Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-05-16
PrrsRsuuuc, April Il, 1870.
To the Editors Of the Enquirer.
J. 4. BROW \.


Gcn,cmcn-if supposed ,hat, in the frequent
references YOU have made IN your paper, during
the past and present year, 10 my IN rela-
ton To MIR. Van Buren,, You were prompted solely
BY the design of convictng me, individually, 81
the charge OF Inconsistency, might be coni,nt 10
remain, as have hitherto been, ,ilent-rel,lne up
the general intelligence of the community, with
the facts already in THEN possession, To do IN. ns-
ice and ronv nccd OF the utter folly and m
prac,,cah,lit, any mans icsorling 10 tho news
papers TO correct every misapprchens,on ri In,
public acts and opinions. | cannot, however, flat
ter myself with the belief that any purpos- affect
mo myself alone has been deemed by YOU OF sufll-
Gent consequence to Justify the very eonsidcrs-
bile attention ,on have bestowed upon this parlie-
u'ar topic. The truth is, tia, am one Of thou
>and>-Itru,t of ten lhousandS--who, havin. saP-
ported Mr.. Van Buren, Tor the Vice Presidency,
IRE determined 10 oppos" hls elevation 10 ia,
Presidency and ,ou may probably have pcrsua-
1rd Yourself that by selecting me As your mark, and
llsing upon me the rlculc of regeneration, you
might make example of me for tho benefit Of
Others similarly situated, and thus restrain them,
through the visible terror of Your lash, from haA-
ardllg Il like infection. | have had scarcely an,
apprehension that Nour efforts, il unr,ssted, would
prove successful, but farther consideration. lrst
your pcrsrvcrlng attacks may, nan ~, std sdrpt
cddtndo, make some impression, auspicous Ia
Your views, avail myself Of n little leisure aud a
fresh provocar,on (--e the Enquirer OF III" 9th IN
>tant.) 10 notice lew ot the mistakes into whcl,
YOU have fallen, sndcsgncdl,, dare say, III III"
ardour :fsour zeal for what Won doubtless CONSIDER
good cause. | shall consult, as far rs possible II
rigid brcyuv, in order the better to rnille myself
10 III. benefit OF Your columns, which have been
encouraged to seek from an assurance, gwen IN rln
course OF some OF your remarks respecting me- that
il YOU, s,a'cmc, Is were inaccurate, you would mos
eheeriullv correct them.
Yoa have in the first place, been pleased 10 re-
present me as hostile to Nj. Z. p. Barbour, and
opposed to his election in 1852, To the Vice Pres,-
den.y, IN preference to NJ. Van buren,. In tine
Enquirer OF the 10Th of AprlI, 1888, after Alludn,
10 the canvass for the Vice Presidency, IN ls22,
YOU saw
d" We have always understood that MI Brown
did not admire Z. r. Barbour a. he dcservcd-thal
he was in favor of V. b. az, INST =. p. Barbour,
hi, FIRST choicr--that he took active part in la
vor OF Y. b." &c.
In support OF your prop''SllIon, You have relied
nainl> upon a speech delivered by me in the lie
si>niye Caucus Of 1882, aud have twice remind
I'D the public that YOU had rcpnhllshed II. J on
should have said that you had rcpnbishcd a par,
IT IT, bu, had omitted that portion which, aceordae
reason. by which was Influenced on the occasion.
II is from the suppressed part of the speech, tori
'inallv pnbshcda, cnc,hn the Enquirer Of March
2al, IS32, that derive the following extracts to
.ii.provc the impuiaions to which YOU have lent
Your oonnicnance:
=" lie (Mr b. said he had great respect for Mr..
Barbour, and believed him to be an honest poiti-
clan, a vrtuous man, aud of very considerable
talents and attainmcnts bat hc did not look upon
his claims SO prr-cminent that the vote OF the
State should be thrown away out of compliment IL
him"
IF were possible to elect Mr.. Barbour. he
should cordially support him in preference 10 IL
" other person who was spoken of for the Vic.
Presidency, not for the sake o. the man, or heeausf
he WAS Nirginian, but on sccount OF his prlnci-
pies"
-" The refusal tomakc nomination in The State
Caucus, did not preclude Mr.. Barbour or any one
else from tho vote of Virginia"
Should III" States have voice in that Com
veeion, (tIc Baltimore Conycnion) proportions
al to then electoral strength there would BE- a
fair representation, and the delegates rom Viz
qna might DO instructed to maintain the prcten-
>ions Of any favorc Individual, SO far con-
>iscm with sprl, of compromise and concIlia-
ton"
Let these declarations be viewed in CONNIE xion
with tine facts (prrhap> moi heretofore known to
Won, Mcs>rs. Edlor,,) tia, it was upon my motion,
reduced to writing, that tr Virginia Delegation
agreed TO give the vote of the State in the Bali
more Convention for Nj. Barbour. in preference
10 Mr. Van Bnrcn-iiat upona motion 10 amend
nv resolution hy inserting the name of Van Bn-
rem, in place Of Barbour, voted against it, and a
greed 10 support the former only ate, he had re-
reiytd majority of the votes of the Convention !;
aud your rca!rrs will be prepared to decide how
far | inclined to disparagr MIR Barbour
whether Mr. Van Buren, my " FIRST choice in
preference 10 hm--and 10 what extent cAcricd
myself " in favor of V. b."
You have labour"d To show, that in 1892, | was
an unqualified supporter of Mr.. Van Rurcn. In
tho Richmond Enquirer Of July Eth, 1885, you
sfy:
This orator Of tho Wigs stood up for Mr..
Van Buren, in the same Convention (thc State
Caucns) of 1882. The Arch Magician had then
tie entire confidence of the Dele ate of Peters
burg Ills speech has been recently published"
&c.
You have repeatedly quoted this expression
centre confdcrcc," in ,uclIa manner us toc,n,ev
the impression that then avowcd entire conf
dcncr in Mr.. Van Bnrn's political principles. You
surely cannot have read the speech, or you must
lave perceived at once that the words had no re
ference whatever TO Mr.. Van Burcn's political o.
pinions. They used III connection with the then
recent event ef The rejection of his nomination to
the English Embassy by the Senate Of the United
States. 1t is very well known that this rejection
was founded on allegations against his character
and fitness and that his opinions respecting the