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V jlume X] Tb the Citizens of Wilkes . K report has b*cn circulating f>r some ti nft ba-k ihr ughnut the tv, til l* I fli-1 in the course of lat year, pledge myself to certain individuals that I w Mild support our couityrnao, Cap*, Matthew Talbot, for the iff! *e of G.vernor, at ihe ?ast elrriiou. This report I have fepeatedly contradicted* and autho rised lanv of mv friends 1 1 do so ; and and * now deny that I ever promi sed or pledged myself to aly indi \iSn<i! whatever, that I w u!d sup p"t Capt. Talbot. On the first in tim iiio't of this rumour, I took the ea i o<t opporiu iity to ooitradfet If; * I ailed upon ‘l** J >hn Wal ker, ett*r. } op >n wb<?*B auiti *rity I undersold all the noise wa ft< J ed, ’o state if ft hail pledged myself to h*m; aid he unhesitatingly re plied, in the presence of several genii omen, that £ had not, but that he was induced to thi.tk so from what had fallen fr im me som dime previous I wdi here *ta e, as wear as I ran possibly recollect, wha did pss between Mr. John \V lke-, seo’r. and myself on that su je, t. Mr Walk*r some ine i > the *n uth of January, tHZB, *atn* tome, in the town of tVa hi and ald cessed mein the following ■words :** \ p e you no? going io sup port old Matthew rHjot, if you should be elected, for Governor i for I Will vote for no man under the eaoop* of heaven, that wdl n >t.” | observed s o VI , talker, that it was a very and dirate question, and one which I had not reflected much ah ti ; that I was as wiling f t mi ntfi ti ate any thing <>f that sort to him as to any one hut could not say to him that I would, or would not, suppor Q pt. Tallin* —- And I further observed, that, from She long acq uintance I had wilts Capt. Talh <t, (for I had known him aim >st as long as I had known any body else,) from I fie ivspsot aml e? teem I entertained for him, and from the good u olerstandi *g whi<*h I always believed existed between him and my father, he (Mr. *Val ker) nor any one else, hid reason to suspect that 1 was inimical to him I said besides to Mi*. Walker, th t lie knew very well my poli.i is, and to what party I owed my eleo tioo, therefore, that he could not ex peel from me a favorable answer a? hat time He then left me. and observed 11 parting, chat he was satisfied, that he only aked me the qte* ion for his own sa isfactiun, and what had passed should go no flic her, I heard no more oi this subject u itii ah ut ten days or a fortnight afterwards, when I was informed that Mr. Walker had, ia conversation with some of the xens >F Washington, said I had pro mised lit <n I would support Captain Talbot; and from that lay to tut* f have not heard the last of it, Qy the lime this rumour be muie pr *p erly matured, it was asserted, mat I had mide a promise of the same kind to Dr Felix G. Hv. 1 then immediately went in pursuit of Dr. II iv, and asked him if he had au thorized any person to say I had prom scd him to support Capt. Tal bot lie replied he had not, neith er had he beard me say I would. The subject was still reiterated from one section of the county to the o the:; it rung in my ears wherever I wen ; ands >it continued until the day ot the general election, whe I believe 1 should he correct in sav ing, that [ was interrogated by fifty iftlforeit persons whether i had made any such promise as was re ported, and whether I did or did u<u intend to support Capt. Talbot. Vs £ heard of no <Tier eand.dnte m ik ing Ray declaration, 1 coo -rived that I was ungenerously pressed up oo; therefore, in every instance I endeavored to give an evasive an swer. After the county election I heard no more of it until after the G ver * election, when ii was revived w th new vigour, and from what was s.;i;l about it, it appeared there was scarcely a man in ihe county of ! ‘bcs on tin ( lark side of the ques tir.i, (as it is culled) but I had pro- The Washington News. IFASIIINGTOV, (geoagia) S \TU (D vY, JULY 31, 182-J, raised to support Capt, Talbot, I was persecuted both at Milledge ville and in toy county in ihe m >st scurrilous manner, aud in fact from what I could learn I was almost cer tain of being mnbh and my reiurn h > ne, by certain persons ab ut Washington. it has been re entiy asserted. a* £ understand, upon the authority of Dr. F. G. Hay, tiia? I had told iii.n m the day of the ge neral ele -iioo, that I would support Capt. Talbot. \ few days at ice t again nailed upon the Hoot >r to know therixht of is, ad tie agiin informed me, that lie never s ,id m, thi’ ho only sad ha wau induced t > believe i would, fr..ui whu h had heard, s ipp et C ipt. Talbot I hopetheie wdl be no more rumours of the like upon Dr. Hy% ,mh.ri ty Tno next per on up . yvh e authority there ha* been recently mu h harping, is Col. V lonen. Ho says he heard me say o Udieige villa, or that ( said Ln h. u. (I do not now reeolleet w tiah) ih t t ft It b mi id lo support Capt. Tat Out. \od that there were others tti-at as heard mo say-so. Thu I peso me w H he considered by my enemies in he con lusive, and at on *e sealing ihe tn ter be.