The Van Buren press., 1866-11-02
FAyrIrEvnl. Ark. Oct. IL. 1895.

ency. II is the first duty Of an American citi-
, zen as it was of a Roman. never to dcspairc
of the Republic" These words YOU will,
remember were telegraphed by the patriot
Crittenden, TO Turner and Others in the Con-
yention, during the dark hours Of 1851.
That admonition was never more i'm
pressiyc than now. Truth, Right and the Con-
stitution will triumph finally. Passion and
prejudice are of the hour; truth and right are
eternal. There are certain foundation princi
Piles, clearly set forth in the Constitution,
which are the very essence and soul of eur
: Federative system ofgovernment and to which
we owe in the past our unexampled pros
pcrity and happiness. Among these are, lst,
One Nationality indissoluble and perpetual
ID. Within this Nationality, the rights. the
dignity and the equality of the States in the
Federal Union, which include. of course, the
right of representation in Congress. Taxa
ton and representation are Siamesc twins
r rather imericdR twins. Separation will
prove fatal to either and to both and Sd. the
right of each State To prescribe the qualiica-
tonS of its own electors without dictation,
control or influence from any quarter beyond
it, own houndarics-andt to exercise exclusive
Jurisdiction in the management of it, own do
mestic affairs. Without 4 full recognition and
vindication of these distinctive and essential
principles. constitutional liberty is lost and
We but grasp at il shadow. The forces of
government so nicely adjusted and balanced
in our Federatiye system, must again he
brought in equipoiSe and maintained Be
tween disntegration and Capitalization there
can be no choice. He who has contended
lagainst the one in the past should. with equal
spirit, now struggle against the other Disin-
tegration: Anarchy Capitalization Dcspot-
ism. In either case. loss of civil liberty. We
must be admitted to all our rights under the
Constitution. If justice and policy demand
that individuals he punished, let it be accord
ing to the forms of law, under the Constitu-
ton. but, in the name of God, let it not ap-
pear upon the pages of history that Sover-
eign state of the Federal Union was humat-
ed and degraded, and drawn at the wheels of
|, the Conqueror's Car.
We should cultivate a spirit of moderation
and conservatism, and do the best we can in
our situation. = us not stand on puctHio
now, but let lis cl>.,s with an undying grasp
to TIE cardinal principle of our government.
) which is The fuN sovereignty Of each of The
States rim The timtdttons erplicity enuncidtcd
;, in me Constitution, Now is the time when
a true Union man, by the tests of the
Constitution, will prove himself pity the
man who is so weak As to lose not only his
temper but his principles too, when his hat is
knocked down over his eyes.
Concerning the criticisms YOU alludc to,
| have but little concern or care. don t
mean by this that | have not decent
regard for the opinion of others. But my re-
cord in Arkansas for twenty-five years, what
ever it may be. is made and somewhat known.
cannot change II if | would. Protestations
and professions amount to nothing now. If
man possesses sense. integrity and worth,
or Is destitute of any or all of these it will be
; known. suppose. that. in the long rum the
f public estimate of a mans character is not far
wrong At any rate it must be accepted, for
there Is no appeal. | neither seek to change,
nor to modify it. am not prepared, howev-
er, to admit that political success is test of
any thing. Some censorious and disappoint-
cd individuals assert that success is in the in
verse ratio of merit Upon this | hazard
no opinion. | will think about it.
left home in 1862, because | was not
permitted to remain. | was harshly treat
ed; You know all about that neither
courted martyrdom, exile, or notoriety.
don't think | was cut out for MARTYR.
wanted to stay at home with my wife and
children, pay my taxes like good citizen and
occasionally 90 a .dshiag. This was denied
me. Had | been permitted to remain, the
force OF circumstances, ferhds, might have
drifted me from my moorings into the stormy
sea of the so called" as were tortv-thou
sand other men in this State W hose sentiments
were the same as my own. How thi. would
have been it were idle for me now to spccu-
late. The impressive logic of armieS-the
moring appeals of those pleasant gentlemen,
called "irregular scouts" and the safety of
WIFE children and home--al together, snatch
! grace OF eloquencc beyond the reach of
Whatcly, and is said to he irresistible will
venture the assertion. however as no one is
looking over my shoulder, and you have no
wife to tell it to, that no logic could ever have
made me believe that secession was right, or
a remedy for any of the evils of which we
justly complained, but rather the aggrava-
tion of them all.
lconcur fully in the views you express
concerning the proposed amendment to the
Constitution. But you might have assigned
the additional reason of its utter impractical
bility so far rs this State is concerned. do
not err, think. in saying that there are coun-
ties in this State in which ten men cannot be
found, over twenty-onc years of age, citizens
of five years standing and who can read and
writc,-that are not obnoxious to that clause
ofthe proposed amendment which precludes
I from any office. State or Federal those who
D have at any time taken an oath to support the
Constitution of the United States and have