Newspaper Page Text
r Communication 1
wM hiuru
ion - *• to a rommu nication of’
ynine *r; y<>ur paper of 30ih ol
July, one has appeared, ;i
#d hv a number of eerfificate*, *ig r *
ed ViMiam C. Lyman. In my oin
ft* >. al ioQ I made a statement of an
nffiir . bi-h had taken place between
(’ I. i.'iua and myself* relative to
a which he hud written to one
of the ilizens on tfip south side of
3 1 \ le rivet, William Little, Fsq. on
the subject of the ■ ew county bill.
I wa> informed such a letter had
b. i wriHen, and was cal ‘(dated ‘o
if jure me by making an impression
op >o th*’ minds of those citizens pe
titi .ning fir anew county, that I
was instrumental in its failure- This
letter is now before the public to
gether with all (he subsequent tran
sactions.—l have, in my la*t *om
miinicafiuo, stated every thing cor
reetlv aod in its proper light, I shall
not, therefore, trouble myself again
with :hvi* subject, and still leave it
to aeb’ did and impartial coramuoi
ty for a just decision.
Col t.ynoau ha* thought proper
to state what passed between us in
relation to my being a andidate.—
V hat cone tion this could have
w ; ’h either of the subjects io con
troversy, I am at a loss to know ;
I will state to the public h w that
subject was introduced-—Uol. Ly
man observed in *bo course of our
conversation, that advantages were
ab ut to be take of hitn in conse
quence of his pecuniary embarrass
men *: to whi h I remarked, that I
h (1 ea and nothing of ir;&*ta’ed that
] though* it probable I snouM jn! he
a *a dnlato; my reasons were known
a and w u and have been satisfactory to
Di’ t‘ri ml* hud my character not
be *n assailed: I then hoped to have j
the <•'*>*ery at an end wish >ut
further diffi uliy, In the course of
a hour, s ispe< ting that he (night
coifimu *ieat‘ (his to some person. I
called upon him and requested he
she ibi not sty I was not a eandi
and i j : t.nis is the way that subject
ociMicred I now take my leave of
U i Lyman; nothing ho can say
be’.’ for dial! draw from me more
du ussio s Why he has been sc
L- ied to prose ue this I'albot af
iu. uihioii b U not mentioned
!r- me; oc wtiy he ha been prevailed
up to volunteer bis services, when
torn** of those who accuse me of de
cepiionaml duplicity <>ugai t*> have
do ic it,*ao onh he accounted for by
his bci g an officious intenneddler. 1
A th** e are several eer'ifioates
of dig ’-•rent opinions, in the last 1
INews. charging we wi’h deceiving
th* friends fCant. Talbot, I shall
tkf* he liberty to make a few re
n*n ks on -u< h ns srem most hnpor
tanl. The certifi a ! e of M John
Worker, <en!‘ de ie* in par* the
9‘ . men m uv communication of
wha passed her ween us on thesub-
J t .-* ny proaiHe to support Capt ,
r j‘a!hot. \s i* doe* away the report
<'dated <ri -his aurbenity that I
posiviveL said o him I would sup
pj L ipt Talbot* I shall pass it
©ver by Myi'tg tha my statement is
? .;TP't. CL H ootfcu says, that
When Ilia * and insinuations are
the wn out ogaiost him, which are
fcah<u<tt!ed to injure him, he consid
i;s it auty in expltein fully to the
p pie ;he foundation thereof, iam
pot srr* b‘c of having thrown out
a y imiu or iusinuatmus against
Col.Woo**rii.Ac therefore, he might
l. -'ve H ived uiTi>eli tlie trouble of
wn.mgtiwi iiistory ofhis past life
and ha *o came. He say* be heard
inc hi Miiledgeville that I felt
’ -.iiul f> support C>pt, Talbot. I
-* m * communication, that
si<h an * vision m *y have fallen
f> *n ; hut I had not the
xr -t .iitt recollection of it; and
)t w say again to t'ol. Wootteu
h, I neve not yet the most distant
:e i : sion fit. Although Col
Vv vo?t?n has given his certificate, Ii
presume to prove that I had deceiv
;-d the pe'i le, and gained my eleo
,>r l > impressing be friends of
C-m. i'htbot with the belief that 1
v cld support him, yet he hav mus
veivd up candor enough to acknow
l<*dg- a respectable citizen of the
sM-nnij, uot long since, that he was
vrll I would not vote for
Caps Talbot.
