Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-02-28
ITO the Editors Of the Times
REPLY OF e. FONTAINE TO
COL. RANDOLPH's CARD.

COL. RANDOLPh'S CARD.
am reluctantly constrancdto answer publication
made by Colonel Randolph, in The Times OF the 18th
instant.
The Board OF Directors of the Louisa Railroad Com
pany, think they have good cause to complain OF nm,
and have practsed great forbearance, Tor some time
past They have to believe, that ne has created
injurious impressions against them, in connection with
Il claim he processes to have against the company
Although urged to do So in advance OF the time when
lie could claim final estimate, lie has not informed
them what the precise nature OF his claim, or how
far it differed from an estimate OF the engineer, which
furnished him on the Goth of August last. During the
last eight months they have often heard OF most unjust
representations Of their conduct such as refusing pay
him his Just dues, when in TRUTH no action has been
taken his case for until few days past, his con-
tract was not completed and the board not knowing
even to this day, what was the amount OF his claim,
which he promised to furnish. All this they bore pa
teny, having reason to believe that he was responsible
for these injurious representations: To remove all
doubt of the injustice he was certainly doing the Board,
in letter OF HIS addressed to myself, now before me,
dated November %, lS49, he says 81 haze often said
ling topay that considered myself aggrieUed and
outraged by its course tooards me- This letter was
answer to written by me in November, respect
fully apprising him that he referred to in Rich
mond as predicting the insolvency OF the company by
the LIST Of January, 1885, and answered it ina respect
fu way demonstrating against the injustice he doing
the Board Finally on the 2lst OF January ut, re-
ceived letter from Williams G.. Wckham, Esq, my
representative, written in the hall of the House OF De-
legates from which the following is an extract:
- Mr. Segar has Just stated on the authority OF I J.
Randolph that culverts being built OF pine poles
along the line OF the road Give me answer to the
statement" Mr. Segar was then making speech
against the extension sof our road from Stanton to
Covington and the success OF the guarantee bill was
thought very doubtful. After all which had occurred,
ask, would forbearance be any longer virtue! Call
ed on by member Of the Legislature, for an answer
to statement made thus publicly, calculated not only
to inue the character OF the engineer and Board OF D
but the itself. | should have been
grossly delinquent in duty, i'll had not have responded
in such way that the retutaon ofthe charge might be
made public.
submitted my letter Mr.. Overton, one Of the Di
rectors, in whose judgment | have great confidence
who entirely approved it, and now, this undication Of
the Company against public inputation coming from
HIM, IS called an attack him. In reply he has I'M
denably made very coarse andharsh attack on me.
1t was not myself, but Mr.. Segar who charged him
with making the dsparagng statement about the
Of constructing the road, but l did allude his
of hostility to the interests of the company which,
as he has forced it on me- mean to canvass and also
alluded to his personal enmity TO myself The latter
is not matter Of much consequence, but nothing can
be more notorious in the county OF Albemarle and for
what cause am at loss to determine, unless it be-
has been suggested by shrewd observers that oc-
cupya station for which he thinks himself much
better qualified than lam. Speaking OF me, he says:
He has mistaken disapprobation OF his official
duct tor hostility to himself and the Louisa company
l am utterly ignorant what official conduct he much
dlsappoves; it cannot be the little matter Of building
few culyerts OF pine timber with three sides hewed
he knows that such matters not my official acts,
and he surely has too much discernmen to hope for
much censure being attached to any body, that
count, when they understand that it is common way
OF making wooden drains But if he really has thought
incompetent to discharge the duties OF President
he now says his at the two last general meet
ngs OF the stockholders, has been most unaccounta-
BILE. How could he, being present, permit resolutions
highly commencing the official conduct of the Presi-
dent and Directors, to pass, unanimously, at the meet
ing in April last?
A ID tba TIL, ,Ioet hon.
could he unite with my friends urging that my salary
should be raised from $1,000 to $4,000 Many persons
thought he not friendly to me then Was the
speech he made in my behalf favor OF the increase of
salary proposed by my friends the express ground of
valuable services, intended blind to attack medi
ated in the future could it be, las have most
mechanically supposedly that he wanted to raise the saa
ry in the hope OF enjoying it himself at future day
leave 1t to others to solve the mystery of his conduct
But let us look into the question: whether his
has been that OF hostility OF friendship the interests OF
the company! And here it may be plopriately re-
marked of such manifestations of friendship he has
exhibited save us from our friends and we will take
care of our enemies"
The first act of friendship to the compang, was to
claim very high damages Tor the passage of the road
through his land, the construction OF which, was
garded likely to add very much TO the value OF his
own, amongst other lands The second act Of FRIEND
ship to the company was to be extremely active in
improving the Rvanna navigation up to Charlottesville
to make it successful rival of the railroad think
cannot be mistaken in my recollection, that public
route OF the road was undetermined, Col. Randolph
assured them that apprehension need be entertained
OF rivalry from the river and being stakeholder in the
navigation company, his promises to support the rail-
road had much effect in allayng apprehensions that
SUBJECT which were very seriously entertained by many
very udicious men in the company. He has been MAX
ing great efforts in favour OF the river interest," now
understand, advertised tor public speech at Fuvanna
court, and may be regarded the active friend of
this rival of the railroad interest Ii the charges of the
railroad company were exravaganty high there might
be some apology Tor his course but he has not waited
for the completion of the load he has not given trial
before he has turned against it, whilst the rates in
operation on the Louisa road, as low, think,
any one had Alright to expect.
The third act OF friendship was to deprecate the
credit OF the company in the city OF Richmond, as far
back as the middle Of November last, by speaking so
disparagingy OF its ability TO meet immediate existing
engagements, that MIR. Talbot hearing OF it, hesitated
first whether he would deliver engine which he had
built for the company. went to Richmond about that
time was informed by one OF the directors, Mr.. David
Anderson, OF the remarks attributed to Colonel Ran
doph, but doubted the correctness of the rumour-
However, going to the shop of the Messrs. Talbot
told by them that they had sufficient reason to
believe he had predicted the insolvency of the company
that they had at first been rendered uneasy the state
ments made by him, but on referring to Mr.. Anderson
they satisfied. Now, let it be remembered that
this was several weeks before the meeting of the Legs-
ature and therefore, the absurd preext Of wishing to
aid the passage Of the guarantee bill could be offered
in his defence (See Mr.. Talbous statement)
1t cannot have been forgotten that about that time
certain OF the ILlcnHlOnQ, Fredericksburg
and Potomac company were, without disguise
ceament of purpose, made with the design OF raising
doubts as to the ability of the company meet its en-
gagements AT such time, under such circumstances,
what but spirit OF the most reckless opposition could
have prompted whisper OF suspicion as to the compa-
ny's credit 1t matters not whether the particular
words attributed TO him, used not if he said or
did any thing calculated to cast suspicion the SOL
yency OF the company, twas an act of objectionable
hostility.
Foprthly, while in the answer to the letter l wrote
him this subject he dsclamed the particular words
mentioned, it now seems, according his own confess
sion, that his hostility has been mantle sed recently,
pending very important crisis in the affairs of the
pany. In the publication which am noticing he says
81 have not hesitated to express the opinion that with
out aid from the State in some form, the Louisa compa
ny could not continue to meet their engagements for he
the guarantee Of their bonds by the State" Most
strange argument this, to induce the Legislature of
the company had incurred debts which they were una
Bile to pay that they rapidly approaching state OF