Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-03-01

ed. &c. What now do yonr certificates a.
mount to. and what are they worth-if
in fact they were ever signed, as publish
ed. which l think the public will doubt
when this whole matter is UNDERSTOOD
They are at most the opinions of men.
founded either on rSmor. or an imperfect
knowledge Of the facts. connected with The
election. and Of course where the facts are
fully brought to light, these opoinions, thus
made up. can have but little weight. l
viii here recapitulate the facts.
First. The record evidence, from the
poll hooks. show ing tina, Col. McDcafmon
received 46 votes Of the Sons Of Temper
ance. thereby securing his election. and
this in the face of all the abuse, so lavishly
and unjusily heaped upon them.
End. The Democrats voting for me, m
GLIDING nearly every Son of Temperance
that voted for me. Of that party. have given
their reasons, and disclaim the Temper
ance influence.
3rd. The Divisions at Clover Hill, and
Hebron, have Unanimously adopted and
published resolutions repeliug the charge
Next you charge that Mr.. Siratton, Mr..
IsbeIl and myself wrote letters TO our
friends. the Sons. the object OF which was
TO get up an excitement against Col. Nc
Dearmon, and thereby put him down.
This you will find to he the most unfortun-
ate of all your charges. Mr.. Isbell and
Mr.. Stratton have already explained the
facts and repealed the charge as to item
Now what are the facts On the even
ing of December Court last, your son.
Col McDearmon. for reasons satisfactory
TO himself, took occasion to use publicly
very harsh language in speaking of Tenn
perancc and temperance men, and of course
about you. Parson, his father; hecause you
say that you are the father Of Temperance.
j. w. Stratton, gentleman full twenty
one years Of age, addressed note TO A.
w. Carter, Esq, in whose presence the
Offensive remarks we're made. enquiring
into the facts. Mr.. Garter replied in rit-
ing, giving Mr.. Strarton. he facts. On the
same day | had occasion to write private
note to Capt. Edward Sears. from whom
| had received many acts of kindness. and
in that note mentioned the facts contain
ed in MIR. Carriers letter. My letter was
written to Capt. Sears in haste. and in the
confidence of private friendship. He was
against Col. Med. SO that could not have
designed TO create an excitement against
him.any farther than Col. Med. S own con-
duct would have this effect That letter
contains the truth, and am responsible
forit. But sir. in your great cagcrncss TO
establish this charge also, why did you not
prove the contents of my letter! You
say it as publicly read. Does any man
believe that if any capital could have been
made out Of 1t. you would not have
made the attempt at least But sir, how
did it happen that my private letter was
read publicly ? am Informed that Col
McDcarmon learned from Mr. Carter that
his conduct was the subject of general re-
mark, and ofthe correspondence with Mr.
Slraiton: that he had cursed temperance
aud temperance men. So Col. McDcar-
mon, for purposes Of his own, gets Mr.
Carter TO give him special certificate, no,
of What he said, but of what he did not
say: that he Med had NOT cursed tie Sons
Of Temperance or the Order in terms
lie also gets copy of STATIONS letter,
and your son, Col. McDrarmon. sent a
copy of STATIONS letter with this special
certificate, prepared by himself ofwhat he
did not say. not of " hat he did say, by Mr.
Price to Walkers Church He it was
that circulated STATIONS letter and this
certificate OF what he did not say. Mr..
Isbell, as stated by him. in his reply to
your attack on him. had written a state
ment of the facts to be used at Walkers
Church. The excitement of which YOU
speak was produced by the circulation Of
the letters sent by Col McDearmon and
that of Mr.. Isbell. Capt Sears informs
me that " hen he arrived at the place, these
letters were in circulation and the excite
ment then existed. and to vindicate what
he believed was the truth. he took the lib
erty of using my private letter and CON
sen'ed, upon his own responsibility, for
it to he read with Col. McDearmon's ex-
hibt and Mr.. IsbclI's letter, publicly. |
do not complain of Capt. Sears have
have known him for more than twenty
years, as gentleman of Highland honorable
bearing. and no Doubt he acted as he thought
right am also informed that this letter
of Mr.. Stratton, and Mr.. Carriers certif-
cate as the answer thereto, were circulated
at every Precinct in this comfy, and at
several places in Campbell, while the true
answer was in Mr.. STATIONS possession,
and left at home on the day of election
But lest you or the public may suppose
this is my "iPse dirit," here is the tesli-
mony:
CLOVER HILL, Dec. 9Th, 1851.
Dear SIR I'll have been informed that
Col. McDearmon, in the public dining
room, at this place, last night, cursed and
damned The Sons of Temperance, and that
you were present and heard the same. l
should be very glad that you would inform
the OF the facts, il so.
Yours respectfully. &c.
JOHN w. STRATTON.
Mn. a. w. CARTER.
Mr. JOHN w. SrgATToN, Sir; In re-
ply to your note, have to say that was
present last night in the dining room, and
heard Col. McDcarmon curse and damn
temperance: damn them. they are all 60
ing against me. +. w. CARTER.
The above is true copy of the cores
pondence between Mr.. John W. Stratton,
and myself. on the 5th December, ISL
have never disavowcd the facts stated in
my reply. Col. Nc Dearmon called on me
on Saturday before the election. and re-
qncsted me to give him copy of Mr..
STATIONS letter. | did so, that was the
only copy l gave 10 any one
Feb. 9Th, so. A. w. CARTER.
What now becomes of this charge p
What becomes Of your statement that Mr..
Carter had disavowcd his letter to Mr..
Siratton! They fall like your other charges
to the prlson-house Of Lucifcr.