v v .. Ha .dolph did rail oo me the
day .f .he general election, to know
if 1 was friendly to Capt. Talbot,
a J did push tbe queslio very haid
</i ; c; hut 1 wa under the iffi
p < sio i at the time, from wh.- pns
mat he would not vote ter me*
Capt. Hay says, that I called up
on him on the day of the general e
‘eelino, and observed that I believ
ed I should loose my election, un
less his brother, Dr. F. G. Hay,
and himself, exerted themselves for
me, and that he must not be unea
sy about my vote. He abo states
♦ hat he bad been using the little in
fluence be possessed, under the
vtrpres9ion that I would vote for
Capt. Talbot for governor:—and af
ter the conversation wo then had,
he was so fully convinced upon the
übjcu!t, that he redoubled his ex
ert ions in my favor, erased Col.
r&tnpbell’s name from several tick
ets, and inserted Graves’s. There
fore, from the frequeot expressions
of friendship which 1 have received
from Capt. Hay, 1 expected be
would have certified, that be him
self voted for me. But when wv
fake into consideration, that 1 em
braced every opportunity to contra
dict the report of my promising to
vote for Capt Talbot, attd also a
number of my friends eontradietiog
it upon my authority, and particu
larly the manner in which Doctor
Weems contradicted it only two
days before the election, is it not
somewhat astonishing, that he
should have used such exertions in
my favor before I made those ob
servations which caused him to re
double his exertions, I will here j
give Dr. Walter H. Weems’* state
ment.
Dr. John T. Graves.
Dear Sir— \i your request I
will relate wha*. I know relative to
the reputed pledge whi<*h you gavo,
to support l aps, Talbot at the last >
governor’s eleotioa. About the l&rt .
of Vlay or first of June, last year, I
happened at Mr. Itiae’s tavern, and
in conversation with some gentle
men, it was observed that “you had
pledged yourself to vote far Capt
Talbot;” I expressed my doubts up
on the subject and it was immedi
ately replied, by several, you had.
A few days after this, I happened
at y;;ur house and mentioned the
circumstance to you stating, that
such a report was prevailing and
was doing you an injury, that I
wished, not for the purpose of ex
torting from you your private opin
ions, to have if in my power to con
tradict or ionfirui it.—Your reply
was this, that you had done no such
thing, and what was m *re you nev
er w/>uid, that if elected to tbe le*
gislature you would go there un
shackled—you w uld give uo pledg
es, that, between your family and
Capt. Talhot’s there had always ex
isied the warmest intimacy and that
you felt a great persona! friendship
for him,” observing further that,
*yuu felt a great interest in the ap
proa.'hitig presidential election and
should shape your political views
sm as to obtain the election of Win*
H. Crawford.”—You theo, required
and auth *rized me to contradict the
report whenever I should heard it
mentioned, ‘finis s did on all prop
er oorasions, and particularly once ,
on the Saturday before the election
io October last, in (he presence of
Dr, Win. C. Allison, Capt. Wm,
F. Kay. and Doctor F. G, Hay
These gentlemen and myself were
in conversation upon the subject of \
the Governor’s election, and *ou
jecturos were made as to (he prob
able v>ite of certain candidates oo
the event of their being elected.
You. among others whom I thought
doubtful) were set down “as votes
for Capt. Talbot. To this I ob
jected, and observed, if they made
their calculations upon contingencies
of that sort they would lose their e
lection. In reply, one of the gen- j
demon observed you would certain- i
ly vote for Capt. Talbot, for you
bad said you would do so, I then
in a disdoot and emphatic maunar.
contradicted the statement io the
very words authorized by you,
YVALTFR H. WEEMS.
I could here crowd the paper with
such ccrtifii ates as the above, but
cunoeive it to be entirely useless, as
I suspect all of those who have cer
(jfl.-d, must have heard, and that
repeatedly too, of such posiiivo con
tradictions.
