Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1840-09-05

~ o'',er man % stand personally respor-
slble for any publication Of mine. Bui
Runnels, stranger as he is 10 an honorable
impulses, had other aud darker views.
His object was TO blnckcn nv reputation.
ny stalng conversation confined, as he
alleges, u us alone, in which he charges
me with having made dishonoraLle over
lures TO him. The charge is evidently
preferred 50 as to make il question Of
yeraciiy between him and myself. and 10
put it out Of my power to furnish any
means Of relutation bui, in this the ca.
lumniator il mistaken. He has been over
confident IN his infanous purpose. A.
God Almighty would order il, | have The
means OF an ample reluaIion ia my hands.
aud Intend to grapple The hlsehood 10 his
shameless front, with hooks Of steel, aud
there il shall stick, like the shirt Of Mes.
sus, until the day Of his death.
"Ihat some time during the winter
months of 1888 aud 1889, v. e. Howard,
after having repeatedly recommended To
me his fathcrin-law, (Gooch,) fora clerk
ship int the Mississippi Union Bank, and
having been told that there was no situa
tion vacant, came TO me, and urged upon
me The Importance Of creating an Office
especially for the benefi, OF Mr. Gooch,
adding, as a reason, that he was good
writer and would write for me, (,neanina
us presume, the Bank) 10 this corrupt
overture ] made no reply--bnl found my.
self and the Bank assaied most bitterly in
the Mississippian in few days ihereaf.
ter! Thus has all his patriotic alarm for
the safety and well being Of The State orr
ginated. Can any one doubt, that at this
time had Howard on the block and his
price sci Couch vas his ialhern.law.
whom he urged upon rse to appoint to of.
flee expressly npon the ground that he
was a WRITER ; he himself was the own
er Of The Mlssissippian at that time avow-
eddy aud, repeat, does any doubt that
this was un offer to me Of the use Of lis
columns and Influence, in consideration of
petty clc.kship for his relation.
This, with the rejection of large
note mot well securely presented by him
10 the Bonk for discount, do conscien-
tlpusy believe 10 be the origin and cause
of attack on myself and other directors Of
the Bank, by This unprincpled loafer on
the public treasury
Look al The indirect, nrgumenative, and
roundabout manner III which RunneIs pre-
lcrs this charge, as though the base lie
stuck in his foul throat, as he was erdca.
vorlng to hawk it out. In The first place
he states, that this conversation occurred
" some lime,dnrin. the winter months Of
1888 AND 1899 and, according to his
version, the interview must have lasted
several months. Then, he says, urged
The appointment Of Mr.. Gooch, and assign.
ed as reason, that Mr.. Gooch was a good
writer, and arouh write for him meaning,
as he presumcs, the Bank. The state,
ment carries on its face the evidence Of
fabrication. Why doos he stale in this
hesit4iing manner !? What right had he
70 presume any thing about IL? Ii the
charge existed, as he states, nothing could
have been left for conjecture. lie said lie
made no reply to this corrupt overture,
But Why did he moi reply? 1t appears
from his statement, that he only inferred
that intended 10 bride him. Aunonest
man Mould have replied and demanded %
know the intention, and if he found i dis
honorable, would have spurocd the prpo-
ser Of ii from his presence. But he, il
seems, maintained a dignified silence when
his virtue wns assailed Nov what is the
statement, when stripped Of its verbiage?
why, lhat ! proposed 10 sell MIR. Gooch
for Mr.. Goocii's benefit and the bride 10
Runnels was, that MIR. Gooch was vii.
ter, and would write for him from which
Runnels " presumes" that Mr.. Gooch was
10 write about the Bank; and, as Iowncd
the Mississippian, he further Presumcsthal
he was 10 wrile in liatpaper; and he then
argues, that he bad my price in his hands,
iuasmuch as my relation waste receive the
benefit Were disposed 10 analyze
this farago Of infamy, as tho pretended
conversation 10 detailed might Ek why
my aledged statement. that Mr.. Gooch
was writer and would write for him,
would give RunneIs any right 10 "pre.
sumen that il referred TO any thing more
than The ordinary business and corrcsPon.
dence Of The Bank, coupled Niih the NJ.
torious TACT, that Runnels Is incapable y
maioiaining his own correspondence Z
What authority had he To-" presume" that
Mr.. Gooch's writing referred to the Mis-
sissppian, or 70 my Influence But Che
xhule statement il sheer fiction. Il i q
complete web 81 Iies; without one single
thread of trath. Nov mark how plain
tale shall put il down"
Early in the Spring Of 1888 John ;.
Gooch, Il director, went North on the bu-
siness or the Union Bank, then lust char