Year: 1859

paper have contained references to me and charges, that would be sufficient gpolo- gy for this letter, if one was needed. It is not the first time you travelled out of the way to misrepresent me, but those misrep resentations might go for what they are worth as 1t makes very little difference. to the people what my opinions were or even are. For myself, I do not care a copper, so l have the satisfaction of knowing that 1 am right. Not then to set myself, but to set you right-to tell you some things of which you are, or profess to be, pro- foundly ignorant, and which concern you very nearly, now address you. If shall write plainly, l shall strive to do so with out the use of opprobrious epithets to you, though some of the acts which you advo- cated and yet, 1 am sorry to see, attemptt to defend, deserve and will receive denuncia- tion.

 You bear the character of clever man, one who means well who enjoys the re- spectful regard of his neighbors, and whose private life is unexceptionabe. For this reason, if no other, l take the trouble to set you right on some points. pray you read what 1 write iR the spirit in which it is written; not in nasty anger, but regret that you should be led to do yourself, your friends, your supposed enemies, and last and least, me, so much injustice. To illus trate this, clip the following from one of your articles:

 political charges than ever we have against the family, and he is now in full organization. He made the following specific charges at one time against the Hon. k. W. Johnson:

 First That he dsunonist.

 Secondly. That he was no democrat because he voted for the river and harbor bill.

 Thirdly. That he had prated of his democracy, while he and his had been warning on democrats who would not submit to their dictation

 FouIthy That he was nominated by packed conrenon oioiation of good aith, and defnocratic usage'"

 Let me tell you this is false. Don't get angry at my plainess, for I will acknow- ledge you may have believed it to be true when you wrote it. It is one of numerous lies with which you were rammed and crammed, and which you swallowed all too readily. True, a little politician said so be- fore you and you repeat his words, but, in the very garbled extract he produced as  proof, was the evidence of the falsity of his assertion. l said in 1850, that the disor- ganizers of that day charged these things. l did not charge them. You were not in this State then and, of course, recolect noth- ing about 1t, but old democrats remember that the very same charges you and yours make against Sebastian and leading demo- crats now, were made before The path you are in is well trodden one Again, the same little fellow whom you quote took letter of mine, in which, speaking of A. B. Greenwood, l made some allusions to the initial letters of his name, and went on to say that he possessed more of the rare quality of common sense than any man knew, and otherwise spoke truly and fairly of him. This little fellow prints part of this, referring to the name, carefully avoids that part paying just tribute to Judge Greenwood's ability, and parades it as proof that 1 abused him. Now, in your heart, what do you think of little petti- logger who will stoop to such tricks as this? If you scorn meanness and do not indorse low and dirty actions how can you feel to- wards man who will cull words and sen- tenceS from letter, patch them together and offer them in proof of lie? As whig l opposed the Johnsons and favored the disorganizers, because I recognised then, as now, that they were the simon pures and to conquer democracy in Arkan- sas, we had to conquer them. But l made no such charges and gave them fair fight 1 said not half as much as some whigs said who are now your allies and who were ex- alted over your head last winter.

 Ipresume that you are ignorant of many things that transpired in this State. In fact, as you have been here but two or three years, it is not to be supposed that you are as well posted as those who have lived here fifteen years or more. and kept the run of events. You may believe that all the poll. ticians in this State are actuated and guild ed by principle. You have great capacities for believing, an enormous swallow, so to speak, and may have gulped that down. But 1t is not so. The truth is, that hate, envy, revenge and spite are at the bottom of it. Two-thirds of the people care noth- ing for office and are truly patriotic, but, of the remaining third, every man who can read and write is possible candidate for some office. If he can barely write his name, be wants to be justice of the peace or sheriff; it he writes a good hand he as- pires to be clerk or legislator, and if he can read chapter in the Bible without skip ping the hard words, he wants to be Gov ernor or to go to Congress. Now do not quote this to show that I speak slightly of the people, or that l object to this state of things. But it is true. Of course there is scarcely an office without half dozen can didates for it. Five are beaten, and from that hour they hate the successful man. The circle widens. They extend their dis like to his friends They attribute their defeat to everything but the lack of votes. They seek opportunities for revenge and are ready to sacrifice anything to obtain it. You, General, may have had A. to tell you that B. is corrupt. In point of fact one is as pure as the other The truth is that B. got the nomination over A. O. comes to you and desires you to help him'put down D. He tells you that he is actuated by principle. Do not believe a word of it. It is hate-sheer hate. D. got the office he aspired to- There are in Arkansas, as in every State disappointed politicians: men