Lynchburg Daily Virginian

The Campbell Forgery—and the Republican.

Last Friday morning we published the denial by Hon. Lewis D. Campbell of a written statement, imputed to him, that it was within his knowledge, that Gen. Scott would, if elected President, sign a bill repealing the Fugitive slave law. We referred to the Republican of this place as one of the journals most active in giving circulation to the forgery. It was to have been supposed that the Republican would have hastened to clear itself of any complicity in the transaction, by a prompt publication of the denial. Not so however. The regular issue of that paper was made Monday morning—one week and one day only before the election—affording barely time enough to give any thing like general circulation to the correction. Not one word does that issue contain about the matter. Thursday, when it again appears, will be too late to remedy the mischief it has done by giving currency to the forgery. Our friends see what sort of warfare they have to contend against. We invoke them, by their love of all that is manly and just, and their hatred of all that is unfair and unjust, to see to it that their gallant and noble old leader shall not be borne down and beaten by misrepresentation, slander and forgery. Below is another letter from Mr. Campbell to the National Intelligencer, (published in the Republican,) branding the statement as a base forgery:

To the Editors of the National Intelligencer:

A friend of mine has just sent me the Washington Union of the 12th instant, containing a most infamous editorial headed "(General Scott and the Abolitionists—the Whig Candidate for the Repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law." This article attempts to prove that General Scott is an Abolitionist. The editor says:

"By the positive and unequivocal declaration of a Whig member of Congress, who stands high in the confidence of his party, and gives the Whig candidate a cordial support, we will show that General Scott is in favor of the repeal of the Fugitive Slave bill, and that he would, if elected President, sign a law for its repeal."

To prove this assertion the Union adds:

"On the 20th of July, 1852, the Hon. Lewis D. Campbell addressed from Washington city a circular to his constituents which was published in the Lebanon Star, an abolition Scott paper. From this circular we take an extract, which we submit to the country without comment:

"I have been elected twice by free-soil votes; I AM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF FREE-SOIL PRINCIPLES. I KNOW GEN. SCOTT TO BE WITH ME ON THE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY; HE IS A FRIEND OF LIBERTY, PLATFORM OR NO PLATFORM; AND IF WE CAN MUSTER VOTES ENOUGH IN CONGRESS TO REPEAL THE FUGITIVE-SLAVE LAW, AS I BELIEVE WE CAN, IT IS WITHIN MY KNOWLEDGE THAT GENERAL SCOTT WILL SIGN THE Law. Not so with General Pierce: He is AS COMPLETELY SOLD TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE DEALERS IN HUMAN FLESH AND BLOOD AS EVER FILLMORE AND WEBSTER WERE."

"LEWIS D. CAMPBELL."

I pronounce the foregoing a BASE FORGERY! I NEVER WROTE ANY SUCH CIRCULAR AND NONE SUCH was Ever published in the Lebanon Star The entire article in the Union is A TISSUE OF FALSEHOODS AND MISREPRESENTATIONS, SUPPORTED ONLY BY A MOST VILLANOUS FORGERY!

General Scott never expressed to me any opinion as to the Fugitive Slave law, nor have I ever so represented. My support of that distinguished man is not and has not been founded upon his opinions upon that question.

Until the editors of the Union produce the Lebanon Star containing such a publication over my name, they must stand before the world branded as LIARS and FORGERS.

LEWIS D. CAMPBELL.
Hamilton, Ohio, Oct. 18, 1852