Year: 1860

cause for the feeling indicated by certain passages, and the general drift of his ap- peal, nor for any censure directly uttered by It against me, or to be deduced from 1t, by inference or implication.

 am not a candidate for the Senate; Col. Rust announces that he is. In 1858, when all men and all parties in Arkansas were personally and politically at peace, an nounced in public speech my we'll con s1dered purpose to retire from public life. From that purpose l have never departed, nor have l wavered in it, and 1 have re- peated the declaration on all proper occa- sions

 Since entered political life, have never failed to respond on the instant, to every defiance, and in every controversy, political or personal, that seemed to require it, Now, 1 am retiring from the arena, intend- Ing never to return to 1t, and 1 am not Tn haste to accept the personal controversy, which the appeal in question seems to ten der. To so much and all of that paper, as seems to blame and accuse me, and to in yoke on my head the censure and i'll opin- ion of the public 1 shall not at least at the present, utter single word of reply, beyond what have already said, and with that l submit the matter to the public judgment.

 So much for what is personal in the ap- peal. As to so much in 1t as is political, l believe that have on all previous occa sions and questions been so fortunate as to coincide in opinion with MT. Rust; but upon the questions which now agitate the country cannot agree with him, nor appear to be neutral in my position. l cannot approve the popular Cor squatter) sovereignty doctrines of Mir. Douglas, nor regard it as either wise or proper for the South and her sons to support his preten sions to the presidency. His doctrines, subuersve of the dignity and honor of the southern States, and of the equal rights of their citizens as hold them and the un sound logic and plausible sophistres by which he strives to maintain them, have been too often and too elaborately discus sed, and too mercilessly dissected, by the ablest of our statesmen, for me, not being candidate, to consent to enter into the debate, did 1 consider myself ever so well qualified for the task.

 It is enough for me to say, that my mind was made up against Mr. Douglas and his doctrines, when he smote at the policy of the administration, and of Me southern States, and with all his might ineXorably labored to prevent the admission of Kan sas as recommended by the President, and demanded by the democratic party; and if 1 had not Men lost confidence in him, l should have been constrained to separate from him upon the doctrines which he ut tered in his Freeport speech, and during his canvass for the United States Senate in Illinois.

 In my opinion his doctrine that the leg islature of territory, which is the mere creature of Congress, representing as it does, 8 mere numerical majority of voters of all sorts may by untriendly legisla- Hon." or 6y refusal to legiSlate at oH, virtu ally annul the title by which the slaves are held to labor and service, so that while an appeal to the courts is an empty mockery and worthless remedy, Congress shall be compelled by what he miscalls non-inter- pention, to fold it's arms in impotence and non-action, is directly in the teeth of the constitution, contrary to the theory that the States created this Union, and that the common territory is held in trust for their equal benefit. If it can prevail 1t will de- grade the southern States to the level of interiors, and make the northern States satraps.

 In my judgment it is an abominable doc Urine, and supported by line of argument that is wholly deceptive and unworthy of respect In this view of the subject, l am fortified by the fact that erery southern Senator. of aN parties and e0ery northern l democrctic Senator, save himself, and one other MT. Pugh, of Ohio, condemns and reprobatcs these doctrines. l do not be- lieve that the south is yet ready to stoop from her high estate, and incorporate them into her constitutional creed; and should be taithless to her as well as untrue to my self if did not now, even while retiring to private life, thus warn my State against these heresies, and protest against being regarded as viewing them with favor or indulgence.

 Your fellow citizen,

 R. w. JOHNSON