Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-08-08
THE CONTROVERSY.

From The Charlottesville Cbronio9c.
CORRESPONDENTS,



Bcticeen Thomas ". Giimer and UiAtam c.
IiircS Esgs
The publication of this correspondence which
was made on the part OF Mr.. Giner in the Last nun
Der of the Virginis Advocate, furnishes III itself to
an enlightened public ample means OF correcting
many of the errors and misconceptions, winch have
been pfopasatcu IN relation 10 II. But as tins cor
resPohdence was conducted ON the part Of Mr.
Rses, without any view to It's publication iot the
sole purpose of ascertaiuirs Mr.. Gilmers una re-
lauons towards him. and dlvostins their intercourse
OF those delusivc appearances, which nigh, prove
rs injurious Ia ham, as they were certainly fepns-
nant 10 his feelings, there tac,s omitted IN
his letter which still necessary for proper APP
probation of his conduct, and complete answer
to many charges to which Mr.. Gmer sought 10
give fictitious importance, (as he doubtless sew
ed them up ut first mainly for the public eye, and
which, although susceptible Of satisfactory expla-
nation Mi Hves unsusplcious of his designs, did
not condesccnd to notice To supply this dehelen-
9, aud place this controversy IN lis proper light
before the public, constitutes the simple object of
this preliminary statement
II appears, that MIR. Gilmor hns not restricted
hlmse to the publication alone Of lhat colrespon-
denco out of which his controversy with Mi Rlres
Immediately sprang, but has rambed through the
whole 81 his correspondence from the lst oil Decem.
from IT, aud present to the public, through the mr.
dunn of mutaied and ghrhlcd extracts, something
that night warrant his prev description ofhes"
letters as conveying I" th' sentiments n mafm and
apparently enthusiastic JIjcndship' He has, thus,
collected aud published portions of letters from Mr.
Rives extending from the 3lst of DEE of the Last,
10 the lst May oitho present year. w 'thoet stop
ping to decide how far n subsequent breach of
friendly relations may whttdnt between honoufo-
bic men, public disclosure Of the familiar aid nm
reserved communications, which may have passed
between them, ontcr,or 10 that period, II NAV be
safely asserted that there is nothing III tie dselp-
| sure made IN the pres, nj instance, which can IN
he least impair Mr. Rlvcs character for sincerity
| ard ne uuuousncss There is glow OF generous
feeling, AMI a sentiment of warm devotion TO all the
chaslc and cain delights OF private and domestic
lif" which throw cham around these free and ia
nlllar et1usiors aud actually lnpaft to them an
elevation aud dignity, rarely possessed by such
hasty notes. Nor Is there any inconsistency be
tween heir professions, and the feelings actually
entertained by Mr. Rives for II IS Observable Tint
the 6ist letter (l3th Dec. 1889 merely eonaneda
very prope, and cordial exproa.i ion otihanhs TO Mr.
G,mcr, for the zeal with which he esponscd his
election to the Senate of the United STATES aud was
IN fact written before the least circumstance had
transpi ed to excite his dlstIust OF MI dilmcr
friendship. The last letter, even (dated ls' May,
1889 was previous t. the appearance OF the btitor
and unflieudly personalities, winch were evidently
lined at Nh, Rivcs in the essays of Baekskin, md,
also prior TO his acquaintance with the unirlendly
feelings which Mr. Giliner was SAID 10 betray to-
wa,ds HIM in private conversation with others. II
W III he SEN iom ono of Mr. Rves publ let
tors, that he was unwilling that the suspicious,
which had been excited IN his mud as 10 inc rent
ny of Mr.. q $ friendly professions, by eifcuTstan-
ces which had occurred on his way o,and after his
arrival nj. the CITY Of Washington, should give
rise to an open rupture, aud hence " detefmlned'o
come to no conclusion IN his own mind before he
could have the opportunity ofPersonal observation
when they met IN their own county IL Was ~
this interval and before he had fully enjoyed ms
opp0riunitv oCpcySOnaE obscrrat,on' that this last
letter was written, and it may he safely lett 10 any
IMPARTIAL mind to decide how far It's knd and
friendly assurances, as well those similar express
sons of the Other and previous letters, were reqar-
ed by Alr Rlvcs' actual relations - Mr. si'.thcr or
whether they amounted to any sPec,al professions
OF friendship beyond the ordinary, conventional
forms of frcnIly intercourse.
But while neither Mr.. II. nor his friends have
cause 10 regret the appearance oi these supplement-
al letters, IT is just subject OF complaint thai me
letters were not also gwen, 10 wi'eh hose VI WI
T. were answers; for, had u'ey hcen gwen u
NIGHT uppeal that Mr. RS language only teeirio-
.fat.d strong professions of friendship, which he
was not permitted openly to question, because MS
iocipient mistrust was founded on eoHNdeata6 com
tnnnicatons, upon which lie deternned 10 come
IN M conclus ion in his own MUD and upon winch,
OF course, he could not act. II would also seem
not improbable from the peculiar character oil Mr..
RS. letter Of the Ist May, that # we bad Mr.. G's
letter to which that was reply, we might, per
chance. discern IN Mr.. RS beautiful tribute to
It The l,uye and soiid sat- (acttonS n tf'endhtP
and fhe d5mesic 0HscttOnS, modest reptooi 10 INC
rauliag ant5t,ioh' of his correspondent.
It IS also, net Il less legitimate cause OF com
sIaint that Mr.. I,iimei only prestn'ea Tue poo'''
with mcaorc extracts from these letters, Whleh, oe
mo torn from their context, probably no iongei pre-
.or,e thei, lrue meaning There IL every reason
IN cunposc that this must be the case WIN Nj >
LITER Of the 18th of February last, which evidently
relates to the most important topif, iho'eo VI NV
discussion viz: MIR. Gllmers aheuSeo e"'o''
rnss1ng responsibility on ms account ~ 70 VIZ"
known thai insinua,ons had been made IN various
,,,,a,,o,. hat MIR RIyes had not by his course IN
the Senate redeemed pledges which he had gwen
,i, ex,net.r:h hry winch he had authorised
Those uni,st charges, which even receive some
coun,enonce from some one or Two oil the ccftih.
Gates. that Mr.. G.. has procured rom nehoefs o,
the las, Legislature, and appended 10 ms Puo'she"
correspondence, have been uniformly rePelcd ny
M, Rives and his friends with indignant surprise
because in his letter 10 M j. 4ancey, read IN the
Iouse of Delegates, as well as III repeated CONVEX
salons public and private, he had expressed IN the
s.s,,aes, terms his opposition to nnA.fcaiioa, OF
winch the triumph would have been complete by
the omission of Congress to adopt some efficient
eountcracting moasure Under these c,rcumstan-
eos !, would be surprising, indeed, if this extract
should be a good criterion by which 10 judge the