Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-05-23

enfdnc 10 the standard by which he judged
mans soundness, aud that my remarks here fir
III CLOSED TO him the real views l entertained OF
ite subject.
The charges ,hus made against 'me, implying
cnnoealmen, oi my views, aud wfnl deceit at
my part. have mot, presume escaped his attsn
! ten.
! On Wednesday evening Ut The frsi week al
the 49, 81 n. NJ nv cole ,gne viii we'll remember,
nj meeting Of the delegation fI"n our STATE, al
which he was present. ! declared in answer Ia
! .pe. ffc interrngaiorie-, that n kansns should
! apply for admission as II Stnie mi" the Union,
with population sufficient 10 eniiile hrrto n Re-
preventative in Congress, and her people. by n
clear aud unmistHkenblr majority, should decide
in favor of "A slave constitution, did not see
how | could vote against her admission. There
could have been no misapprchension. therefore
in regard 10 my views among my colleagues
One of them (Mr. Rnbiuson) very frankly stated
ut that meeting. that he could support mo no
longer. AID he accordingly the following day. vo-
ted for the gcntlemaa who fills the chair but my
colleague from the Cumberland district (Mr Todd
continued to vote for me during the next illrteen
ballots and then commenced with minority d
eur delegation 10 vote for the present Speaker,
aud had voted for at least "A week before ] ad
dressed the House and was followed by the extrn.
ordinary declaration. had no previous acqaan.
lance WIN my chHtUpufs D bftEW'h' h'i' ~ ib'
fir. time he will d. me the ins'fce to sny, that in
no interview Of ours had announced any senti-
ment or opinion different from that at the meet
ing stated.
| Ind said no more in the House than bad
said to him out e it, aud after which he contin-
ned his support Of me yet he arose IN his place,
and made that most remarkable speech, pref T.
ring mutilaiion aud physical dismcmborneht to
the dread alternative Of having voted Tor me.
had hoped that, with the close of the CONTEXT,
the necessity for further explanation had ceased
also. But gentlemen, from some real or snppos-
cd necessity of their own, have felt themselves
called upon TO inquire into my past history. A
convenient instrument at home was found ready
AMI willing. us a volunteer. TO stretch drag net
over my State and district. to ascertain IT, IN the
unsu -pcotug frnnkness OF prl,nt" CORE Spondcnce
or in the confidence of personal frieDdsh,p. had
not written or said something which might be
employed 10 my prejudice. His patient search
aud vigil long" rewarded by the discovery
81 IN ancient manuscript, nav widely known rs
the sayton letter. | find myself charged hereby
the public press nd in various letters addressed
By Congressional gentlemen TO their constituents,
with having written letter, on the 18th day "t
August, 1910. to one b. +. Sax,on, soliciting the
freesoil nomination for Canal Commissioner of
pennsy lvana, declaring myself to br IA Wiimot
proviso man up 80 the hub, and utterly opposed
To the extension of slavery"
This letter pronounce here pubcly-as |
have done elsewhere privately forgery. do
not know, and never knew,any man by the name
Of b. +. Suxton. ! did not know,a Mr.. +. Saxton
lawyer ia my district, to whom did write
private letter, in reply to one received from him
This letter according to Mr.. Saxt"n'- own state
rneni, which have here. was ~tolru from l. pos
-cssinn. iinudulrntly altered and then publ he'd
So far from soliciting Frecs,l nomnait"n.a~ |
am charged with hnvmg done, the particular oh
ieet of my letter was to induce Mr.. Saxton took
ert himself to prevent any nomination whatever :;
aud the language ascrihed "a me,uf hcing WI
moi prov>o man up to the hub, nowhere appear
ed in the letter Thi. letlrr,thu- surrepti,loo,ly
obiainednnd by some person to me unkn"wn.was
reconstructed 10y putting together half sentences
aud the manufacture of whole ones aud. thus re
produced, was Iahned upon the public. lh" iran'i
Wa exposed at the time. aud it sunk at U~"i' tso
seven years oblivion for all this happened scsrn
year. ngo, and, to my kuowl dgr, has not been
alluded to since. until II month or two ago u bf
ter and interruptions enemy ut home ~ issued II
as genuine.
hive here Mr.. Saxtons letter, written at the
time of its original public alton stating the theft
md prononnciug the published letter to be for.
gerry. / have III" letter of II gentlemen VIII" saw
my letter before II was mnilrd,nnd have II lrttri
form gent, man who saw II after II was recelv
cd But To complete the pront,nnd now /" oiincl
this iaspl hood and quiet it forever have, must
fortunately, in my own handwriting,a copy OF my
letter 10 Mr.. Saxton.
!, of course, generate honorable gentlrner
here who have made use u. this letter, from al
knowledge of its true character. | have beer
informed that the original letter in my hand
writing, aud over my signature, IS now here Ion
exhibltiun, in case ot my denial Of the authentic
ity of the published letter. That letter. having
been surrepttiou,iy obtained FROM Mr.. SaNton
is 'uhtrSs in the possession If SOME person WIN
could aud would he willing to produce 1t, II II
will sustain the allegation made. | here, mn
now, challenge its production. l.et it be br"ngh
! forth, and il will prove the ons published (" b,
| "A forgery. | here AM now deny It's authorship
deuouncr it as n forgery, and defy its prodne
| ton.
| come now to the next charge III the bill u
| Indictment against me, which is. that ON the 25tl
! day of September. 1919 made speech III Al
! leghnny City, in which declared that 1t was thu
| duty of Northern men "to insist ON the earies
| practical abolition of slavery ] deny the ut
terance of any such sentiment. The facts ar
these | was then candidate for Canal Cnmmls
-ioner, and did address meeting in the city II
| the time stated. | remember it we'll There wa
n large crowd and much shouting. Some lover
af mischief sprung sudden cry of fire whic
disturbed and came near breaking up the meet
ing. The good people with that iusunctiv" sens
at preservation of self and property natural 10 II
AL began to separate; the alarm. however, prov
cd to be false ono, order was restored, aud
| proceeded to the end of my speech. There wer
no reporters present. nor any accommodation II
them. so far as | saw. The following day, | re
member to have seen what purported to be re
pnr; of my speech. hut in language aud sentimen
50 much stronger than any had uttered that
could not recognize it as my own production; an
remarked, as well rs | remember. this fact to tn
publisher of one Of the journals in which the repor
appeared He informed me that il had been writ
ten out from memory, aud not from notes take
at the meeting. III know myself. have neve
entertained ar ey nrasseh nuy sentiment in f,yn