The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-20
DENT ON THE VAR PArH.
Another Political Letter nom Judge
Dent-PunRent Criticism, OF secretary

Dent-PunRent Criticism OF secretary
Boutwell, and his PolIticaf Course.
Judge Don't has written to Secretary Bout.
we'll pungent letter, OF which the following is
copy: ..e. 90, a.
WASHINGTON d. o., August II.
To Hon. George $. Bouttcea. Secretary or he
s1a-I shall mako little apology for askins
your attention to my letter. and less for the
nature OF its contents. You were the first to
deny the political Orthodoxy Of my friends aud
myself, and by all the rnles Of the forum I aul
entitled to defence. Again, You hold an Office
OF the republic, and your acts, therefore, are
legitimate subjects OF criticism by the hum
blest citizen thereof. But iIi some respects We
are alike. For instance, we are both aspirauts
for place, With this difference: You aim to he
the next President, with every assurance Of
success, ''eIcept" in the opinion OF the people.
While seek an humbler place; with MY
Judgment OF mississippi, so In the probable re-
suits Of the future we both stand adverse to
the Judgment OF the country. In the pursuit
OF your am6itlon youa are ungfateful and n1s
scrupulous as TO the means ot success, ,is4S24E
organ, the New York Sun, in the same 6sssss
ridioules the capacity OF your mast 81 syfVI
dwelis with emphssis upon your peculiar At
ness for his Office. Your tool, sir. Bullock. be-
came 30 reckless in the manipulation OF your
department. in the interest Of your ambition,
and 80 defiant OF the wishes of the President
and the country, that to save yourself from an
explosion OF popular indignation you found it
convenient to transfer him to another sphere
OF scandalous activity, where his talents might
be exerted with equal effect and less efrontery
Virginia, Tennessee, MIssissippi and Texas.
not to mention anything 80 humble as nyself--
were distractions 10 the way OF your success:
because through President Grants iateryen.
tion in excluding the prosoriptive clauses
from their organic law, these States are
his support. ~ 'tfP- ~
Now this is i4 direct conflict with your syste-
mati1ed plans. For what General Grant 1ets
In the next presidential election, clearly MI.
denounced the conservative Republrcans Who
are for Grant That you may obtain the pro-
scriptive Republicans who are for Boutwell,, and
py some strange, dexterous management and
occult political strategy you hsve 30 worked
upon the confldence Of the President as to
cause him TO flourish, the club with which you
intend to break his head, by inducing him to
Join you 10 denunciation Of the conservative
Republicans, party created by his magnanim-
fty and triumphant through his encourage
ment.
But. sir, "your purpose is easily discerni.
bIle. ana an has two;fold object, .pamely, to de-
South. and then to reconstruct from the chat
tered fragments q Boutwell, party, with one
Richmcl5 IN the field TO strike for your crown.
But II you cannot succeed in this scheme OF
desperate enterprise, You mean 10 ruin." re-
suit. from present appsarantes, much more
likely to be reached.
Your Official intervention for Wells, FORM
ker. Your letter. to Stokes gave senter Zen
nessee by a1 Overwhelming vote OF seventy
thousand. Your marvellous political sagacity
now active in Mississippi and Texas will repeat
ans and sssn With
results OF your unapproachablef folly the impn-
sition on these States OF your iron .olad oath
and the alienation is complete. landing them
oil 10 the outstretched arms Of Democracy.
But the consequences of your folly does not
stop here-Ohio dGSennsylvania and others
will follow. Doodle their political status in
October, and the North will echo back the
condemnation OF the South. and peal in your
ears this fact, that there is still left enough uf
the incorrnptible virtue Of ths republic 70 re-
buEe you for wanton repression OF that noBi
sacred right.the elective franchise. But, Bir,
this Wi! not deter you from your mad course;
you will still persist until every prop that sup
ports our party is stricken away, aud the whole
grand superstructure tnmbles about our ears
In hopeless ruin. sg sFDt.
= When you were appointed Secretary o, the
Treasury and unanimously; confirmed by q
Senate OF every shade OF political opinion, did
You take nn OATH to administer your Office i'm
partially and for the exclusive objects of it's
creaaonZ"To collect the revenue and control
the finances or the country 2" Is not that offico
the property Of the nation. and yourself only
clothed for q time with o little bIiet authority2
Then. sir, how do you explain this psrversion
VI itb IoRltlmate uses anu functions into o
means aud instrument OF oppression to force
and compel an election Of obnoxious rulers
upon the people OF the South. ,1rsss. !,
ls such COURSE consistent with your oath, OF
offre, or do y0n call this Q great moral Idea
Bat, Mr.. Boutwell,, though you have thus pros,
'tituted the power OF your Office for purposessel
oppression, awithout the warrant OF con-
scieuee or Law, |" It may be that you can tell mo
by what authority you assume to pronounce
upon my political orthodoxy. Who constitut-
ed You The infallible hope Of Republicanism
= Who gave you the authority to hurl the polit-
1cal anathemt ts OF tn, party Again, what
right had you u commit tho administration to
your policy Have you to learn yet that you
are only part Of the administration, and not
the whole OF it 2 though your friends believe
that monomania has seized your mind on
that subject, and that you verify believe your
SELF 'tbe State" Very respectfully:
Judge Dent goes to. Mississippi on the 9Th
OF September. The convention tConser sstivej
convsnes on the 8th ofithat month, and the
campaign Fcomtnences '5H the LIST Of October.
Judge Dent is confident he Will be nominated,
-, -->-s-)-s-s--
THE CASE OF MAJOR PRATT. z
His Diseharse for want OF evidence
Unusuel Attsndance NJ Court-Pro.
eeedfn8s Before tho nftsd states
a. e