Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-09-25
from Mr.. Yancey Correcting Mis'
reprcsentIons Of

, Letter from Mr.. Yanecy Correcting Wis
reprcsentions of Opponents.
We find the following ''clincher' FROM Col
". l.. Yanccy, in a recent number Of the Mo
bile Register:
MONTGOMERY, August oS, 1850.
,JorS FoKsYTn, Esq.-Dear Sir-Will yor
allow me 4 space in your columns for self-de
fence In an article in the Weekly Register
Of the 2Sth instant, under the caption Of 18Th,
Hero Of the Secession" there are many inaccu
racics. relative to my acts and opinions. Some
are so grossly erroneous that | cannot believe
they were written by you. The following cx
tract contains the errors TO which | allude
Their publication is not confined TO YOU
paper; | have seen them in some half dozen Ol
more papers Of both the Douglas anu Be-!
wings Of your party:
.Hc commenced his career is Il bitter oppC
nent Of General Jackson, whom he denounced
as a tyrant and nsurper. In 1883 he edited 4;
paper in the interest Of the Bank party
which upheld the corrupt banking system from
which VIC arc still suffering, against the Demo
cracy. His first election TO the State LegISla
ture was as an independent candidate, running
against the Democratic nominee. HIS hrs
election to Congress was achieved IN a some
what similar manner. When, after voting lol
the Wilmot Proriso, he resigned his seat, he
warmly though Intellectually supported The
Wing candidate, Beeman, against the Demo
cratic candidate whom the people elected il
Mr.. Yancey's place. In 1913 he went to th.
Baltimore Convention with instructions Of his
own procuring, practically threatening with
drawal from the Convention in a certain con
" TTor,oo.,F,l -, r,rDtnr IiS nn1
leagues of the Alabama Delegation to this
scheme, he returned to oppose Gen. Cass, ant
if he did not vote for Taylor, (Which we ART
not prepared to PROVE he, like his present
friend Breckenridge, certainly participated in
the guilt of defeating the Democratic nominees
In 1852, he favored the Troup and Qnitman
ticket against Pierce. In 1876 he went &c
Cincinnati with instructions also Of his
own procuring, and threatening withdrawal
unless the Convention shonId recognize thl
doctrine Of nOn.ihterremtioh by Congress.
CoRgEcTIoNs.-1. | was never an opponent
Of Gen. Jackson's" administration policy.
9. I never denounced Gen. Jackson As :
tyrant and usurper."
On the contrary, | was Il member OF the
Union party in South Carolina, and for a tim
was editor of the organ Of that party in upper
Carolina, the "Greenvilie Mountainccr."
3. | never "edited a paper in the interest OF
the Bank party, which upheld the corrupt bank
ing system from which We arc still suffering,
against the Democracy either in 1889 or any
other time. In that year | edited the Cahaba
"Democrat," and supported the National and
State Democracy in their entire policies.
4. | did not run rs IN 'indepeadcnt candi,
date OH my first election to the State Legisla'
ture, running against the Democratic nominee
! Was the only Democrat running, and ran
against a Wing opponent.
5. My first election to Congress" WAS NOT
achieved in 4 similar manner was not Il
candidate for the nomination at all, but it was
unanimously rendered to Inc by the Democrat,
ic Convention of the District, and | accepted
only on condition that if any were dissatisfied
! would quit the field. When | reached
Lowndes county in the canvas, }. L. +. Cot
trell, Esq, expressed 4 determination to run,
as he was dissatisfied. | proposed to him, in
order to harmouize the party, to leave the
question as to who should run, 10 the Dcuoc,
racy Of LowHdes, then in llayneville. lie
agreed, and after consultation, that meeting
decided in my favor with great unanimity. |
was not acquainted with five gentlemen in the
place at that time.
+. | did not vote "for the Wilmot ProviSo."
voted against it as an amendment to the Ore
son bill. But it was attached, and in c0niunC'
ton with nearly the entire Democracy, North
and South, ! voted for the billion the same
grounds that Mr.. Polk approved it-that Ore.
gon lay several degrees North Of the Missouri
line-which the South, at that time, WAS will.
ing to abide by.
7. did not warmly" or at all support Be
man, against tho Democratic candidates for
Congress-
did MT live in that District-havins re-
moved to NORTHUMBERLAND, therefore, had no
vote to give.
The only interference I made was to set Col.
Cottrell to correct Il SANDER on Bcnan ltny
half.brother) attributed to Cottrcll. Cottrell
denied being its author-but would not correct
it in public; and | did so for him.
S. | was not unsuccessful in winning my
colleagues at Baltimore, in lS4S, TO the sup
port OF the Instructions Of the State DcmoCra-
CIV. They needed no winning" as each volun-
tarily voted in the Baltimore Convention TO
sustain those instructions, on the platform
question. The only material difference be-
tween us was, that they pledged Alabama to
support Gen. Cass, and refused to give such 4
pledge.
9. I did not vote for, or by my silence indi-
rectly support Taylor, in lS4S. openly CON
dcmned both candidates.
10. In 1852, | made 4 two hours speech in
favor of the nomination of Pierce; and in an
swcr TO a public enquiry, replied through the
newspapers that if my vote was Necessary to
elect Pierce, it would he given TO him.
On the day of the election | was in attend.
ance upon a neighboriug Circuit Court, and
with other lawyers from Montgomery, was thus
deprived of the privilege of voting.
II. ] did not 90 to Cincinnati in 1858; was
not a delegate. | aided in reporting in our
State Convention a platform which, so far from
denying the doctrine of protection to slave
holders in Territories, were commended for by
me, expressly claimed in the lst resolution
''unoualified protection" both sin States, in
| Territories, and in the wilderness, where Ter
~ritories are not yet organized" The rcsolu-
ton concluded BY an assertion that the party
would not Separate" this doctrine from its
other principles.
Now, my dear sir, is it not u little singular
that so many errors should creep into so small
a Space-cleren errors in nine sentences Ger
Lainly much pains were not taken by the wri-
ter to ascertain the correctness Of his asser-
tions.
Recognizing in your paper but little Of that
spirit of mere abuse which characterizes most
OF the papers of your party, | have thought
that you would not refuse 4 place in your CO.
lumns to this card-morc particularly as it is
Il simple vindication of the truth Of history"
Yours, &c., W. l.. lANCEi.
Ex-Gov. Smith In the Tenth Legion.
To the Editors If the Enquirer:
HAKRlsoNBURG, Sept. IS, 1850.
Gentlemen--This has been Il grand day for
old Rockingham. Governor Smith has just dc.
livercd one of the most powerful and eloquent
speeches of his life, and the Democracy are
wild with enthusiasm and confident of victory.
Dur Doup1,c friends were REPRESENTED bv Mr.