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TO THE CITIZENS OF
.JFWIGGS COUNTW
GEORGIA—TU7XGGS COUNTY.
PERSONALLY came Matthew Robertson, before me, and being dulv sworn, saith that on the fourth day of July last, in a
public conversation between HAR TWELL If. TARVER , and this deponent, the said Hartwell H. Tarver did advocate the
existing Tariff. He denied that the present embarrassed condition of the Southern States was owing to the Tariff, but said it
was produced by want of economy. He further said in the course of said conversation, that the Tariff was the best thing for
Southern Slates, that had ever been done, and challenged deponent, or any other person to meet him in the discussion of
that subject.
M, ROBERTSON.
SH r Oi?i\ TO, and subscribed before me, this 7th day of September, lt?3l. 1
NIMIIOD W. LONG, J. I. C. f
Tile above affidavit appeared in a hand
bill lately published by Martin L. Ilardin; and Col. Tarver lias since been traversing the county in
search of certificates or affidavits to disprove that part of it which charges him with having said
that the Tariff was the best thing that had ever been done for the Southern Stabs. I have not been
permitted to see the certificates, but am informed that they go to say that the persons whose names
appear to them heard the conversation specified in my affidavit, and either that Col. Tarver did n >t
use the language charged—or, that they did not hear him use it. Ido not know precisely what the
certificates say, nor do I know what the certifiers heard ; but I know that the affidavit is true. And
if there be any doubt on the public mind as to tbe truth of it, I believe I shall be able by the testi
mony herewith presented, to satisfy the most incredulous citizen of the county. But 1 wish to
call the particular attention of the reader to some of Col. Tarver’s language on this subject. lie
said on Saturday last in a public conversation or harangue, in relation to the charge that he should
have said the Tariff was the best thing th at ha 1 ever been done for the Southern States—that he
never said such words, or even expressed such an ilea, neither at the time specified in my affida
vit, orat any other time; and lie sanctioned it with the solemn assentation, that if Gen. Washing
ton or Thomas Jefferson was to rise from their graves and say so, he would say it was false. Now,
Fellow-citizens of Twiggs county, keep the above statement of Col. Tarver’s in view, and read the
affidavits below, and decide for yourselves what credit to be given to his statements. Decide
for yourselves what degree of unblushing effrontery a man must possess, thus solemnly to deny
having ever expressed such an idea , whmi you have it in proof that he used the very words at Oc
niulgee Academy, at the house of B. B S uith, at the Method st Camp Ground, and at other pla-
But Col. Tarver denied publicly a few days ago, that he ever advocated the Tariff, until it
was proven upon him by five or six affi lavits. He now abandons that ground, and attacks a mi
nor point in one of the affidavits; and acknowledges the rest to be true, though he denied it twenty
times over, not a fortnight ago. And why should lie he in favor of the Tariff ? Is it because he owns
a large Sugar plantation and knows that if the duty was taken off from brown Sugar, it would op
erate against him ? And is he willing that we who are poorer than himself shall pay a duty on Salt
and Sugar and Coffee, and Iron, and Bugging, though he may be benrflled by the duty on Sugar?
But I call your attention to the evidence of the truth of my affidavit. It is admitted that the
the following affidavits do not prove positively that he used the words charged, at the time specified in my affidavit. But will agree
with m>* that as they prove he did use that language at various other times aid places, it amounts to the strongest pr< sumpfive evidence, of the
truth of what I have said. Indeed it seems to have been a sentence in common use iv;th him. And I believe if it stood uusupported.it
would satisfy every unprejudiced milrJ.
GEORGIA—TWIGGS COUNTY. ~ t . . v „ „„ _
PERSONALLY came James Ware, before me, and being duly sWorn, saith that m a conversation between Hartwell H. lar
vor and this deponent, at Ocmulgce Academy in July last, the said Hartwell 11. Tarver did advocate t:ie exist.ng Tariff, andtnat
be said it was the best thing that hart ever been done, for the Southern States. _ __
JAMBS WARE.
SWORN TO and subscribed before me, this 16'A dau <f September, IS3I. )
JOEL DENSON, J. P. I
GEORGIA—TWIGGS COUNTY. ~ . , . „ , ~ „
PERSONALLY came John Hickman before me, and being duly sworn saith in two several conversations between Hartwell H.
Tarver and this deponent, one of which conversations was at the house o! Benjamin B. Smith, in 1 wiggs county, in July last, and the oth
er was at the Methodist Camp Meeting, near Hayden’s Store, in the same month—the 6aid 1 arver d;d advocate the existing Tariff, aim sa.d
in both conversations that it was the best thing that had coir been done for the Southern States. ______ .__
JOHN HICKMAN.