The next are the certificates of
John Faver, i.sq. and I. T. Irvin.
These two meu, to the best of my
recollection, happened together in
company whhoieat Mr. Deariug’s
corner, and the subject of the gen
era) election came iu conversation.
Mr. Faver has stated I believe in
tits certificate every word that did
pa*. I did say to him my friends
*houid not oe de eived, and I trust
tie* are not. But how i- is, ihai 1
should have (eid this Major Irvin
the very game time that he shoald
not be deoeived, and omit ’Squire
Faver, l am really at a loss to know.
As to old Mr, Truitt, I am n<>( cer
tain whether he was< present at the
time the conversation occurred with
Mr. Faver, Major Irwin and my
self, or not; but if he wa*, such
matter as contained io Mr. Faver’s
certificate, is what I did say to
him; in fact I have no recollection
of saying any thing to him, or he
to me, oo tbe subject at ail.
The next are the certificates of
Messrs. John and James Anderson*
There is a pretended ignorance used
as regards the true meaning of those
certificates. 1 will now explain that
matter. It was reported that I had
proinUcd Mr. John Walker, I would
support Capt. Talbot* I without
delay, went to Mr. Walker, and
told him it was rumoured tout I had
promiied him I would support Capt.
r Talbot, which he knew was not so.
He uiihesitatiogiy said I never did,
and requested me if I heard any
person say so again, to send them
to him, and be would sat isfy them.
Whenever I heard any person speak
ing about it, I did accordingly re
fer them to Mr. Yfalker. Such is
i th; amount of Mr. John Anderson’s
! certificate, and such should have
been that of Mr. James Anderson’s.
: I did request Mr. James Anderson, -
j if he heard any person say again (
bad promised Mr, Walker to sup
port Capt. Talbot, to refer them to
him, as he (Mr. Walker had) re
quested me to do, and not for the
purpose of proving that I was for
or agaios* Capt. ‘Talbot, but to
prove that 1 bad not said to him
what it was reported I bad.
I have gone through tbe remarks
which I had to make oo the certifi
cates. I will now ask the attention
of die public to one or tw-> other re
murks. If my wish was to deceive,
a ;d impress the friends of Captain
Talbot with the belief that I would
support him, would i’ not have been
my best policy to have endeavored ,
of my owi accord, to imp e* it up
on the oiirtds of the most influential
meo among them ? But this cannot
be said to be the FaeL Not in a so
litary instance did I ever seek, or
introduce, a conversation on tbe go
vernor’s election. At all times I
endeavored to avoid it; but being
daily asked, and ungenerously pres
sed upon to give my sentiments, by
the iriends of Capt. Talbot, I en
deavored so to shape my answer*
(for the reasons before Stated,) as
noi to leave an impression upon tbe
minds of those who interrogated me,
that I would or would not. It is
not to be expected that I should
have made a memorandum of every
question that was put to me on that
subject, neither was it to be expect
ed, that I Would have called upon
any persons or persons to witness
what did pass between those men
and myself, and this my accusers
are well aware of Perhaps 1 was
not sufli ieutly explicit in my an
swers to their questions; but they
had testimonies io prove I had de
termined not to pledge myself, and
should have regained from me more
than I ever give them ta establish
tbe charge of deception on myself.
The last governor’s election I
conceived to be an important one,
not only to this state, but to the
nation. I believed it would have an
important influence on the presi
dential question. It was therefore
my du y to pursue such a course as
I conceived to be for the interest of
my country. I believed tbe future
happiness and prosperity of our
country would be secured and pro
moted by tbe election of our fellow
j citizen W H. Crawford to tbe pre-
I sideoey. My duty then was to sup
port no man for governor who was
not friendly to bis election. The
course Capt. ‘Talbot would pursue
on that qaestion, was not known;
bis previous acts as a member of
the legislature were calculated to
exoite the suspicion that be was op
posed to Mr, Crawford; but bis ex
pressions to several of tbe most re
spettable citizens of Washington,
were calculated to produce a eon
trary opinion. I, therefore, wish
ed to suspend any positive declara
tion for or against Capt. Talbot,
until i should know well his senti
ments. After my arrival in Mil
ledgevillelast winter, I felt convin
ced io my own mind, that he would
not support the election of Mr.
