The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-04-18
Interesting Letter from Col. F. 4
AleRtgemery.
Rosedale, Miss March 30, 1885.

Rosedale. Miss March 30, 1885.
Editor Clarion: I was deeply
interested, as all, especially of the
old citizens of the State, must be
lin reading your issue of the 25th,
Col. Claiborne's sketch of "Jour-
nalism in Mississippi But in
reference to Col. Hillyer, Of the
Natchez Courier, as one of the
leaders in the old Wing party, he
says, that he, ''like q majority of
the old Wing leaders, had opposed
secession, as did Gen. Martin,
Gen. Chas. Clarke" and other dis
tinguished gentlemen named, "who
followed the fortunes of the State
against their own conviction
So far as Gen. Clarke is concern
ed, this is not correct. Until 1860
he had always been a Whig, but,
according to my recollection, he
united that year with the Demo
cratic party ofthe State, and I be-
lieve was a delegate to the Charles.
ton Convention, which, by its fail
ure to make a nomination, divided
the Democratic party and the
Union. know that he supported
and voted for Breckenridge for
President.
After the admission of Califor-
MIA in September, 1850, and the
passage of the SO called Compro.
mise measures which led to it, the
Legislature called a Convention
to take into consideration the
dangers, which were supposed to
threaten the peculiar" ipstitu.
tion.
Gen. Clarke was then opposed
to secession or to any action
whatever by that Convention.
He was then living in Jefferson
county, and was candidate for
delegate to it. He was elected.
Capt. Johnston, of that county,
who, / believe, is still living, being
his opponent. The Convention
met and adjourned, and perhaps
there are few now living whe
know or remember that it was
ever called. Gen. Clarke after
wards moved to his plantation in
this (Bolivar) county, and the last
whig vote he gave for President
of the United States, was for Mr.
Fillmore, in 1856. This / know
for We voted together. He said
then that he did not know how
his next vote would be cast. HI
had reference to the growing
Free.Soil sentiment in the North
and the danger which he ex
pected to the South from It; and
know that without yielding BIZ
views upon the purely nationa
questions which divided the WIFI
and Democratic parties of tina
day, that he became a Democrat
very much from the same reason
that has made nearly oil the oil
Wings in the State Democrat
since the war, namely, that ques
tions of Revenue, aud others o
national interest, must alway
yield to those vital ones Of a NOR
local nature, which affect the yer.
we'll being and the happiness o
our home.
After the election of Mr.. Lin
coin, Gen'l. Clarke was a candi
date in this county for the Con
yention as an ayowed Secession
list, in favor of separate State &C
ton. He was opposed by tn
Hon. Miles II. McGehee, who wa
a "Co.operationist." The tota
vote of the county was then abou
three hundred, and Mr.. McGehe
was elected by few votes, an
vindicated Gen. Clarke's views b
voting in the Convention for tn
secession of the State withou
waiting for the cooperation q
any other. Ten years afterward
the vote of the county was abou
four thousand.
But this is wandering from m
purpose. l only wanted to sho'
that Mr.. Claiborne was mistake
in saying that Genn. Clarke "fo
lowed the fortunes of the Stat
against his own convictions.
The facts are just the other wa