Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-07-24
he Southern Conf4 deracy.
ATLANTA, June 16, 1860.

|
| DR.. Hanbleton--D Dear Sir: l have long with
| held an answer TO the charge that Col. Yam
| cey's letter to myself was private letter and
| should not have been published. for the reason
| that when( after it had been published several
| months and endorsed by his newspaper sup
porters) this charge was made wrote letter
to my gallant friend, Roger A Pryor, giving
the whole history of the correspondence.
Col. Yancey took it. contrary TO my eXpecta-
ton, in .'high dudgeOn." telt that he was
sincere. and did not desire to make gen
t!eman, for whom | entertained so much adj
miration, untriendly TO me. 1t was my good
fortune, while was citizen OF Alabama, to
enjoy an Acquaintance with this distinguished
champion of Southern rights. | know that
he enjoyed at home the reputation OF being
clever gentleman in all his instincts aud hab-
it's l do not question that he regarded his
letter to me as private and confidential. But
to the facts:
In the Office of a warm personal friend
sat down and drew up letter to, Colonel
Yancey, in which | congratulated him upon
bis nomination. by several papers in South
Carolina and elsewhere for the Presidential
office, and stated that he had many friends
in Georgia who would be pleased to hear
from him, aud that would be glad that he
would write to me his views on the remedy
for southern wrongs, such as the rejection of
Kansas with her pro-Slavery constitution. L
maintained that the Democracy had deceived
us and could be trusted by us no more with
the guardianship OF our Interests, that we
needed n movement of the honest men OF all
parties to cleanse the augean stables at
Washington When Colonel Yancey's reply
came | was surprised a its tone. 1T did not
discuss the points raised in my cOmmun1ca-
ton. l read it to a friend, who knew the
contents of my letter to Col. Iancey. The
question was raised, did the author intend
this letter for the pnblic eye. l maintained
that it was purely an avOwal OF political
principles; that Colonel Yancey was not the
man TO have one set of principles for the
public and another TO be kept private. Up
on this score and upon the grounds That
had written to Col, Yancey to get his views
that his friends in Georgia might know his
position, refused to adopt the suggestion OF
my friend to write again to Col. 1ancey and
ask his permission to publish 1t. L SAID IL
would be an insult TO him.
1t costs me nothing to say am sorry that
l gave that letter to the public. for the reason
that if Col Yancey desires to have private
purposes in politics, it should be no special
business of mine to make them public.
This stale and often exploded charge of
s.private letter which should not have been
published was revamped in the United
States Senate by Mr.. Jefferson Davis, who
whilom denied that zen. ScOtt was q brave
man, OF this l should have though nothing
if had not called upon Col. Yancey to do
me the justice to publish the letter which
drew his response. | have no fears that my
countrymen will censure the course that |
then took Col. Yancey wrote nothing more
to me than he had endorsed i'll the Southern
Leqque, which was afterwards greatly modi-
fed by distinguished Aiabamian. He nor
his friends have thought proper to repudiate
it. While the question of the Union is at
stake the people will care little to know
whether an obscure man violated private con-
fidence 1 am now satisfied that this fimsy
plea of private letter" shall continue if
they think it has merit. L only ask those
who desire to know the truth to take the case
as | have stated it, and decide as to this ''con-
fidence" question. ..
By the insertion of this letter i'll the South
ern ConfedrGcy you will greatly oblige W. Pa !
Your friend E :.
JAS. S. SLAUGHTER.