Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-10-21

gressIOnaI District of Virginia.
An address lust published by Mr.. Bedinger and
circulated through the newspapers and in handful
I form, is now before nc. propose 70 reply pit.
And ask it act Of justice that every voter in
the district viii read my reply before he records bis
vote on the Psi of this month"; viii make it as
brief as possible will state facts merely leaving
it 10 an Intelligent people to make their COM
nents and TO draw their own conclusions from the
facts before them.
! All who have had an opportunity Of noticing the
manner in which 1 have conducted this canvass,
nusthave been struck with the fact that have upon
no occasion, public OF private, made the slightest al
fusion the past political conduct OF my eompeti-
tor. Although provoked to do 50 by his frequent
reference to my course in the Virginia House Oh
Delegates the slavery question. in 1892, and upon
! the Conway resolutions In is49, felt content to
upon the easy and triumphant yndicaton which
had il in my power at all times TO make Of those
two incidents in my public life. In my public adj
dresses ms sole object to bring Mr.. Bedinrer to
the distinct ayowal OF his opinions upon the doc
trine Of secession and upon the powers and author-
" of the Union, and % present before the district
an issue upon those questions which might be fair
I y argued and decided by the people. was well
aware that his past liable very serious
objections in the eyes of his political friends, but
was content to let that rest upon the dim recollec-
ton which they might entertain Of it, and felt no
desire to revive it IN their memories. Indeed to
such extent have carried my disposition 70 make
no aliuson 10 his past public acts, that my motives
have been miscons,rucd and have been repeatedly
censnred by my democratic supporters for my for.
! bearance to DO so.
| But there is point when forbearance ceases &c
be virtue, and my competitor has by his publica-
ton, not only furnished me with an appropriate op-
portunity for such recurrence but he has rendered
the reference necessary the ,indicaton Of my own
portion. And yet with all the incentive upon my
part from his recent handful, | shall confne myself
only to those points of his public to which he
has himself thought proper to invite the attention
| the voters.
The justification of Mr.. Bedinger's handful is
found by him in tho fact, that on the eth of Sep
tember last caused to be repub6Shed two speeches
and resolutions Of mine upon the subject o.
the Mexican war. This publication contained nj
original matter whatever except few brief intro
duetory remarks explaining the propricty, from mis-
| apprehension and representation of having my
views on that question presented III an authentic
form before the voters of the district. 1t was sim
| pie republication of my views and opinions as they
were expressed, and had been before published in
| 1916. found that those opinions were not under
STOOD and had been Inexperienced in portions Of
the district remote from my residence, and accord
ingly say in those few Introductory remarks--ac-
companying that epuhlication-"Iw will limit my pre-.
sent exposition TO extracts taken from the public
| journals, giving authentic and accurate statement
of my views at the time of their utterance II am
assailed, as it is well known | am, in one portion
of the district for the course which then pursued
and misunderstood in another portion, it is but fair
and just, that the opportunity of correct under
standing Of my position shall be enjoyed by all, and
| let their decision be fairly rendered"
Now, was there any injury or injustice done by
7 IN m my rpuuhIishng spenchpS
which had made in 1916? Not the remotest al.
| fusion is made TO him or to his course. And he
might with equal proprety complain that | have
distributed over the district my speeches made in
J the Reform Convention of Virginia. 1t is my wish
that the people shall know my opinions upon all
questions. 1t is my right and their right that they
shall know them. Nor can | perceive why it is
that my competitor has exhibited so much sensi-
tveness in regard to the republication ofmy speeches
during the Mexican war, except that my course was
in very striking contrast with his own--a fact that
might have remained in total oblivion for aught |
cared if he had not himself forced it upon the pub
lie view.
Towards the close of my speech made on the 23d
of May lS46--but ten days after the declaration OF
war, say
MIR + felt so lively an interest in the success ofbe
movement now contemplated-the organization of
volunteer corps from this county for the Mexican
provision made by law for volunteers under the h4fe
act Of Congress, promise on his part to give
to each and every volunteer from the county of
BERKELEY, who would continue in service for a
period of twelve months and receive an honorable
discharge, their heirs, ii killed. ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY ACRES LAND in the State of Texas,
If some such provision was not hereafter made by
Congress for their benefit; and IL uas his purpose,
as as the compOay ,cas organized, 10 deposit
an fLnyr
After quoting that part of my speech Mr.. Bedin-
ger then says:
"Do you know that the company ,cas formed.
that almost every of them remained in the SER
vice twelve month or more received honorable
discharges and yet that not of them has yet
ceived or been offered foot of that sTexas land .
and that no such obligation ever depositedwith
the commanding officer! These are facts, fellow
citizens but doubt whether many of you are
aware of them, or would have discovered them from
Mr.. Faulkner's handful"
Now, fellow citizens, are these facts You are to
determine that quest on between Mr.. Bednger and
myself.
That offer was made by me on the 23d Of May
1916, within ten days after the declaration of war.
in an effort to raise company for Joseph Burns
when the course and policy Of Congress towards the
volunteers had not become fully disclosed, when
those who proiessed to he sound democrats and sup
porters of Mr.. Polk administration shivering
in the wind,-prior to those immortal achievements
in Mexico which have impaired so much lustre and
popularity to that war; and when it required some
nerve for man belonging to opposite party to
stand up to the support of democratic aministra-
ton, from whose support in that critical emergency
some even of its own protested friends were rat
! ting.
Butas to the FACTS in issue between Mr. Bedin-
ger and myself. They arc sufficiently exhibited in
the accompanying letters
LETTER OF JOHN w. MURPHY.
WINCHESTER, Va, October 4lh, 1851.
Mn CHARLES JAMES FAufSNER-- Dear Sir In
reply 10 your letter beg leave to state that was
one of the PERSONS engaged in May, 1916, in endea-
voring to raise a Volunteer Company for Mexico.
/ L.. L.. G :.