*<*ue *t is Col. Wool len dial says so, and that I will not dare to erect my crest by the side of the Colonel, and coo.radi.it his asserti ons, and if I sh ould attempt to deny that I expressed myself in the way abnvem *mi .tied, 1 am at o i e stamped wifn e*eral infamy, because dr, C flf*e of fteifatr, i sometimes called General Coff e) wnl say the sane, £ hive no wish to coot radial Cd. Wool ton, (and oonseq leotly io have au altercation with umi) because I have always entertained a high opinion of his ve rarity and integrity; neither have I any reason to suspe. t that of Gen. Colf'e, for I have but a slight ac quaintance with him That st- h an expression may have fallen from me is possible; but 1 here declare before (J *d and my country, tliaf I have not the most dis ant recoiteo tion of it I is weil known there were members of ?he legislature with whom i was as mu h m the habit of i Him a y* aud more, with the gentlemen above named; and how it is, that nothing dropped tV m me of the like nature in uieir presence, is sotnethi ig strange, Ii is a fact whs h will not he denied, that at ovi? lime there was a private ttaurus called by a geotlemau of the room: (i wilt here tie understood to sa>, that this oati ms consisted only of the members of the room and stum a-q taiiiiances as frequently vi sited i :) and tn taking the vole oa the Giveroor’s election, which was done viva voce, I waved my right of voting, and did uot give a ny. I believe I have now stated the grounds on which the charges a gainst me are, as far as i am in firmed, said to be founded. The course pursued bv me with Mr. Walker and Dr, Hay, will no doubt be considered by ail as such an one a* should have been pursued by any mao conscious of his ionoceooe and desirous of preserving his character for honesty.—*ft was surely decisive and prompt. Col. Wnotion knew, no doubt, that such a export as my promising to vote fat* C?pt. Talbot, was afloat, and that i did deny and contradict it;—he must have heard of my conversation with Mr. Walk er, and could not have considered me pledged afterwards if he did be fore l will admit, for argument sake, that I did express myself in the manner Col. Woofteu savs I did —1 will go futlher, and admit, that I said to Col. Woo*ten a*d o i thers hi MiSledgeville, that I would unrquivocaily support Capt, Talbot; —Could 11ns he ‘alled a pledge to the citizens of Wilkes, on my re turn? Aasitto he expected of me, oa the first a muii’ iation of Captain Talbot for Governor, that 1 should at once come oul, and declare my self against him ? For the friend ship, respect, aud esteem, which 1 had for him. (added to vvhieti, the supposed probability that our poli tics agreed on the grand political : question.) was it not natural tor tne ! lo hart) expressed my seif somewhat in terms *>f ly a. and .o would ?ic -m of‘en have d-*ne unde the same c'r*oin stances. And agsi*’ admit tl,a I liatl irivcn gentlenei stermer grounds to believe ! would support him, (which. Id • d**--y in ihe strongest term'* ha* it was mv intention to gire them u. ulect and either di rectly <>p i directly that I woihl.) how will the matter res ? When we take into * n‘iidera*ion th** e vens and ocrnren*es on the first Mosul ay ?n OetoHer Inst, wdl the friends f Capt. Talbot pretend *o sav. thn? hey had any lmm- - >on me a? he shco ?ppr acMng G *ver nor’* eleefio ? H;i| ihoy pretend to say. that those insinua ions, whi-b thev barge me with making, i- flu etM cd the election oov way in my la vor, when it is well U iown there Wi teihe most unprecedented exer ti s made agauwt me l>v some of the warmest and very bosom friends ot Capt. Talb >t, arid to run in a man that was not a candidate ? The attempt to put ine down by encour aging sueh an impression, mav suc ceed, but it mo't at >nre he eonceiv etl to be not only as tiogenerriis as it is unjust, hut absolutely absurd. I bat u few did vole for me* who were friendly to the election of Capt, ‘Talbot, is true, and so I be live they would again order any ejr rumstames. ‘That a few did also v*ie fr me uoder the belief that I would support Capt. Talbot, is also true; ami if is equally true there were many of mv friends who did not under the impression that I would. One more remark, ands will drop ih** subject, V\hen Captain Tail* <'* naMe was announced as a < andida e tor Governor, the course that he would take in the presiden liai question was not known*. There were various opinions and conject ures about it; some were decidedly of the opinion that he was friendly to the r e tim of William H. Craw ford; iher*, were of a contrary o pi :i n. My polities were known to be decidedly in favor of dr. Craw