The Van Buren press., 1860-04-27
Far the Van Buren, Pyess.
20 /" An Old Democrat"

| U;ndnan. would be commendable, had you
effected anything in his defence. You have
thrusr INTO the face of the reading public
two-eolumn article, which has no apparent
object. If your object was to prove to the
world the orthodoxy of your leaders faith,
then Syou have signally failed ; if, on the
other hand, you wished to contribute an item
to theli,crsry curiosity shop by producing
an article which should contain the fewest
ideas in the greatest number Of words then
is yo,n success truly wonderful. You ac-
cuse me of attempting to create an unjust
prejudice against Mr.. Hindman sir, We are
SO constituted that we often attribute to
others the same motives which, in similar
cases jrould prompt ourselves. In my artl-
Gle maintained that Mr.. HIS sentiments,
| in a certain instance, were undemocratlc and
full of the spirit of disorganization ;
showed it by quotations from his speech and
no man can gainsay it and say truth. The
sentence in his speech upon which my argu-.
ment was based is explicit, and stands indc-
pendent of any other portion. He says
''I Will, sir, Speaking Of the convention
| or cauus I" but with this espress reSerca-
ton, which applies to the action of erery
democrat, .rAenever convention of the
| par+,fI. held that whenever the democrat
licN&&.Hill act, as in my judgment demo-
Gratis Ought to act" DC. Now, sir, this is
the psiat, and you have stccrcd clear of it,
and taken refuge in that citadel of weak
ness, equivocation and sophism. What
has Mr.. Rust's proposition to do with the
abstract doctrine embodied in that general
phrase. "erery democrat" "wheneyer
DC. do not censure Mr.. II! for exercis
ing his own judgmertt. in the anomalous
) case cited oy yo"r, but l do say that the
uoctrine en.anciated by him IS undemocrat-
ic' ana, 1t faithfully carried out, would rem
'.er conventions useless, and consequently
d.sorganize the party. But, sir, you are
, not content with defending Mr.. Hindman,
but you will obey the dictates of your heart,
, and again attack Pacific I" on grounds en-
: tirely foreign to this discussion. l pity
; you; you are one of that unfortunate, but
. increasing number, who pin their faith to a
4 man. ~Asn are the slaves of passion, and
!. obeying its fitful gusts, are often driven into
Inconsistencies. n political leader is espec-
ia:ly exposed to these influences, and those
who abandon principle, and follow a man in
the political race, will often be placed in
false positions. You have fallen into the
pit. You are forced, by circumstances to
defend position which your reason and
common sense alike tell you admits of no
defence. You are unfortunate i'll another
: respect. You are writing over fictitious
signature SO am l. You do not know me
personally, hence you are led into the error
i, so common with idolators of supposing all
men arc actuated by selfish motives. SO
. you make declaration as far from truth as
a black is from white, when you say l pro-
nounced the proceedings of the Convention
. Of this county undcmocratic. You have
exalted yourself from the grovelins condi-
ton of man worshiper to the honorable po-
4 sition Of pedagogue, and essay to instruct
? me in the history of Arkansas. In this
I you have done well. You have shown your
self a better pedagogue than political writ
, er, and Aeye fully vindicated your title to
. the ..'fofA and ferulc." You say HIS
( friends should look we'll to his laurels
G Yes, and you have by no means forfeited
your title to place in the catalogue of his
defenders Their characteristic excellence
consists in lodging the issue. and rcsorting
D to personal abuse. You de. erve credit sir,
A for the strict fidelity with which you have
adhered to the canon. You complain of
my ill-bEeeding in speaking as did to 'an
old man.. Sir, age becomes truly contemp-
tible when it lays aside that dignity which
/, IS its ornament that becoming dignity
, when laid aside often exposes the imbecili-
! lty which it had formerly cloaked. When
age, with trembling hands, seizes the wcap-
ons of youth, it is apt to fall short of its
design, and succeed only in betraying its
, impotency. 1t then fairly forfeits it's due
respect and becomes ridiculous by dropping
from its palsied hands the weapon it has
not power to wie,d. Think not, sir, that
l am hested. nor (I pray you) be astonish-
ed at the language of Truth. You have
thrown yourself into the whirlpool of po-
litical discussion, and if you succeed in
, discovering truth, do not reject it because of
its degraded situation. Your apparent fa-
miliarity with the classics would entitlc you
: to respect, did not your allusion to them
betray yeur ignorance.
, When, we whirl around, the whole world
seems to whirl, and we stand still anala-
gous to this is your discovery that Pacific
is wrapped in inconsistencies.
; Sir, the heathen cannot be christianized
until they have passed several generations
amidst the blessings of Christianity, and i.
would % folly Tor me to attempt to polish
polish Your manners in the space Of one
llfe. Pardon me. sir, if l am unduly severe
You are one of those injudicious friends
who betray the weak points by attempting
defense beyond your power. You belong
to that class of satellites who generally get
some little Office, not from merit, but to
purchase your silence. If Office is your OBJ
ject. mest compliment you upon the wis
dom OF Dor course. If all the. political
idolators would follow in your footsteps
and attempt to defend their master in the
5 newspapfrs, you, sir. would stand promi-
} nent amohg the dangerous friends, and your
chances &e not whit lessened. The silence
OF such : defender is cheaply purchased by
Trusting that you may so far forget your
sell In ytm reply as to write in a courte-
Gus and kentlemanly manner. l Iremain, sir,
Your obedient servant
, PACIFIC.