he was enticet
to the act by some ambiguous expression of frient
of his that it was allowable for clerks so to do ant
the further excuse that it indiscretion o
youth, although at the time, he in full standn!
in the Presbyterian church, and, he says himself
was seventeen years of age 1t is due to the Pres
byterian church to say that this man is not men,
Der Of that church.
Now, sir, when and why he altered his name
know not, except he defines Helper-one who help
himself from the purses of others without thei
consent; and therefore concluded the change Q
name appropriate to his character: He is dishon
est, degraded, and dlsgraced man, and although
much to be regretted-a native of the State, yet h
is an apostate son, ruined in fortune and character
and catering to diseased appetite at the North, t
obtain miserable living, by ISLANDERS upon the Ian
of his birth; and deeply regret that the Senate
from Massachusetts has, by reference, so dlgnifie
the creature as to render necessary this exposure
Such is Mr.. Helper, of Nortt-Carolinia. author {
the "Impending Crisis of the South" alias MI
Helfer once of North-Carolina, but who has lei
the land of his birth for the good of the State.
Now, sir would respectfully suggest to the hor
orable Senator from Massachusetts to append a not
to the edition of his speech giving the true chara
ter of the author of this book upon which he ha
relied so that the readers of his speech may not b.
as he has been, so unwittngly misled by authorit
so degraded and unreliable"