Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-01-09
Gen. Hugh j. Campbell, Of Dakota
Addresses a Scething Commu-
cation TO Senator Vest
In Reply TO the Charge Made
Against His Honor in the
Unitsd States Senate.
Explanation of tho Bill Intro.
duced by Congressman Fred
ortcks, Of Iowa.
GENERAL CAMPBELL's REPLY.

General Hugh Campbell, who Was appointed
United States attorney for the territory of Da-
kota by President Hayes, has addressed u com
munication to Senator Vest, Of which The fol-
lowing is the substances:
To Hon. George Vest, United States Senator
Sir: ] have this day for the first time oeen
able to obtain an authentic copy OF some re-
marks made by you in the Senate chamber per-
sonal TO myself. In the course of these re-
marks you took occasion 10 indorse with the
weight OF your official position as Senator GER
tain charges against me 10 the following para.
graph, which | quote from the Congressional
Record for Dec. l9, page 2O7l: "a gentleman
who,i In recent events In the state of Louisiana,
distinguished himself MS q partisan Of the
Hayes administration, and who was rewarded
by an appointment as United States attorney
FOR the territory OF Dakota for his jealous
and not o~ver-scrupulous efforts in behalf
Of Mr.. Hayes. This gentleman, carrying
his revolutionary principles to the Territory
or Dakota, now iSures rs the chairman ot this
committee" This short extract contains two
serious miastateinrnts with regard To my self,
whlch, II 1 did not correct now IN some proper
manner, would pernaps be considered 10 be
admitted by me ID be true. AS TO my charac-
ter, both as Il judge IN Louisians and as United
States attorney IN DAKOTA, for honest and up
rightness, | can safely refer you to the people
In Doth states who have known NE best In
both capacities, whether they be Democrats or
Republicans. My Only official action In con-
nection with the election was this: AS Judge
OF The Fourth distiict court a number Of wit
nesses, whose testimony was taken before the
examining board, were sworn before me; and
| also drafted a form OF an affidavit, in con.
formtry with the law, at the request of the Re-
Iublicans. In none OF these particulars did |
do a single act which could be
AMENABLE TO YOUR CHARGE
OF unscrupulousness; nor was | In any man
ner, dlrtcty or indirectly, "A party 10, or con-
cerned IN any act which was not strictly honest
and just In every sense. | did not receive ny
appointment from Mr.. Hayes as D reward for
any effort If mine Ia behalf Of Mr.. Hayes. |
have always understood that It was my brief
on the law of elections In Louisiana woich IN
trodnced Int to the notice Of Mr.. Hayes. The
other charge that you make Is that | nave
carried my ''revolutionary" principles to the
territory OF Dakota. My first lesson rs To the
character and results Of revolution against the
United States government Was taught 10 me
on the soil Of our STATE. | was h soldier In
the Union army under Lyon, and ut Wilson
Creek received a bullet from some one Of
your compatriots, who was tying TO
enforce revolutionary" ideas. Not a
man IN Dakota is an advocate of
revolution by force, nor of armed
resistance to the geieral government. Tue
people Of Dakota are fully as law-abidiug,
peaceful and loyal " the Union as the people
Of Missouri even, or OF Any State. They are
thoroughly opposed to any scheme or plsn,
even Ia support OF their legal rights, that
would involve forcIble resistance TO tie Ma
tional Government. They know, however,
aud have been taught by high Democratic au-
thority, nv Democratic Presidents and Con-
crosses, Supreme Courts, and even Democrat
&c Senators, that they have sCme rights as cit.-
zens oil the United States; that one OF these
rights is the right TO form their own state gov
ernmeut and be ad nitted into the Uuion
whenever their number, condition aud re-
sources
RENDER THEM CAPABLE
OF self government. That 1t is not a matter of
grace at your hands, but II m alter OF right
pl!cate, from puolic servants not
arbitrsry rulers. They have been
taught by the decision OF the United States Su-
pretue Court Ia the case of bred Scott vs.. San
ford, as announced Dy that great Democratic
Judge, Chief Justice fancy, that the Congress
OF the United States has no Law full power TO
perpetuate a territorial government Indefinite.
ly, aud that the people Of the territory have a
constitutional right 10 form a state govern
ment and be admitted into the Union when
lucy nd!t Coibpiltu VIII CCIIdNu CODuiJlOUs.
They have learned from Chief Justice fancy
that for a Congress to attempt 10 continue a
territorial government over "A people after
these conditions are fulfilled woud be In It
Sc f r. evolutionary. They also know the opiD-
ion Of Justice Mclean, from which you quote
In the speech referred 10, as If Il were the opin-
ion Of the court, but a dissenting opinion OF
=. eiudge rot concurred IN by the court. They
have also been taught 10y the decis-
ions Of seven Congresses in the cases
Of the states OF Michigan, Arkansas,
Iowa, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, aud Ca l.
fornia, that their action in forming state gov
ernments and electing state officers and United
States Senators has not hitherto been deemed
revolutionary by the Ame rican Congress. /
believe that what Iowa, Michigan, and Oregon
did with the subseqent consent and approval
OF Congress It is not revolutionary for Dakota
to do, nor is II revolutionary for the people of
Dakota 10 "stand upon their rights.'' in the
words of Judge Cooley IN his late history Of
the Michigan government, and TO use all
peaceful, lega, and constitu ional methods in
! tleir power to insist upon these rights, and II
Congress fails to ID them justice, to perfect an
appeal from Congress TO that supreme tribunal
which Is higher than they or Congress-the
people Of the United States. IL that be revo.
luton, sir, make the most OF 1t.
Respectfully,
HUGH j. CAMPBELL.
THE NEW state