confidence in the honesty and integrity of lhc man, and the liltlc experience I have had establishes, in my j11clgmenl, his sagacity and foresight as a statesman. Thus favorably impressed J Lccamc a correspondent of his Excellency, and honestly uniting in his views, without participating in his violence, he did me the honor lo address me on all occasions with the frankness and unrestrained freedom of a friend. When thus addressing me, amidst the perplexity and confusion of his official business, provoked and nrnddcncd Ly an opposition active and violent, and 1101 presuming proLaLly that his communications would be handed 0111 to the view of his opponents and the world for comment, is it not natural mid reasonable lo admit that he should have expressed himself without much caution and, on mallcrs that had so much annoyed him, wilh warmth? · And should I be in the possession of any doe11menls calculated to raise the voice of complaint against him one single note higher than it is al present, thus obtained, in yielding it lo the possession of his enemies, would I not act the part of a lrailorious and faithless friend? And, with all proper respect, lei ml'! ask, could a liberal and magnanimous opposition avail itself of such testimony to torture and crush its victim? But gentlemen, when you are informed of the manner in which the fact of my having such a lcller was disclosed and imparted to you I am sure you will coincide with me in the opinion that a manifest impropriety exists in my furnishing you with a copy, or with the original. Col. Fannin was himself the bearer of the letter from Gov. Smith lo me. Knowing the handwriting, and prompted by an anxiety which I will not pretend to divine, but al the moment did not dislrucl, in compliance with his repeated solieitalions and under the panoply of his plighted faith lo secrecy, I submitted the paper to his inspcdion. He made several applications to me for the purpose of obtaining a copy and the liberty of using the privilege with which I had confidentially inlrustccl him, to all of which I gave an m1c1ualificd and prompt denial. Judge of my surprise and aslonishmcnl then. when your leller informed me that, with an abandonnwnl of ddieaC) and decorum that I thought appertained to a characlPr with whil'h Col. Fannin acknowledge 110 affinity, he had u:;ed nw and my confidence lo feed the flanw of discontcnl and hatred against the Governor, in which it :;ccms he is ambilio11~ lo ad a co11:-pieuou:; part. :m9
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