Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-08-31

Mr. Editor After an clapse Of two
weeks. I see in your paper Of the Oath in
slant. another production Of Mr.. Dents.
Why this delay? Has he been sick p
laboring? "PGrfurirraf nsoa,es nasrefu
ridieaias mxsF' What q metamorphosis !
Where il his pacific disposition ? That
short production" Of mine, As he calls it.
has removed the "veil and all the man
glares in open day." His card was moth
ing but an invective. replese with invid-
iousness and devoid of the slightest shad-
ow Of an argument. His frst and only
attack upon me. politically. was that I had
announced myself subject to . decision
ola Democratic Convention" On the
3oth of March my name was put forward
BY friend, twas not announced by my
self as falsely asserted by Mr.. Dent. as
candidate for the House Of Delegates, SUBJ
ject TO decision Of q Democratic Conven-
ton. Previous TO the meeting Of said
Convention, on the s.h Of July. / declined
to submit my prc.ensions to the decision
of that body; and. in so doing. I think I
stood openly and honorably absolved from
any obligations assumed, or implied. BY
the declarations of others, however friendly
inclined towards me. Neither political
usage nor political morals has been viola
ted BY my course in the premises. Ny
claims, whether the the result of "vault-
ing ambition" or "most inordinate vani-
ty," were not passed upon BY the Demo-
cratic Convention and. in contempt Of
Col. Dents idea of political ethics. claim
the right of appeal to the people at large
to decide on my fitness to represent the
Democratic party, Of which I am an Gin
tegral member" in the next General As
sembly of Maryland. Under cover Of de-
Tending himself from ".landerous imputa.
tions," Col. Dent favors the public with
a moroccan of autobiography-suceinct-
modest-(very)-but incomplete. If he
has proven. thereby, unduly partial to his
hero, he may claim the indulgence and
forgiveness Of an impartial public. If BIZ
ographers, as class. are deficient in WIS.,
ion, where blemishes of their heroes are
concerned. photographers are stone blind.
and Col. Dent is no exception to the rule.
Inter ala. he tells us that in 1861 he was
made democratic representative with Hon.
b. G.. Harris, and Col. c. Billingsley. as
Senate colleague, and seems to feel as Ella
ted as spurious cent might feel between
two gold dollars. But why bridge So
Where was Col. Dent pending the contest
between Hughes and Hagner ?-be.wcen
Democracy and Know Nothingism in that
evcntful year? Where, indeed Exact
ly where his proclivities placed him
where his we'll known bitter sectarianism
led him-on the side of proscription-not
only of naturalized foreign citizens, but of
native Roman Catholic citizens. Now.
where is the calumny Of which have been
guilty? Let Democrats Judge whether 1
am right or wrong-guilty, or not guilty,
of "slanderous imputations Col. Dent
has not had the opportuni.y-indecd it
was not in bis power-to favor his friends
with full, true and impartial account of
all the acts and incidents of his well-spcnt
life-his fatal illness and last words-con-
lecture might have suppliet. the closing
scene Of so eventful and important an ex-
istence as his own. The anxious and pal
id-faced public--the grief and expectancy
Of politicians-ths marble tears that liber-
ty and literature will shed on that melan-
eholy occasion will be flashed on telegraph
ic wires from his home to Leonardtown-
from Lconsrdtown to Baltimore-from
Baltimore to the world at large. How
will the county-the State-the world sur
vive the announcement Of his departure
hence7 Nothing great, magnanimous or
enlightened will be left on earth to honor
or to worship! Great Pan il dead! al
who will survive that announcement!
r. JOHNSON COTTON.