lord, and it war well known that [ would not support any man for Go vernor, or uny other important ap pointment, who was not; therefore Capt, i alboi*s sentiments were not positively known, I wished to forbear expressing myself in any way inimical to him, hoping, (as I believe the interest of the state of Georgia, aud the other southern states, and in fact of the nation at. large, depended upon the eleva tioo of Mi, Crawford to the presi dential chair,) he would io the course of the year couie out as the decided advocate of toy favorite can didate, whis h had he done so, not that I believed he was more adequate to discharge the duties of a Gover nor, or that hi* claims were great er than the other candidate, but irom the i* fluenee of county pride and predilection, I should, as I have said before, have supported him. It may he here asked, what influence the Governor’s election had with tbe presidential question ? I will only remark, that those who pretend to kn >w any thing of the politi<-8 of the country, know well the bearing if would have. With you. Fellow*Citizens, now rests my case, it is tor you to say, whether I deserve or not al! those nefarious epithets and calumnies which have been ungenerously hea ped Ufo;> tne. If my character has been that of a deceiver, I am wil ling to meet condemnation without even what the vilest malefactor has a right to, a trial If my charac ter has been different; if you have hitherto placed confidence in my in tegrily, give me a fair trial, and I will never murmur at the result. I now enter upon a oontroversy which has recently taken place be tween Col. Lyman ttod myself, and which has been for several days ba k, a subject of daily conversa tion I * the early part of this year a friend of mine informed me, that Col. Lyman had wridcn a letter to one of the citizens on the south side oi Little River, WiliUtn Little, esq Which was calculated to injure uie; tha-t i contained strong icsinuatious I was instrnmeaifcl it the fail , o eofthe new county hill. I saw Squire Little in Washington not !<>r>g afterward*, and asked him if he had received such a letter; lie replied lie bad, and that there were strong insinuations in it against me, ! observing at the same time, that it j would he in amben! on me, to clear jit on* Col Ly nan being absent from tlie county at that time, (and has been absent ever sin e. until within a few weeks back,) I let it pass over unti 1 I heard of a meeting on the 3d of July -n the south side of Little River, when I oh it mv duty, and an a* t oi’jus*ioe to niygc’f. * (and more particularly so when I j was loudly called upon to dear it up) j to address a letter t- the citizens of j Wilkes, on that side of the rtver. I will here quote that part of my ; letter which Col. Lyman thought proper to apply to himself: “I was my wish to attend the first “ assemblage of the * itizens there, , “ to contradict and suppress an o- ! “ pinion that has been aftemp'ed to “ he made ('by one of my colleagues) “ upon the minds of the people pe “ titioning for anew county, that * I was instrumental in the failure “of the new county bill; and as “ such I pronounce it substantially , o false.” I will he observed that here I rnnke mention of no names; there fore either of my other colleagues might with the same propriety have applied it so himself. Here fol lows a copy of the letter of Col, Ly man to William Little, Eq • MiLljtDG jfcTE, Dec. 7. 1823 “ DearS ; r,—, ai sorry to inform J you that your high raised hopes are completely blasted— \n ineffectual i effort was made on yesterday to re eon*ider the journals of the day pre vious, so far as it related to laying the Marion bill on the table the ba lance f* the session. The weighty ‘ consideration a of party have prevail- ! ed over the judgment of members, a*d a fsiumiph gained over reason may suit the views of party men, hut will be considered by honest men of all parties, with feelings of horror and detestation Private in structions must have been received stating that sh >uid the hill prevail, it might interfere with some great political arrangement. Graves was asked if the new county was form ed, if it would not break in upon his interests ; he unhesitatingly replied that it would, and other members have made similar assertions, who live not fir from you. That this question has been decided on party principles, is a fact that cannot be oooti overied: Thai members of the legislature under the solernui?y of an oath, and after weighing all the arguments for and against the new county, and then-after cool deliber ation vote for it—should without any explanation whatever (except with regard to a probable change io the politics of the counties from which tt should be taken j turn about and vote against it, is not only as tonishing but apptiling to every hi nest rnind—~Y*t s, sir, the interests of the people are sacrificed