New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-31
LETTER FROM THE HON. HORACE f.
CLARK.
tn IA, cdifo, Of The ~ Y Tribune

| To fhe Editor Of The ~ y. Iri6uns
SIR: In The editorial column Of your paper Of the
cih iDst there appeared article eGtted The Two
pietursp" which sIrsil ms Messs. George Briggs Of
| Hew-Yorb, GarDeit Is Adran and Jetur X. Riggs Of
| New-Jtrey, John G. Davis Of Indiana, ani myself
ulon the charge Of aving expressly or implicitly made
1dgts during several Of 1858, that we
would bid the Republicans in organizing the House.
aid Of having failed 10 observe such pedgss in the
pending contest for the Speakership We ere further
charged with having aided and sbetted ldirec1y or
pdir, y the alleged revolutionary and dsorg 'niziog
schemes Of parsons designated by you as factioniSts
| and di,uDioDi,is.
Thee serious charges preferred in the language
of courtesy but with cefDtebes Which forbi1s that
they sbonId pass unooiced The offer Of your columns
for tie pupose Of correction, gives assurance tina ina
spirit which inspired your article is that of justice
| rather than Ieproacb.
Ibave Get, rned to avail myself Of the opportunity
| for viDdicsi n " hich you have tendeTed.
II il true thst in The autumn OF 1858, offered my
A. II TO the electors of the With Congressional Dis met
of the Stale of York as on Independent candidate
for IeG cton 10 Congress IL is true that received
the votes f Republicans and am inclined to b7ieve
that houi the aid of The votes of persons scknowl-
edgirg sympathy with the Republican Organization
thai received The votes of Democrats, and that with
out The of Democrat votes should not have been
elected And il is equally true that The support OF
gentle men not Demo rats or Republicans, bu, pro-
1efsedly members OF the American organization, were
.sf.I tal to u election.
Nor can ever be nbniDdfu that political organi-
zatiob of old Whgs-he divorces VI great sta es-
man, Of whom, III former days, you we're drtin-
tuisEed advocate and ] was a hombe, youthful fol-
Iowe,-gsve me hearty, csiuteres,ed AID effective
| support.
have achieved my election without the votes of these
several ossmlsr political associaoEs. am proud TO
| ackr owlerge obligations 10 all ot them.
The returns thai election as stated in your paper
| some tine in December last) showed that L received
! 9C35 votes While II the sane canvass lie Republican
caI dcate for Governor received D 495, and Demo-
cratic competitor. 63s votes. Ii your stare neot be
accurate ano will not question III thus received
nearly 100 votes tban your excellent candid4'e
for Governor, while the whole res1rn exhiOts An I'M
merse popular nsjony against the Republican "rg1n
,atop The returns Of the State election in November
Istt exhibited Democrat majority IL my District OF
about So Thee facts clearly prove thar the co.,
tiutpcy which have the honor to represent is not
Rel nbl'csD.
You have stated in Your article that was not Re-
publican, but that proiessed to agree substantially
with the Republicans the Kansas outrage, the
Gle, omtioD twindle, and cognlte questions" This
statement 20 far az t relates 10 myself, = true IL
was my fortune 70 eODcnr with the Republican MEM
bers Of tie XXXVth Congress in opinion and action
NJ on tboe questions and the records Of that Congress
tbow that ee voted in naraony in favor Of the Crit
terden bill and against the English bill. am rot
conscious Of having in the slightest degree changed or
moCif,d my opinions in resi- ect OF esther OF those
measures aud will not here oscuss the contr ,verted
question whittier, by their vote for the CTinenden
| bill The Republican emhers Of Congress did or did
BOT abspdon tbeir own platform and occupy, for the
TN beng hat OF the Den ocFatc psrty that plat
fom vas construed by us Northern adherene in 1885,
But the acton of the Republican members Of Congress
in Tetl OF thnse measures Was 20 pnriotlc and 30
iust II at he'e is u reprOaci them therefor
Your article proc, eds 10 stale as follow:
psbcsn import and each was eager
cid Lis uIIo Vas rendered TO them ON the condition
siecdd "a accordance with their pec'bI po-i i0o they
wcrldsid he Republicans In og'rlins The House. either bS
Ine RETAINING nom voting o. In some oth elective moe
the that II that the Rpnncsns whose support
moe nGys."dTs ne EspuSicS": on se conditions. and for
thee cid vote Tor ,sch Of gentlemen IN good
ssst 81 Corp,S so much for the picture Of 1855"
Now, Sr, while concede that / was grateful for
Rel ubitau support, ard while tie iesue Of The cleo
ton may have proved that such support essential
10 my success, IdeDy that made the admission
that support indspt psable, that without
should not have borne the hazards of the canvass
| ] gcc pie0 tho invitation of port on OF the Demo-
crulic Congressional Convention while the Republican
candidate in the beld and should have continued
the 10 s termination, W.T. ether be retired
NIT This was perfectly well understood. i did not
| uDotfei3DO That support was Ien1ercu
~ upon the cObdluOD you aleke upoa any other
CONDITION i mont certainly regarded the tender
voluntary ri d unconditional, ana such ii nc
ceIed. So far as NY Gaze is concerned, therefore,
that there Ia substantial fuunda. on
| for tbe allegation you maize.
Ilis true that of my the inq lry
wss non several occasions, privately made OF me as
TO Lar would he my cours upon the question Of or
| eanizaijop. Ny rIiy was uniform, aud il engraVen
/ upon NY memory. The following s the precise lao
puage VII eh invariably employed, aud r. pea,ed rs
often 81 tie inquiry was pressed: Yon nuct perc i've
: r. that 'Iom Il 6 peculiar circumstances IN which L
! cam running i c4DnoL answer hat quests without
"G osrgei,ng my election. should my reDly be salts
"tacOIy 10 yOursel, II would he unsatisfactory TO
"tOme OibeT gentlemen, whore support il indsp pen
sable ss yours. You bave been knd enough to siy
that my in the last Congress our appro-
"bat on. shall rnoulee the hope that my couise ia
1.-THE ext Congress Will be equally acceptable
Such wsg The sereoyped pbfase with which met
| Gil inquiries Of this description. Bear IN mind that [
receiving The support OF four different political
! oIlaBzaiioDs 1acn0Is each aItagObistio 10 tao
oer and that the aid Of each was possibly essential
| 10 my election.
| ALTO your statement that the Republicans In nv
Dslict yo,ed for upon tls express understanding
| iba IN respect OF the organization Of The H0use,
Should vote for n e nominees ~ their organ cation, or
any particular IorsODf, beg leave, most respectfully,
10 Dissent from youi conclusion Not dozen OF them,
most ever naoIesed nc In respect Of The House or
pfni1stlon vb'e you know, 10 weli AS do, tbat the
pftat majority Of Ire not p0liSue. but sim
ceIe c,l scieutOus men, utterly Indifferent 10 the
distribution Of iho pfois epoils Of office. They
devoted % The pIiucip es, for tue assertion and maln
\ teusnee Of yhich they believe that the Republican
part, was founded; but caTs are not seekers Tor
Inc plnces md Condiments wh ch How from the con-
rol OF the louse OF hnizaor' u 'yas not known
duripe my eanvats, hat the Republican party would
he r.biet lied in this Congress IN sufficient numbers
10 enable them TO attempt 10 control the orgauzaton
ror 10 remember that ever heard the names Of the
petsots now regarded " the Republican candidates