Year: 1859




Card.


PLAcERvILLE, May 10th, 1859.


EDIToRs SACRAMENTO UNION: 1t is with regret
that am compelled by stern necessity to publish
this statement to the public am, however, al
ways willing to abide by the verdict of a virtuous
and intelligent people, rendered on full state of
facts before them. The Daily National, of San
francisco, May 4th, in commenting on an edto-
rial article under the caption, Gen. Lane and
the Slave Code" that appeared in the Times of
Sd OF May, made an unprovoked, FALSE billings.
gate attack upon me, very characteristic of an
INSCRIPTIONS partisan journal


This FALSE charge would now be treated by me
with silent contempt, were it not that in making
this gross assault on me, private citizen the ed
ltors of the National have 80 ADkoITLY worded
and shaped their editorial remarks, that many
things which the careless reader might take to be
the state ments made by Gen. Lane in the private
conversation sought with him by the editor of
the National, and which they profess to give, will
appear to the attentive, intelligent reader, on
careful perusal and strict analysis to be only the
hctlons of the editors Imagination. The arrows
dipped in gall and hurled at me by the National,
fell harmessly at my feet, for d" have slept, and
slept sOundly," since its shot. In sefdefence
alone, now submit to the public my recollection
Of the conversatio4 and argument between Gen.
Lane and myself, touching the debate in the U.
>. Senate, which had the satisfaction to hear
After we had been at sea short time, | was IN
troduced to the Hon. Joseph Lane, Senator from
Oregon, whom found to be an agreeable man
and an urbane gentleman. When in latitude of
the West India Islands, Gen. Lane and many of
the passengers, including myself were seated on
the promenade deck of the Moses Taylor and a
clipper ship, under full sail, seen in the dis
lance west Of us, and some one exclaimed "she
must be a SLAYER" | was quietly seated near
General Lane, who unexpectedly put thus question
to me: Colonel, what do you think of the poll
icy of repeating all laws against the slave trade
and permitting the Islands to be filled with
slavesT To which question | replied: Gene
raj, you had as well ask me what wodld think
of repeating the laws against homicide OF theft,
and permit men to commit murder or larceny
with impunity," We very soon thereafter enter
ed into conversation on the question of Congress
sional protection OF slavery in the Territories as
advocated by Gov. Brown and others in the SEN
ate in the Kansas restriction debate In this
conversation, which soon assumed an argument
| condemned the course pursued by the ultra
Southern Senators in that debate as tending to
keep up agitation. and disturb the quiet of the
country. l stated that NON-INTERvENTION by
Congress, asserted by Mr. Douglas in that debate
was the Interpretation given to the Kansas-Ne
braska Act by hun at the time of its passage
and was the construction placed on it IN Califur-
MA, In 1894 and 1856, and throughout the coun-
try that Mr.. Douglas did not originate the dc.
bate, and could not be held responsible for it,
spoke of my ADMIRATION of the very FRANK and
MANLY course Of Senator Clngman, of North
Carolina, who BOLDLY proclaimed that the inter-
probation put upon the Nebraska Act by Mr.
Douglas, was the construction given to it by the
North Carolina delegation at the time it passed ;
stating that in his section of the country they
had rather trust the Territories than Congress-
because they knew Congress was against them
and thought it idle to try to force slavery upon
Kansas, if the people should prove to be unwil-
ling to receive it. | further stated that could
see from the gallery of the Senate the GREAT SEN
sArIoN this speech Of Mr.. Clngman produced.
also stated that while | condemned the ultra
course of certain Southern politicians. | had no
prejudice against the South, or Southern institu-
tlons, for | was born in the South was educated
and had spent the most Of my life in the South
General Lane replied with emphasis: "And you
have not one single Southern feeling in your bo-
SON." | replied that al reioiced IN having none
of the ultra disunion opinions of Senator Brown
and others, who spoke of the American Union as
though it might be dissolved like common mer-
CATTLE copartnership." Gen. Lane argued stren-
uously that the question of Congressional pro
lection of slavery in the Territories, raised in the
debate in the Senate, by Governor Brown, of
Mississippi, "was very nice question"


The first cabin passengers being called to din
ner the subject was dropped, aud was never there
after resumed.


The above conversation was PUBLIC, on the pub
Tic deck OF the steamer. 1t was a subject agi-
tating the public political mind, and was COM
menced, carried on and broken off in the presence
and the hearing Of persons of different political
opinions, andit is not strange that afterwards il
was the subject of comment by the passengers.


l have no acquaintance personally with the ed
ltors of the Times, or with either of them nor do
know any one connected with that printing Of
ice. did not authorize, direct nor procure the
insertion of the Times editorial, of the Sd of May,
that excited the ire Of the San Francisco Nation
al almost to madness. s. j. K HANDY.