Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-01-26
sB The following communication was intended for the Old Line Democrat, but that paper having suspended. at the request of Senator Mecklin the article is published in the True Democrat.
 BENroNvILLE, ARK,
 Daran,her 0Qth lS61

DeCeiQDer ZJtn, lCOU.1
 Mir. EDITOR:
 Through the courtesy of some friend, have just received the Daily Old Line Democrat of the 18th inst, containing the proceedings o our county meeting of the oth, as also your some what extended and stringent editorial.
 We deprecate controversy amongst friends of 2 common and momentous cause, as believe pe are and as I hope to be able to convince you and ar impartial public; should you with your usual cour tesy extend to us the use of your columns.
 We will feel grateful for the opportunity to win dicate ourselves in the sight of our fellow citizen: of the southland to disabuse your mind of wha we conceive to be very gross misapprehension- at least of the spirit of our proceedings. It k with feelings of no ordinary embarrassment and trepidation that we-unskilled in any kind of con troversy, public or private-'' To fortune and to fame unknown''-undertake reply to an old and as we have conceived the most skillfu editor o1 our state. We may, with great apparent propriety be charged with presumption, but our name stands connected with those of the committee that drafted those resolutions; and we feel that justice to our sei, es as also to truth, imperatively demands re ply. too, perhaps, have imbibed from ouf noun tain atmosphere-bdt more particularly from my brave and patriotic fellow citizens, some of that independent spirit which has led them to clam their constituona-inalen enable rights, and protest against impoluic, unjust, or corrupt proceedings; whether by our conventions legislature or officials as also to correct mlsrepresentations and repel calumnies, regardless of the sneers and taunts ot the parasites of power.
 Far be it from us to do any thing that would compromise Benton county in the exalted and honorable position she has taken. We are proud ot her; although despised she may be on account or her isolation, obscurity and poverty. Yetrch Ill her own frank, free and honest yeomanry who are never afraid to speak their honest sentiments: and do r.gd, because H IS right. She has been the hrst to throw off the shackes of Dartizan eders au tyrf'hhlcai dlctators-spurning their futileana- themas and contemptible proscriptiops. they have asserted their independence of thougbt. wori and acuon. Yet, It is farthest from our thouots to claim for ourselves intallibility. We are a y.no. inexperienced county-with not a singis 1sa5 m0n amongst us; unless it be those made so bv the ambitious desire to see their state-Nay, their 'eRote country occupying the proudest-nost els yated position of any nation on the face of4ha earth-ntellectually politically and morally. Our strong proclivitles for independence may leat us lhto errors; but would it be presumptuous il us 2who have been as true and loyal friends to Mr. Peek possibly as certain ultra southern gentlenen named ill our resolutions) to expect you, who in times past have witnessed our disposition to he generous as well as just to extend our shortcomings 8 smaS corner of that expansive mantle of charitv which fails to find sngl fault in our ultra friends Let me assure you, our errors if such are not any more radical than theirs, and are also of the bea and not of the heart"
 It IS not only your privilege, but your duty as a watchman on the watch-tower of your counry's rights and ibert es to demur to the sentiments and doctrines ot our articles, if they fail to meet you, appreciation. We also reserve to ourselves q simi alright in relation to opinions promulged by 70, -tnd regret that in this instance YOU have so fla, deviated from your usual practice; and only conle stended to give us allegations, without evidence o single argument to sustain them. Your denun citation is wholesale-say they (our resolutions )art anti-democt at!c-anti- nti-southern; and any thing bu conservative, etc.
