Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-08-07
From 1.-The south
MIR. j. +. II. CLAIBORNE'S DEFENCE.

! To tic Editor Of "1hc So"ih:"
SIR have Just road in the n o. Bee an article
quoted from your journal reicrrln%to purchase the
Hon X. J. Walker is alleged &c ulade OF ne.
groes, some years since, in Virginia
however painful it may be TO me, to have &c refer
to my private !ransaclous j is my duty Ia say that
go far ny X. j. Walker has teen duplicated, you are
wholly in error. Mr.. Walker never visited Virginia.
authorised any one to visit Virginia, for any such
purpose. He WA. not party 10 the negotiation aud
knew nothing Of it until apprised Of il by me- and
asked to be my endorser. The transaction was Who'll.
| ly my own. This contract was subsequently, changed
betv the vendor and myself NJ ito instance O. the
vendor without consulting Mr. Walker, aud without
his i;uoseds o- consent, and le las not sines re
garded himself end AZ rot uuder the decisions, l+sal'
| ly ar morally responsible fer ibe Sett.
purchased the negr"es for myintividCa. lsa end
shipped them to New Orleans, in charge OF c,yen
of Washington, to be delivered on aplaneton Then
owned a gentleman OF Mississippi, my agsn' and
attorney, holding my authority 10 st AT hls dcre-
ton, in all business matters, and to buy, sell sn, or
endorse my name, CHANGED 10 be in New OreRns
when they arrived; aud being offered larC, ad
vance upon them by two planters OF high s;atIiug
and reputed wealth, he closed the trade nstn-t
receiving their joint NOTE payable III twelve ino1ls'
The isa saa.ion vas concluded, aud the negroes de.
llvered without cprs:ltpg Inc, very much 10 ny re-
gret. But my attornoy te.:a.ded it as IN excellent
| arrangement. The prrceestrs regarded Themselves.
and were regarded by ths public, e' G,o4 :o i've
every dollar Of the purchase money due III rrsIua
would have been paid, leaving a profit CT over
$l0,UGU. Tic ncgroe. were placed new panta.
in the river swamp, aBd more than half U hem
pGri.hed from cholera aud lever. In the interim, the
great rev nisi2r which shook the whole country and
ruined thoussnis occrsrrd, aud III the general week
the gentlemen 10 whom iss Isi,r9es had been tHns
ferred by lay agent, were overwhclIred. Dnru; all
this time, embracing the PERIOD ut Ely pre-, U5 OF
the slaves, their subsequent aslg aud the ruin dill: m
solvency of the purchasers, l had besn necessarily
absent from the Siate, the administration o! al
fairs confded to Others, unfortunately careless i'm
p.ovident and incompetent. | returned only To ind
my own property, aud most OF the second purchaars
sez sd, sold or Under execution. Credit was uuTer
sally suspended; property commanded no sale. ind
no description OF securities cLd ~ converted nto
money. Finding themselves utterly psisIyg ed, the
worthy gentlemen who hsd bought the negroes lr.
rendered. the surviving remnant TO me. They ware
sickly and emacated, but even in that condition, With
the view OF securing for the original owner portion
o. iher value, and to prevent other Creditors inn
seiliry T.. am. had no alternative but forced s,le
in New Griesas. for whatever they would bring. 1le
amount realized wa GO inadequate 10 meet their fist
cost was advised to inject u Mississippi bank p.-
per. then at heavy discount ~ sew Orleans, bit
available in Mississippi in various wSyt. Ky us
means I expected 10 cancel the debt, time Lei.s
granted. This WAS an error, but common error {
the period. Ii is matter Of notoriety thHt our
rarcy luctuated every day. II was, unfortunately
ut ruiGO%s discount on my return 10 hl-slsspp ant
manh under the GrlEsyo expectation that our in
stutons would survive their di.E CCltes, and uien
niry or compound with their note holicrl, cay them
sink, one after another, and thus lost my whole III
vesineut and more. These are facts known to many,
aud common 10 many.
Lave never repuiinted that debt, nor any debt
My ifs OF !au- and self denial since has enabled
to discharge or compromise obligations to larg,
amount aud before ATTY reference to the transaction
appeared in your journal, | was srsEs2g with an
Al.
authorized party to pay la[se lhs'sllh1nt 6: ;his
same debt-a party fully authorized, and who has
been all along apprized of my intentions, and has nj
yays expressed the fullest confidence in my ntegr
ty. Writer documents in my hands, not necessary
TO make public, yiI cus,ain my whole statement, and
more.
When the purchase referred is YES made by me-
my prospects for fortune were rs fair aCy ones.
Mr.. WALKER could entertain no question OF my abiI
ty 10 meet my engagements and but for the unauth0
rlzed sale made by my agent, the failure of the pur
Ghascrs snd subsequently ths suspension and nsnl.
vency u CIR Banks whose notes held, every dollar
of the debt would have been paid at maturity.
confess to insnansgenleEt and error in this affair but
Of it is due to the confidence that uulver.
sally prevailed; to the specializing pTopens!tie- of the
era, and to the disasters that overwhelmed nd!vi-
duals corporations and communities, the circumspect
as We'll as the reckless and uncalculatiug.
.ill not say what sacrifices, what penalties and
what NOTIFICATIONS have endured, to atone for my
error, nor OF lily vain dreams OF independence.
Like one who stands uiUn q promontory
And spies iur.uh shore whore i.r would tread
And chides the that severe linz ttG:E thence.
But will say that Mr.. WALKER has submitted 10
many priva,ions, ind denied himself ordinary com
forts to provide for endorsement and other liza.
bii,i:es. To meet obligation of this nature he nc.
tualy nyrothecared his per diem n Senator. when
it constituted biz ALMOST exclusive resource for the
supper, of his household Large amounts Of paper
held by him in exchange for yalrable real estate, be
came unavailable. aud worthless during his absence
from the State, aud many for whom lIe Was liable
availcd themselves of his absence to throw their re-
sponsibites upon him.
Very respectfully,
Your most obedient servant,
I + "A. CLAIBORNE.