Crawford: Therefore 1 did not vote
for him.
1 row say t o the citizens of Wilkes,
I have not deceived them. I was
actuated, as I -onceived, from the
porett. motives—-my country’s good.
I now leave ihe subject; and if m y
county men will take into considera
tion all the circumstances laid before
them, and will say, that Capt. Tal
bot’s friends could have been deeei
ved, or that it was my intention to
deceive them, however severe I
may deem their decision, I bow to
it without a murmur.
JOHN T. GRAVES.
From the Georgia Journal*
Mr. Crawford, and the right
of Suffrage.
Mr. C. has been charged with
being opposed to the extension of
the right of suffrage—mother words,
to placing the poor man on an equal
ity with the rich man in this regard.
His vote in the Senate of tbe Unit
! ed States on the bill to extend the
right of suffrage in the Mississippi 1
territory has been cited as proof.
Let us look into the history of that
case and see whether the charge
can be sustained.
Od the loth July, 1787,Congress
passed an ordinance for tbe govern
ment of tbe territory North \Vest of
the Ohio. After specifying the
qualifications of representatives,
those of electors are defined.
“A freehold in fifty acres of land
in the distf ict, having been a citi
zon of one of the states, and being
resident in the district, or the like
freehold and two years residence in
the district shall be necessary to
qualify a man as an elector of a re
presentative,—(Laws U. S. vol. 1.
p. 477, Biorec.)
On the 7th ot January, 1795, tbo
legislature of Georgia, under cir
cumstance* of fraud, Unequalled in
the history of legislative perfidy,
sold certain parts of the territory
We*t of the Chatahooehie to four
distinct assertions, calling them
selves reaped ively, The Georgia
‘The Georgia Mississip
pi Company* & The tipper Missis
sippi Company, (be Tennessee C m.
pany. This was the famous YA
ZO\) sale. (Watkins* lUg.
On die 13'b February, 1796, the
legislature of Georgia passed an act
declaring the aforesaid act of the
7th January, 1795, null and void,
because of the undue influence that
had been used to bunt, us passage,
(Prince's Dig, page 51 b.
Out of these legislative acts grew
conflicting claims to the territory in
question between the United mates*
the State of Georgia and the Yazoo
purchasers.
On the 7th April, 1798, an act
was passed by oongress for amicable
settlement of the limits with the
State of Georgia, and authorising
the establishment of a government
io tbe Mississippi territory. By
this act the President was autbori
ed to appoint three tommMsiouers,
who, with such commissioner* as
were to be appointed by Georgia,
were to have power to adjust and
determine all edaims of Georgia &
tbe United States to territory West
of the Cbatahoochie, Ate. He was
further authorised, after this ad
justment should be made, to estab
iish therein a government in all re
spects similar to that exercised in
tbe territory North West of tbe ri
ver Ohio.
By the sth section it was provi
ded. that the establishment of this
government should in no respect
impair the right of tbe State of Geo.
or of any person or persons, either
to the jurisdiction or the soil of the
said territory, but the rights and
claims of the said state and of all
persons interested were thereby de
clared to be as firm and available
as if the act had never been made.
The 6th sec. provides, that the
people of the territory should en
joy all tbe rights,privileges and ad
vantages granted to the people of
the territory of the United States,
North West of the river Ohio, by
(he ordinance of the 18th July, 1787
in as full an ample manner as the
same were possessed and enjoyed by
the people of the said last mention
ed territory. Laws 17. S . vol, 3.
p. 59, 40, fiioren ,
Pursuant to tbe authority vested
in the President by the first section
of this act, he appointed James
Madison, Albert GallatiD, and Levi
Lincoln, to act as commissioners
on tbe part of tlo United States
James Jackson, Abraham Baldwin,
and John Milledge, were appointed
on tbe part of tbe State of Georgia.
—These cotnmissio ier* met on the
24th of April, 1802, determined oo
certain “articles of agreement and
session,” by which Georgia ceded
with certain reservation* to the U.