 We have scanned each and every resolution vitl all the critical powers of our mind, and althoagi you have said they are so-but failed to snow wherein; we hope you will pardon our obtnsenes in fing to discover those alledged characteristics We clearly Set forth our uuwavering devotion tt that federal constitution which all so ltherners IS ad mt If carried out secures to all the rights anr immunltles We claim--a constitution which Mir Cahoun-that pure, upright, devoted, but we iea sometimes misguided apostle of democracy in h, South declared, was ' far wiser than it's framep And these renowned statesmen are they wlnn modern democrats claim as their primeval ances tors with more pride. if possible than ever Jewisl high priest claimed Abraham as his father A cain we as clearly avow our attachment to d democrat, form Of goyernment--in which the in nliority shal rule according to the principles contained in ha lmmltabie constitution; but perhaps, in our ex treme northern locality, we do not know what art the essential characteristic principles ofdemocrscy
 A very prominent politician and sub -electo1 il our state who told he " had helped to draft every democratic platform for the State of Arkanas since she has been State,' gave us the (ollowng patriotic detiniton '' the democratic party is he tba 4l. |. l find no such definition of dem0cracg in w ser the constitution. nor yet in any democratic pat form. Therefore we concluded if the indorsemH of that doctrine is essential to democracy or pat otl9m--then we must admit the truth of vour ale gatlons We learn from some who profess to ha,t direct intercourse with the high priest, or someo the Leyites q believe it is their office to blow h, horns of the tPmple) that secession is the true Ni 6oteth of the party. If this be democratic or nat louc ~e dam1 3 IS foo southern for us yet,) ", plead guilty to your charge. IL ders,ocraey eva sists in 'passive submission to a centralized eli their sentiments without dis crlmlnatlon; and with demwe face moutbn, tIe identical words--though changed never so offer these are our resolutions and Benton county .. ani democratc;' b4t if democracy mems as it's Gre.l nefVations signify, that the right and power ( rule IS vested in the people; and that they have right to commend that which meets their apnroba tion and disapprovet the contrary--to think and sc tor themselves regardless of the decrees of thos clothed with brief authority,'' by their sutfrare then are Benton county and her resolutions en phtlcally democratic, and no man, or combinati,, of men can deprive them of that time bonnrs, nppellation. If it is patriotic to express deen devoted attachment to our country-7nr ,rb.I coumry-the country of our fathers-then is Ben ,n county patriotic and will sustain the ianomim II such it be. MT Peek says "they are anti-soutl pru''-Wp ratn tntrOri ic, ,llv dacIa,o. .,,,'. south and to southern institutions-as clearly an emphatlcally demand the repeal of obnoxious an unconstitutional laws, full indemnity for pa grievances and guaranties against their rerurrenf and declare we do this with United Soutb W also express our entire willingness when all am cable constitutional remedies fail to procure tbcs to give up eUery Minq to secure our constitut;op r@htS ahd our heaven bestowed liberties Wh more more would the gentleman have Us say or tIc W nat more has he done? II he doubts the sncori of those declarations, he knows not the neonIa Benton county. They love their ri|bts-tl future peace and happiness of their wives and tho little oneS just as well as Mr. Peek nr nnv otb southerner They will do as much-risl, as mncl and dle ns unmlrmurngly to secure them. Do southern patriotism require Us to close onr Q, es every folhle-eror and excess of which our frient may be guilty! Does it require us to ignore n, utterly deny that there is any good if those WI "'N ""V Vi o" "fluonS, ana sacrifice our spl respect as gentlemen, by exhau ting the vocnh lary ot explosives in villifying and abusing then In other words--does it require us to indors justify and defend our friends riqht or ,erono3 Tn Benton county has ceased to do We have ion, that sometimes our great men are like Themi toces- IN
 !" For he with all his wisdom.
 Could ne'er command his hands.o
 And by thlS maxim, we would be eompeled to d lend them; and il needs be- conceal for He,n fl, ia9ior'oaS spoits. Should they, from the In, abuse of their moral perceptions, lose the DOW of discriminating between truth and faIschood W by the same code would he required to susta their false statements by onr alfdaun. Such our mind is the legitimate sequence of such teac
 ngs. ou say ''you do not believe thev refe the deliberate convictions of the honest veoman of Benton county.'
 Intelligent and conservative minds usually ba their opinions on clear and indisputable evidenc " hat evidence you have in this case at 80 early day upon which to predicate your belief, 1 klio not. Possibly hope stands slre to the s'belief You denominate the principle advanced in one our reSolutions-viz; That no state has the cons tulohai right to secede-as "a federal dopma KhoW not in what sense you wish us to unde stand the term-but presume from the context aI the general spirit of your preceding remarks, h,