Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-23
JUDGE -BRoCKENBR0uGH.

lIOIl llt Hull. u. -
was accompanied by a private letter to the ed'
tors of the Enquirer" instructing us by nj
means to publish this communication, withou
being positively assured of the absence of al
danger attending the indisposition of MI. Glenn
ems. We were also instructed to consult Will
two eminent citizens Of Richmond, the init
mate personal friends of Judge Brockcnbrough
and learn from them whether the present STATE
ofMr. Clemens health ought to prove an oh
Staclc 10 such publication.
Having fully complied with all these careful
instructions, and having received the mos
dircc; and authentic assurances that MIR. Cic
mems is no longerin danger, and that his entlr'
recovery is placed beyond doubt. we no lohse'
hesitate to place Judge BrockenbroushS letter
before the public.
The complete vindication OF the conduct o
this gentleman. will he hailed with cSpecia
pleasure bv those of his friends who have beer
assricvcd by the unjust accusations which
some of his opponents have shown themselves
Ollt 100 rrllN " Hi>iii'litC.
In order that the whole matter may be pre-
>cntcd fairly and completely, we accompany the
publication OF this last conclusive document
with the letters to which it refers, and which
have already appeared in our columns.
We cannot conclude these remarks, without
expressing our satisfaction at the generous tom
OF Judge Brockenbrough's triumphant eXpla-
nation.
LETTER FROM JUDGE J. W. BRoCKENBRouGH
r. the EIiiors 81 tie Enqujrer::
Gcntlcmcn:-Tle very gratifying intelligence
having reached me, through the columns OF
THE SOUTH and from other sources, that the
condition of the Hon. Shcrrard Clemens has cx-
hibitcd such an improvement within the last
few weeks as to justify the confident cxpccta,
ton of his entire recovery, ! deem it due to
myself no longer to defer Il reply to his
statement" detailing the occurrences i'm.
mcdiatcly preceding and producing his late
duel, which was published in "Thc South OF
the 18th of September last. \ generous pub
lie will need no assurance from me that it is
extremely painful to me to revive the r~ecollec-
ton of i controversy. which had so serious and
distressing Il result. and that no consideration
could induce me 10 do so hut Il conviction of
the necessity of vin1icating my character from
the a>pcrSiunS, las many deem them cast upon
it in the publication referred 10. The circum-
stances attending that publication were such
as t. enforce silence upon me, which could
not have broken without violating. Us my
friends thought. the obvious proprieties Of life,
and offending against the ~clcarcSt suggestions
OF humanity.
The document itself is a very singular one,
and was published under very peculiar circnm-
stances. 1t purports TO have been written
with a view to publication, only in the event
that the author should not survive the meet
ing" and vet it was uShcrcd to the world on
the morning after that meeting, which had re-
suited, rs was then thought. i'll a wound of no
very serious character. am confident that
this was Mr.. Clemens own opinion, for on the
18th Of Septcmbcr. the day left Wheeling for
Charleston, Gen. Fccny. the city postmaster,
brought me u Geographic dispatch received the
night before from Mr.. Clemens himself, stating
tina, the wound was no; dangerous, and that
he was in the hands OF his friends. These
were the very words Of the dispatch, as | per-
tcctlv well remember. will not indulge in
any speculationS as To the motives which
prompted 80 sudden a change of purpose in
reference to the publication Of Mr.. Clemens
Statement" Ny purpose in this commune
cation is simply 10 respond. without the least
acrimonv. to some of the allegations contained
in the paper itself. There is much truth in
the detail given 10y Mr.. Clemens of the clrcum-
stances ofour casual interview at Grafton, and
Of the conversation that occurred between us.
| do not intend 10 notice imlnatcrial points, or
to controvert its accuracy, except in the par
~ticularS herein after stated.
Mr.. Clemens has 50 expressed himself as to
the careless reader TO conclude that he
intended to contradict the statement of my
first letter. published in the Enquirer" that
| had never authorized him to say that | would
decline the nomination for the office Of Co
vernon. il rendered to me by the Convention,
or forbidden the Use of my name, i'll any way,
in that connection. The conclusion deduccd
bv such persons. from this construction of his
therefore, is, that an issue OF vcracity
i raised between Us. 1t Is my purpose to
show, from the face Of the statement itself,
Is we'll us from Mr.. Clemens own previous
conduct, that he did not. and could not. have
intended to impugn the truth of my allegation.
lie saws. that Just before We passed into the
door o. the hotel. us the light struck my face,
he said TO me Judge, can | state your posi-
and that | replied, II authorize YOU to
do So" He further states, that it was due
to me 10 saw. that when he called my attcn-
ton 10 this fact, after the publication Of my
letter to the Enquirer" did not recall
it. 1t is quite true, that Mr.. Clemens did ask
me, in Wheeling, if | did not remember having
used thi, language. and that | replied that |
had no recollection of having used the word
authorize at all. but added that it was al
together probable that had authorised him.
os had authorised all who had approached
ON the subject. to state nv position. But
wha, was tut position? He may have re-
por,cd my language correctly, but he had mis-
conceived the ]p"si.iom itself, which simply
w,s that | did not d,sire the nomination, not
that | would not accept it, if rendered. Now,
docs he aver. in his statement that au-
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