SWORN TO and Subscribed before me, this \6th day of September, IS3I. )
JAMES M’CKO VN, J. P. {
GEORGIA—TWIGGS COUNTY. , , , ,
IN PERSON appeared H. W. Terry before me, who being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that he was present and heard n con
versation which took place in Macon, some time in August last, between Hartwell H. Tarver, James Hayden and Robert A. Beall on the
subject of the existing Tariff, in which conversation the said H. H. Tarver declared the said Tariff to be one of the best things that ever
happened to the Southern country. mriTiHV
Ua • tI • ft AC SC a *
SWORN TO and subscribed before me, this 7th day of September, IS3I. )
JAMES OLIVER, J. I. C. 1
But to put the matter beyond the possibility of a doubt, and not to rely entirely upon presumptive evidence, I hero give you tho affi
davit of Mai. John Williams, which goes to prove positively the truth of every allegation in mine, viz : That Col. Tarver did at the time
and place specified in my affidavit, use the language charged in my affidavit. And those acquainted with Mnj. Williams worth and candor,
will not for a moment doubt his strict adherence to tbe facts. It is due to Maj. Williams to state that Ins affidavit would have appeared in
Mr. Hardin’s hand-bill, but for his reluctance to appear in public, against a family connexion, though a distant one—and nothing but a sense
of the duty he owed to TRUTH, induced him to give his testimony in the present instance.
GBORGXA —TWIGGS COUNTY. , . , . __ , , , ,
Personally came JOHN WILLIAMS before me, and being duly sworn, saith that on the fourth dry of July last, he was engaged
in a conversation with Hartwell 11. Tarver, on the subject of the Tariff, w'<en Mij. M. Robertson came up and said something on the subject
—that the said Tarver then turned his attention to said Robertson, and hel l a conversation with him, to which I paid particular attention—
and that in said conversation , the said 7W, did advocate the Tarff, and did say that the present embarrassed condition of the Soutnern
country was not owing to the Tariff, , but to want of economy in the. people, and that the Tarff was the best thing that had ever been done
for the Southern States, and that said Tarver did challenge said M. Robertson or any other person to meet him upon that subject.
JOHN WILLIAMS.
SfPOJJiV TO end subscribed before me, this 19/A September, 1831. )
ISAAC DENNARD, J. P. 1
And now fellow-citizens, I have only to say that between Col. Tarver and myself, there has been a personal friendship (as far as I
knew) iz our first acqumctmlce until 1 gave c.itlencn of hi, having n.l.ocn.nj the Tariff. And even now I,vou db, no ntnnnt. knomng
ij do him an injustice. Bui as he chose to dray an ulleguion l '“J "J l i.X'^th^Cn"Turret dfinot u.e tho word, eh.rgcd, I
truth of it by the evidence winch is now before you. And, it any min w.U now ntu ve • . <
will at least say that he must arrive at that conclusion by some mode ot reasoning with wuic am un q
! M. ROBERTSON.
TWIGGS COUjYTY, September 20 ih, 1831.
POSTSCRIPT.
The above was written and forwarded to the press before the publication of Mr. Tarver’s
Hand-liili. Since then, I hove seen a copy of hit,, nod propose,? " d ",‘ o VuT'tlm'htnmmgn charged in my affidavit. It is unpleasant to to.
It appears that several persons have certified that Col. 1 arver did not ust iiu, 0 f f i__ thp certificate of twice
to be under the necessity of flatly contradicting the certificate of those individuals but when w s' . ’ most men wou |<] have
that number of men could not make it true. And they will excuse me for saying that ,n Blv8 lv 8 . • • testl ’ mony na to stop there
thought it quite sufficient to sav that they did not hear the words. But these men are not so c. J ? tliat \ dll Qliv P ancc the
They must go further and say that Tnner.never said the words, nor ever advanced any such ids a Nvm I know ha ™ ™
idcaf and use the words too /and I know that the conversation did not close where it .s stated to “
“ a small part” of the conversation, but a large part of it that Mr. Radford did not bear—and there arc many others that Know i ■ e
my.clf. Kw1,,,.,he,e men Mr. T„„,r ,u,, for , ,em .!, they .rc wdi.ug .
not a wonder that lie. did not get their affidavits 1 l suppose there is hardly a doubt but that n ms .. . lh w w cvcry one au .
Justice if it is not possible that Tarver might have used the words, and that it escaped their no ic ' ' ‘ , ’. J
*wer that it is. If they would not, they are prepared to give stronger negative testimony than nave i * 1 K
I cannot close without doin'* Mr. Marks the justice to say that Tarver’s attack on char
acter is as unjust us it is illiberal and base. There is not a particle of truth in it. Mr. Marks is as about n jl
as subservient to my will and pleasure, as Col. Tarver is ; and in my opinion, not half so likely o i e i
T h e°Evidence is before the public, and it must jmfcc whether the affidavits or the certifi
cate* are true or false. I have a right to ler.ox, aud do know which are trua and which are ialsa. AncoTaniV
September 22, I SSI, M ROBERT SOW.