to ao romplish the views of a few aspir ring demagogues, I wish the people to understand well this subject—being well con vinced, that when properly explain ed, they will hurl their vengeance in voilies that < aouot be resisted, a gainst the authors f such baseness. Wu have the liberty to shew this to any of your friends. I am, respe tfully, your most obe dient servant. (Signed) Wilium C. Lymas, William Li ttlb, Esq. It may be necessary for me to state here, that vm h a question may i have been asked, though 1 have no distinct recollection of it. Still it ! may he the < ase ; aud if it was, 1 j know I would h ive answered it in I the way mated, be*-atse if I had oot j I should have been guilty of a faLi- j ty ; aud as such 1 know that my > conduct cannot with justice he im- I p#a<‘hed. That such a < icuumstanre ■ e >uid not have had a tendency to defeat the uew *.u <\ bill, will ap pear from the foliowi finls : ‘The pefkion was ti oife ed >u the huuie oi representatives $ a iavur- . abie report was made fi i. it, and in the regular routine of business, the bill passed, and was sent to he senate for concurrence. In tha ••Qurse of a few was up by the senate and passed. Now i£ is presumable if f -u h anndv.mtago was taken, it would hive defeated it on its fi st passage ; acid 1 am well assured in my own mind no such question was askvd me in tht> interval of the passage of ihe bill and tbe reconsideration* which was the next morning after its passage- If there were any exertions made the overnight, to bents? about a re consideration, I am not aware of it„ be ! au*e I tva* confined to mv room all that night from severe indisposi tion. But I did understand iho next morning, it wa to he attempt ed io consequence of a rumour that; was said to have originated with % gentlemen residing on the south side of Little River. Ia letter which Col. Lvmau ad dressed to me on the 21sl of this month, he dLclaims any intention to i jure me by writing. 1 will here* quote that part of his letter whi. a has reference to it: ** I have before me a copy of that letter, and as it was not my inlen “ tioti to injure you by writing it, I “ have looked it over with mm 1$ “ care, and am that (hero “ is uo expression io it refleeti/ g or* “ y*‘Ut* conduct in relation to flits “failure of th * new county hill, “ Your name wa* introduced by mo “ to prove that the bill was defn ilt-.f “ o parly principles, you haviog; “ been asked by Peter Crawford,, “ K*<q. o question which was “ advantage of lo overthrow aud de “ feat the bill. ‘That you was “ ed tho question, 1 presump yig “ will not deny; and that yoq answered it in the way I hayesta “ you will likewise not deny. That; “ I have stared no more io my let “ ter to William Little in rekuiorx “ to you, than merely the amiun>L “ atiun of the fact of tne question •* having been asked, mus be ad<* “ mitted by ever) person who wii^ *< peruse the letter attentively The Coloqel and myself clitfct? very tnu-h on the tenor of that let ter, If I understand the meaning of words, there are string insinua tions indirectly aimed at me ; bus this will be for a candid and impar tial public to judge of. In my address to the citizens of the sou'll side of Lit tie River, t give it as my opinion, that although the representatives of Wilkes sup* ported the new co mty bill, a mi jonty of them did it from peculiar motives; aud hat I always should think so. This I understand Co* lone! Lyman conceives to be at* infamous libel upon the Wilkes representation. Far be it from mo to injure the reputation of aoy man, or detract from his merhs. I aui not one of th >se who seek ad vantages and opportunities to des troy the standing of others, by sap ping and undermining their repu tation ; therefore, it was not my intention to Infer that the Whkes representation were actuated fromt any corrupt or impure motives is the discharge of their duty a rep resentatives, or as regarded tbe net? county bill ; they, I presume, con ceiving it to be materially to the ad vantage of the people living in that se iiou of the county, aud no disad vantage to the county at large, pledged themselves to support it, a id did s>. But from circumstances that did occur, I was induced to be lieve they supported it upon priuoU pies that were injurious to me aid the party to which I belong And now to conclude, I will remark, that conscious of having discharged my duty by endeavouring to promote the passage of the new county bill, I au at rest. Thai Col. Lymin’s first letter has bad a tendency to prejudice the minds of some against me, tnere is no doubt; but Col, Ly ma.i’s last letter exculpates me en tirely. What were the motives of Col L) man’s writing su h a letter to the eitizeasof the soa<U siie of Lime tiiver (a majorhy of whom, we. e k town to li** my friends) vii| he wmi ca did aod impartial peo ple tojudg,® JUfliM T. URAYEd. [NG. 31.