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Letter from Major David Rogers to Hugh Lawson White

The following letter was published in Nashville Banner & Nashville Whig Newspaper: It is a letter written by Major David Rogers b. 1779 to the US Senator from Tennessee, Hugh Lawson White, who was at the time running for US President as a Whig Party-South candidate. Note that in 1822 Major David named his 5th child after Hugh Lawson White.

Hon. Hugh L. White.

Speedwell, Claiborne Co. Aug. 29, 1835

Dear Sir:-

During the late canvass, which resulted in my election to the Senate from the district composed of the counties of Grainger, Claiborne, Campbell, Anderson and Morgan, your course as our Senator in Co ngress, became matter of discussion between one of my competitors and myself. These discussions, to some extent, involve the question of your re-election to the Senate, in connection with the known attitude in which you stand in reference to the Presidency. With expressions of the highest personal respect and regard to you, my opponent questioned your conduct in relation to the "expunging resolution", "Executive patronage", and the "three million appropriation", as evidence of your alienation from the President and his adminstration, and of your disposition to sacrifice your former principles for the sake of new associations.

While endeavouring, in my feeble way, to show your fidelity and consistency, with respect to both men and measures, I felt my inability to do justice to the subjects; yet, considerations of prudence for myself and delicacy towards you, prevented me, during the canvass, from calling on you for an explanation of your course, although I might have done so, as a citizen of your State and one of your constituents. The canvass being ended, I am placed in a situation where personal curiosity and public duty may unite to justify me in respectfully asking the desired exposition. Some exceptions of a similar character, it seems, have been taken, in other quarters to your conduct concerning the "Cherokees". I hope you will do me the favour of the communication on these four subjects, not only for my private gratification, but, also, with a further view to public information. I trust you will not consider me as trespassing on your time, nor as asking anything unreasonable.

I am, with the highest respect,

Your most obedient serv’t

DAVID ROGERS

NOTE: White, Hugh Lawson, 1773–1840, American political leader, b. Iredell Co., N.C. He moved (1787) to what is now East Tennessee and served in the wars against the Creek and Cherokee. He was (1793) secretary to Gov. WilliamBlount, studied law in Lancaster, Ohio, and began (1796) practice in Knoxville, Tenn. He held various judicial offices in Tennessee and was a state senator (1807–9, 1817–25) before becoming a U.S. Senator in 1825. A supporter of Andrew Jackson and his policies, he split with the President when Jackson backed Martin Van Buren for President White, in protest, ran (1836) for the presidency as a Whig party candidate and secured the electoral votes of Tennessee and Georgia. He resigned (1840) from the U.S. Senate after he fought, in opposition to the instructions of the Tennessee legislature, Van Buren's plan for the Independent Treasury System.

This page was last updated on: June 15 2010