Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-09-01
THE OLD MAN & SON.
For tho Trua DnmOcrat
HAMPTON, CALHOUN COUNTY, ARK.,1
 Auoust ol st ls6Q


 August 2lst, 1860.
 Messrs. BLACK X BoUDINor:
 Gentlemen-I will ask of you the favor of giv- ing publicity, through the columns of the True Democrat, the following letter. which was recently written by Judge Clifton, of Alabama, an able jurist and honorable, patriotic citizen of that State who, though heretofore strong and consistent whig, ever voting for the man of their choice, now positively refuses to give his support to Bell, the nominee for the Presidency of the opposition party He that refuses to give to the American people, whose suflrages he now seeks, anything like def- nte platform of principles, by which, if elected, he would govern his administration. There are noble and patriotic spirits who have hitherto co-operated with the whig and opposition parties-such men Pike, Humphrey Marshall, Sharkey, Judge, Chiffon, Mcintosh, and host of others who have shown to their countrymen that they rise supe- rior to the claims of selfish partisdhism, and throw aside the bias of party prejudice when the safety and perpetuty of the ever sacred "equality of rights demand their influence and support And by such course those constitutional and patriotic men are bound to claim and receive the unbounded admiration of every lover of southern equality of rights and liberty. PHIL. II. ECHOLS.
 MONTGOMERY, ALA, July 10th, lo6O
 GENTLEMEN: Your letter of invitation to be pre- / sent upon the festival occasion, given by the de- mocracy of Augtauga, to the Hon. W. L. Yancey, is before me. Pressing professional engagements deny me the pleasure of being with you. The principles enunciated in your platform, upon which your candidates, Messrs. Brecknridge and Lane, by their open, frank, manly letters of acceptance, have firmly planted themselves, meets my most hearty appreciation. While these principles accord to the North all their rights, they demand notling but the clear constitutional rights of the South- rights which we cannot yield up without submitting to inequality, and sacrificing our honor. They clearly and explicitly announced that there is mistaking their meaning, and victory achieved upon them will be victory on princp ples-such victory will leave its impress on the public mind, and contribute more to sustain our Union and per petuate our institutions, than a thousand triumphs for mere power and place. Irejoice, fellow citi zens that there were noble spirits in your conven ton, who were determined to present fairly before the American people, the question of the equality of the States, and of the people in the common territories, involving it does, the expansion of slavery, and its ultimate perpetuity extincton.- Men who were too honest to cheat, and too manly to be cheated by double faced platforms, admitting of northern and southern construction, but who were determined to plant themselves upon plain, simple acknowledgment of our rights-who claim ed nothing more, and were unwilling to accept Of anything less firmly believe that the future his torian will record their noble efforts as among the most potent means of preserving the Union and perpetuating our institutions. You are aware, gentlemen, that am, and always have been whig, and while my party lived fought with your cham pons many a hard battle; but my good old party was killed. The northern wing of it wooed by the abolitionists, and frst endured, then pit tied, then embraced'-many of us then thought we could secure rights, and save the country by uniting with the American party, that sprang up upon it's ruins; but it first ignored, then "preter- mitted" the question of slavery, then split upon it and died.
 Your party, gentlemen, has been purged-the leaven of squatter sovereignty has been cast out. and it now challenges the admiration of every lover of constitutional liberty. 1 know the power and influence of party names, and with what reluctance men give them up; but is this ime to be caviling about mere names, with powerful party in the North determined upon our destruetien, the ebuli- ton of whose fanaticism has resulted ln shedding innocent southern blood on southern soil, and has forged spears and bikes for the purpose of murder ing our mothers, wives and daughters in strvle insurrection. Shall the brave hearts of southern men, suffer the petty prejudices of party names to drive them from the support of those principles and that ticket, which are best calculated to drive back the enemy who thus threatens usl God for bid. For one, let my old political friends do as they may preferrng to be honest rather than popu- lar shall go where my long cherished principles ycarry me, and shall vote for the gallant Breckn ridgo of my own native State, and "Old Joe," whose name is a synonym for patriotism.
 am, your obt serv't,
 w. P. CHILTON.
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