Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-08-03
BouRsslpE, New KENT County, VIRGINIA,
July 81, 1850.
%, rE,,,-,g, Pill nunu4 UHjU.

To the Editor ~ me Ii'chM""" ""3'
In your journal of the 18th of July, find
this paragraph, to wit:-"The Cincinnati En-
ouirer another Democratic paper now sup
11ortior Douglas, says-'ln New Kent, Ilrgl-
rp;a .Iobn TYLER, ST.. made a speech sustaining
.he Scccdcrs, the Richmond Convention, and
~ f1ror OF Immediate iisnniOH. Every Dis
,nionist in the South s~ustains the Sece-
,lers and the Richmond Convention. SlnSl-
lar, is j, not, if they arc for SAVING Inc
Union|" -, ana, ;.,
also find in your Journal, Of May 29th, III 4
communication from New Kent. Virginia,
signed by .Lounger," this language, TO wit
81 found Gen. John Tyler, son OF cx-Pres!dent
TYLER, harrangning the people upon the action
Of the seeding States in the Charleston Con;
%vcntion. and ftroring, IN tie strongest SM" o.
terms. the dismemhermsht cf the re"eT"t
LniOn.' -
Since the latter publication made It's appear
,nce in the "Whig,' and since the PresiueT-
t;aI nominations Of the two last Baltimore Con-
rontions were announced, | have, moreover,
found in several newspapers this statement, to
wit .-"Ex-Prcsidcnt John Tyler has written Il
letter sustaining Breckenridge and Lane rs Pre-
sident and Vice President"
More recently, utilO H"n 5O'N -
"Ioln TYLER was sustaining Breckenridge and
,ne on disuni,n grounds" and some have
confounled John Tyler, Sr., and John Tyler,
Jr. At length, in the midst Of this confusion,
we have O card presented in the Richtnond
"Enouirer," headed "uSf0rNnED RrNoI;s,' ma
king the whole business more conlounded, as
follows. to wit:-"Among the many untounded
ru,uors that now float through the press, is one
to the effect that ex-President John Tyler has
written Il letter declaring for breckenridge and
Lane. While Mr.. Tyler is thoroughly conScrvi-
tive in all his views, yet he has not and docs not
propose to take any public part in the canvass.
He has written no such letter, and the mistake
has been made by conIounding John Tyler, Jr.,
with his father, the ey-Presldent-both very
able and yet very different men,"
The reason | produce before yoII these things
and ask Of your courtesy IN appearance in an
swer, through the "Whig," you will readily
perceive, and will, | doubt not, rs readily adj
init the propriety of my request. Looking to
dates and language, and the succession Of as
sociatcd events, it cannot be reasonably doubt
ed that the first publication made in the
"Whig' from the pen OF "Loungcr, dated
Muy Goth, was the origin of the second publ
cation made in the Wing" dated July 18th,
from the Cincinnati " Enquirer" II can be rs
little questioned that the first publication in the
Wing of May 10Th, from the pen OF Loun.
ger" leading to the second publication in the
"Whig' of July 18th, from the Cincinnati
Enquirer" also lead to the " ruInors atloat in
the press that Ex-Prcsidcnt John Tyler had
written 4 letter sustaining Breckenridge and
Lane" or that was sustaining breckenridge
and Lane upon diSunion grounds, and so con-
founding John Tyler, Senior, and John Tyler,
Junior, as to render the card in the enquirer
necessary to the former. There was nothing
to base any SUCH rumor upon, but this and the
correspondence growing out of it.
Your candor will also enable you to perceive
that the first publication made in the Wing
Of the 2gth May, appeared before the noInina-
ton Of Breckenridge and Lane at Baltimore,
and that the second publication in the "NNhig'
Of July 18th, appeared after the nomination Of
breckenridge and Lane at Baltimore. This be.
ing so, and the matter as To time, place, act,
both publications, it is plain the " Whig' stands
before the public causing 4 speech delivered by
me in New Kent, Virginia. before the nonina.
ton of Breckenridge and Lane, and i'll which
their names were not mentioned, and could not
hCIS We'll INV UCCIl IHSilllOIicu, " apply " d
period subsequent TO the nomination Of those
gentlemen leaving the public to infer, whatever
they might be inclined to infer rs to the grounds
from which | spoke, and to take for granted, if
they pleased, that spoke in their behalf. |
am quite Sire the editor of the "Whig" neither
desired his journal to occupy Il position 50 I'M
happy for itself nor so unjust 10 mt. Before
the action ut Baltimore never advocated the
nomination Of Breckenridge and Lane. Since
the action 1T Baltimore have made no speech
and published no letter whatever. Neither has
Ex-Presidcnt Tyler assumed before the public
any position on the question of the Presidency.
That eminent citizen retired fifteen years ago
from the turmoil Of politics to the calm slIade
Of private and domestic life, and il is not singll-
lar the inpudcnt i~nsOlence Of "lsuIn0r' As to
him should have been rcbukcd by the Rich.
mond Enquirer" while, rs to myself, it is
well known that for the last four years, nearly,
I have occupied 10 partizan position, estecIning
the Republic in too much danger to justify
mere partizan politics. Having lad some
slight association with the press, think !
know how the "Whig' has come to be thus i'll
volvcd.
There is generally associated with 4 leading
newspaper an employee whose especial business
it is to make up the news column from cX-
changes, and this person docs not always know
what has previously appeared in the columns
specially supervised by the Editor. In this
way, no doubt, the publication in the "Cincin-
matt Enquirer" which, doubtless was originally
taken from the "Whig," came TO be inadyer-
tently, as an item Of news, rcpublishcd in the
"Whig" do advocate the election Of Brock
inridgc and Lane; bat wish cmphatically to
deny that have made any speech, or written
any letter advocating their election upon dis.
union grounds. Nothing could be more fatal
to disunion than their election. Itwould ri"et
the South in the letters Of the Union forever.
advocate their election because the resolutions
of principle, or platform OH which they stand,
arc the trucst to the Constitution Of any others
that find without the adoption and enforce
ment of which, by the Government, the South
cannot be maintained, in their present charac.
ter, in this Union. regard Mr.. Douglas as
standing on an abolition platform. under the
disguise If popular and territorial action. |
I regard Mr.. Lincoln rs standing on an aboli-
ton platform, under the disguise Of Congress.
sional action. And regard Mr.. Bell ms stand
ing on n platform which is nothing more and
nothing less than 4 vague platitudc-an In-
meaning generality, which, in view Of the great
issues Of the day, has in it nothing definite,
and gives assurance of nothing; whicl, is
neither fish, flesh nor fowl, HOT good red her
ring" This, sifted of verbiagc, is about the
substance of the speech | made in New Kent,
which the communication of "Lounger' gross
ly misrepresented as a harangue upon the ac-
ton of the seeding States in the Charleston
Convention, and fayoring, in the strongestkind
of terms. the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of the Federal
Union :" and which the Cincinnati Enquirer
dcsignatcs as "a speech sustaining the ~scceders,
the Richmond Convention, and in favor Of i'm
mediate diSunion."
There arc some other points associated with
this business, | desire to say. | have laid he
fore you the evidences Of the mischief wrought,
both to myself and others, by the misreprc.
srntalion of "Loungcr,' rs well as the manner
in which that misrepresentation has come 10
~ - 50 :I-l -. A..