The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-11-27

10 hayf been usr Il by YOU, when recently tina
Colonel was On n steref diplomatic viii 10 the
hrfmifage. As the best. information 10 be OBJ
tuned upon a. is subject. relative 10 the acnia-
cy nj the statements mndc by Col. Combs must
br from yourse aud as your l,iends here aIe
deslroni 10 he informed upon the s,hjeei, espe4
cially, learning that You have gwen a ilder.n,
repor, TO the lniersnw we take the llheiiy Of
requesting from you u statement oil the iaels aud
thr Gil cuIn.tances ms they hansplred, with per
mission 10 use yonI communication after the
manner OUT discretion may pOiuI out 10 Us Ms
correct aud proper.
We have The honor TO be, very respectfully
Your humble servants,
HALL d FITZGERALD.
Nashville, 29h October, 1898
eLNEI;AL JAoksONs Az WE
HLnmIrAaE Oct ! Il. 1923.
GentiOmens NuuT leiiei was Icoe.ri last
evening, asklng ne 10 state, wneihei Col. Leslie
Combs ; statement Appended 10 II pamphlet ol
james Shelby, ol Oct ODD. 1929, oontai, u
correct and iull account OF III, conversations
held with the, u my house. on Saturday, the
1lih lnst. In reply ! have g. remark that II
does not parts ol oui conversations are sup
pressed, and others, II not egrrgiousiy mis-, cp.
resented, have certainly been miseoncel wed.
Bur extraordinary enndor ought moi TO be "a.
pecied OF any ONE, who could descend IRON the
exalted siaIUn oil n representative of u nigh
minded, Tree people, so that Of n gIeano, and re-
ihiieI OF conversations. His visit To me, II
seems, was Tor no other purpose.
II Is true, ms Col Combs has eihtsd, Tint he
VISITED my mouse and wa politely treated. At.
iei dinner, the Colonel and myself belug N The
passage, he observed, that he " tnled a lew mo
lnents private conversation with me. We en-.
Tered The parlor aud mtr. seated on the sofa,
when h. presented me ~ ith AN open letter from
james Shelby, covering the duplicate OF one
which previously had been received by another
speciai messenger, lMr. Gott) Having read
the letter which enclosed the duplicni | ohsrIv.
ed, these we're a KIND OF communication 90
@hlch never replied that | considered The let
ter ol n character highly INDIGENOUS, and bel,ev.
ed that no person having the proper feelings OF
a gentleman could address another in this man.
ner ! asked what IL was Mr. Shelby wanted
that # he desired the 10 furnish evidence To ard
Ihos. Shelby aud Ar Todd, 10 hiaki tie inrmo-
~ Of his deceased Father, | had none 10 ofel
5nt, If It was his intention aud wish TO eAhoner
att the memory ot his father from the publication,
by fkos shelby aud Todd, oil the dtelafnl,ons
of their lhther, winch ! never bad or could be.
lieye him 60 have made. aud would thus write
me, then, aud then only, could he have access 10
The full explanation OF the secret Journal IN the
possession ui Maj. Hm. u. Lewis ior sale keep
ing -hecoilccling at That moment, That was a.
lone with one who has engaged, as ! eoncrlved,
III no very honorable vocation, | sent for Mai
Lewis, ~ho was NEAR al iIand.--Wheu nc euicI
ri, having been again asked by Col. GoInbs to
read the duplicate letter, | replied should not
aud a second time desired him TO explaln what
Nj. Shelby wished. The Colonel answered
tiiat he WIS charged by Gen. She by 10 say 10
me, all ir wanted was 10 protect tle memory OF
his deceased father hon he iuputaiions
"hicn had been easi upon II aud that he was
cliai ged % protest, IN hrn. Shrlpy'B name, IL
ann having any thug TO do with the publlcs.
tons of Ihomas Shelby and Todd. To which |
replied, II tir. shelby 5 real oiJ"ct is 10 dc.rud
he memory OF Lis Ia her from the lmpuiaiions
aud SANDER. ol lbos. Shelby aud odd, aud
bad 50 have written To me, | should cheef fully
have aided hIm. lhat man while living ipoui-
ny to the portrait Of Governor oieisyj could
not have been base enough 10 utter the th,ngs
charged by MS reidtions, which the secret jOuf-
ohl under MS own proper Signature. VII p,oy,
aud which, by applying to Major LOWS he was
welcome. Tor has Satisfaction To see. Colonel
Combs sad he would like TO BEE II, mud consult
"as given. that M. Lewis should submit IN HIN
an inspection Of II bul no promise Wis giycr
10, hun 10 have a copy, M he alleges. oubsc.
quentlv he did see II, and admitted the planatuf,
To be in Gov. SIelby's own hand writing.
told him he was al liberty 10 see, not only The
secret journal, hut also the statements OF tbuhs
gentiemen who were present AZ the lreaiy. BIZ
as II appeared Mr.. Shelby, o. his friends, had
been secretly ~ritlng TO Mi, b Smili, for M
formation on this subject withOut any common
cation Or notice To me ; aud that a. shelby anl
Todd had pub lshed to the world the declara
lions OF lierr deceased father, which the secre
journal oveI his signature showed TO be positive
y untrue that they must now get out Of IN,
difficulty in winch tiiey mad voluntarily placed
themselves, the hesi way ihey could, aud with
oui II slsiance from me--thai tlt journal, ant
every thing IN relation TO the ITehty, having
been forwarded by Tire Commissioners Gov
Shelby aud myself to the government Mt Wash
ingtou City, Gen. Shelby certainly had II IN hi
power, provided it had been wanted, OF deemed
material, to have obtained lt--that # the 90
yerbment chose to take the responsibility Of pub
Listing H., bad NJ objection 10 its being $,
done.-lt was only to satisfy Col. Combs OF th,
incorTeclness OF what Messis. Shelby N lode
had published, aud to prove to hini, that the se
cret journal had been signed IN the proper hant
writing OF Gov Shelby, that consent Was gi.cI
10 see II. iIn must have 80 understood, iof n
the time Of Ieadipg il, he Was gwen directly II
understand the reason why | had not pern,i,e,
IT To be published. MISUNDERSTANDING all Ills
he. proceeded home, aud lost no time la publish
mg CARRIED extracts from it, jusiiiying bimsel
for DONG SO. aud FOR this practised breach o
confidence, by no better leason than that he ha
betn unable TO perceive any substantial o
sufficient reason for preserving its confidence
Col, Combs tben inquired Of me IL | s0uI'
write TO Mr. james Jackson, Mr.. Currin ant
Col. Butler, who, he said, cen Shelby bad learn
ed were at he Tt.aiy. 1 asked iftnosr gentiem"t
lad been applied Ia BY Mi. $, and II no.. Why
i seek my eons-ntf lie answered they had NV
D,en applied 10, aud that he presumed thel
- s,ild .'at sps,k ~iaipo, my gt11ttstsa. Ahl