Slates* for the consideration’ of
gi, 250,000, all the rLiiif, tide u*
claim which she had to the jtiri die.
tieu and soil situated within the L T .
States, South of ‘Tennessee ami
West of a line, &r. (See Prince's
Dig. p. 526, sec. 30—Laws V. S'.
toL 1. p • 4SS.
By the “ articles” it was further
stipulated that tbe (errritory thus
ceded should form a state and bead,
milted into the Union as soon as it
should contain eo.O'JO free in habi
tants, or at ar earlier perird, if
Congress should think it expedient,
on the same conditions and restric
tions, with tiu same privileges , and
in the same manner, as is provided
in the ordinance of Congees* of tho
15th July, 1757, for the govern,
meut of the North Western territo
ry of the United States, which ord
inance, in all its parts should ex
tend to the territory contained la
the present act of cession, that ar.L
tide only excepted which forbariV
slavery, Prince’s dig. p. 527, and
528— Laws 17. S, vol, 1. p. 490,
liiorcn )
On the 16th June of the sanie>
year (1802) ibe legislature of Geor
gia passed an act to ratify and con
firm these articles of agreement As
cession, t his aot declared the said
deed or articles of agreement and
cession to be fully, absoluieiy and
amply ratified and confirmed io all
its parts, and to be binding
conclusive on the said stoic, hep
government and citizens fomes*.
(Prince’s dig. 538 Sec, 38.
On the 4ih January, 180S, the
Senate of the United Stales resurn
ad as in committee of the whole,
tbe second reading of the bill eiith*
tied **an act to extend tbe right of
suffrage in the MUgUs>ppi territory
attd ter other purposes;**—ur:d,
On motion to strike out of sec,
1, lines 6 and 7 of the bill, these
words:—and Having paid a cuunty
or territorial tux, assessed at least
six months pr vwustosuch election /*
and insert, “and wuo has a legal on
equitable title to a trad of land,
by virtue of any aot of congress, op
who may become the purchaser of
any tract of land from tbe U, States
of the qua.nity of 50 acres, or who
may hold iu his own right a town
lot, of the value of gIOO, within tho
said territory.”
A division was. called for; aid on
the question for striking out, it wa*
decided in the a Airmail ve, yeas 2U,
nays it - —** -
Ybas—Messrs, Baytfd, Bradley*
CHAW FORD, Gaillari, Goodiii 1
Gregg, Hillhouse, M.ilay, Mat
thewson , Milledge. Miu ktli, Moore?
Pickering, South ol'Md, Snriiih of
N. York, Smith of Ten. Sumter*
Thurston, Turner, Whisc.
Navs— Messrs. Adams, Aodep*
son, Condit, Gilman, Howland?
RitcheL Parker, Pope, Reed, Ro
binson, Tiffin.
On motion to insert at the end of
tbe 3d sec. the following,
“Provided that the provisions of
this act shall not take effect until
the assent of the legislature of tho
State of Georgia, shall be given
thereto.” y/
The vote wa* Yeas—Mess##,
Crawford, Milledge and Purne
tbe other members voting against
it.
On the sth Jan. the bill was read
the third time as amended, and pas
sed, Yeas 18, \ays B.—Messrs*
Crawford and Milledge both voting
against it. (Journal Senate page 9
9o 94.
This may suffice for a concise his
tory of the acts of the government
connected with the vote of Mr.
Crawford in relation to the right of
suffrage. A bricCcommcntary will
set that vote in its proper light.
The territory North West of thtf
Ohio'was the first that came iot*
the possession of (he United StaUtft
after their establishment as an
dependent government, Tbe title
became vested in the Unite* 1 de#
at a time when they wanted both ad
inereased revenue and an increased
population consisting of good, sub
stantial, orderly citizens. In mak
ing arrangements conneoted with
the newly acquired territory, these
objects were kept constantly in
view. Hence it became the duty
of the government to bold out
such inducements to persons emi
grating to this territory, as wuld
procure from them a hearty au<l
zealous 00-operatioo in the accom
plishment of these objects—to li ec>
of paramount importance. Among
these inducements tbe most power
ful, seemed to be to deprive the em
grants of the right of voting until
they should have become freehold
ers. Hence the adoption of that