The Van Buren press., 1860-02-17
ADDRESS OF
Hon. THOS. G. HINDMAN,
OF AREANSAS
70 HIS.CONSTITUENTS.

Aonday IN May next, to nominate Dem
ocratic candidate for Congress from the frst
district. Therefore as your present Repre-
sentative, and as u candidate for re nomina-
u n .Cdevolves on me to render you an ac-
count Of ny stewardship, so that you may
judge Of my honesty, capacity and fideIi-
IS, and be e1,a hled to decide upon my fit
uess TO serve you longer in the same posi-
ton.
] bdve hee1 accustomed, hitherto. to meet
7'ls oters o. the eoantyv face to facs, and
discuss aueiisly ~ their essence 81 hear.
ing, the masters IN s b,ch ~ were inter
estel. would greatly preleg that course
now, it icing alw4ss tha best snode of pro-
noting truth and securing Justice. But
ny official duties necessarily detain me here
2, wide distance from you and l am for
ccd either 20 use this means of communica-
. ton, or 10 remain silent. To be entirely 81
len. i'd, under the circumstances, be just
ne. aer to you nor to myself, and would
subject me to misconception among friends
and to harsh criticism from enemies
AS you know, / was nominated and elec-
ted to Congress in 1858. The honor OF
nomination was conferred on me by the
Democracy of the district in convention at
Batesville. The still higher honor of clec-
tion was bestowed by the almost unani-
nous voice of the voters of all parties For
those proofs Of confidence l am, and shall
ever be most grateful, whate yer may be the
incidents Of my political future. The evil
dence of my gratitude must be afforded by
acts, rather than by words. To the De
mocracy, who chose me as their standard
bearer, 1 owe fidelity to the platform on
which they nominated me. To the mass
of the people who voted for me, prospect
i've of party, l owe undertaking devotion
to their common interests, as American
citizens, and especially as southerners and
Arkansians. If, in any respect, | have
been untrue to those obligations, the heav-
| lest censure should be meted out to me- ii
on the other hand, have been loyal to
them, no fair minded man will withhold
from me the plaudit---" Well done, good
and faithful servant"
! The charge of unfaithfulness to the Demo.
cratic party has been preferred against me,
since my election. On what particular
state of facts is that charge founded 1t
rests on this basis: That hare conden,n-
ed certain acts Of some Of oar 'leading" pol
aicians. The whole State knows that to
be the gist and point of the accusation
Abuse, bitterness, and many tongued ma
/ lignity hHsc gwen it darker coloriiss and
wider dimensions, but the essence and tho
substance of it are what have alleged. i
am arrdigned as a cuiprH for differing ,rith
prominent men in oar ranks. Why l differ
ed with them is well known to every voter
who listened to my vindication, from tho
stump in September, October and Novcm-
Der last, or who has read that vindication
as afterwards published, under my supervis-
ion, and circulated among my constituents
| have at no time doubted the correctness o!
my positions in that controversy, AMI am
as confident as that | live, that the time
will come if it has not already arrived,
when every democrat VIII concur with me
But for the sake of argument and in or
der to expose the character and tendency OF
the opposition to me, let us admit, for the
moment, that my positions were all wrong
and that | erred in assuming them. Did
that make me unfaithiul to Democracy
| Are the political leaders - with whom |
differed, the Dem ocratic party of Arkansas
Does man cease to be Democrat when
ever he thinks differently from therh ? Are
they the embodiments of all our principles
policy and usages? Are they invested with
the infallibility of the Roman Pope, and
with the purity of God? Must every man
who disagrees with them be excommunica-
ted from the Democratic church, and con-
signed to endless perdition, as hereto and
an outcast?
1t that IS what my enemies mean. let an
Independent people, anf party of freemen
Judge between them and myself. l affirm
that so long as a man approves Democrat
ic principles and policy, and abides in good
faith by Democratic usages, so long does
he remain a Democrat, in every sense of the
word although he may doubt the fitness
of every leader of the party, and may con-
denim their acts, and may pray that they be
ousted from their high places. To that
standard of genuine Democracy my antece-
dents conform; with that standard the idea
Of the fearless and unfettered masses ac.
cord who but slave could have any othe,
feeling than contempt for different stand
ard
Here then, is the whole length and breadth
of my offending. have not departed from
Democratic principles +; l have not aban-
doned Democratic policy have not vio-
tated Democratic usages. All my acts and
intentions have been strictly obscrvant Of
them. But IAape dared to differ nth GER
tain "leaders Of the party? is that a
sin for which l ought to be put to death
The hungry Office seekers, who thirst for the
place hold, may exclaim. as did the Jews
of old, {. Cruelty him Cruelty him .''-
but what is the voice of the unselfish
and honest rank and file Will theypun-
ish me for indepedence, and reward my as
sailants for servility? That question
leave for their decision in the Dover con
vention.
1t is proper to be borne in mind by all
and will not be undervalued by men dispo-
sed to do justice, that the existing contro-
versy in Arkansas relates exclusively To
State affairs. As to the manner in which
have demeaned myself during my brief
service in Congress, but one single obiec-
tion has been urged against me by any Dem
ocrat, so far as my knowledge extends.
That objection did not come from my con-
stituents, but from newspaper outside of
the district. which arrogates to itself the
guardianship Of their interests. The paper
referred to is the Little Rock " True Dem
ocrat." In its issue Of December q, 1859,