Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-09-14

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perfectly prepared 10 encounter such an opponent
10 manifest that Mr.. Lscher is the least availabi
candidate to be selected from among the host Of prom
| lnent Democratic aspiranfs
MR.. CLEMENS DEFENCE.-WHAT DOES II
AMOUNT TOT
Intending to make it a subject of some comment
We again place the following correspondence befor
our readers
TO TIE Editors Of the Enquirer:
WHEELING, Va, Sept. 8. 1858.
Gentlemen-As tp 10. YOU do not desire 10 d,
ms injustice, will be ouig> i, ,yu 20 publish tb
correspondence between Judge Brocksnbr1ugb an,
myself, exact copies 9f which are enclosed.
sHERRARD CLEMENS.
WHEELING, Va, Sept. 7. 1858.
Dear Sir:-Your card, and the editorial structures
of the Richmond "Enquirer" have this momen
been placed before me-
l submit to you whether under all the crcum-
stances attending our conversation. and the publica
ton OF my letler to the Enquirer" you believe tha
| have been engaged in HI Intrigue against you. o
that have acted treachsrous part towards you1
In other words, whether may not have honestly
Inferred, from the whole tenor of our conversation
that "you declined in any way the use of your nam-
in the coming Canvass" although you did not ex
pressly cay sol
ask lesvs to publish your reply with this.
have thu honor to bs,
Very respectfully yours
SHERRARD CLEMENS.
Hon. JoHS w. BROcRESBRouGH.
WHEELING, Sept. 3, 1858.
DEAR s. Your note of the date of Yesterday,
which wn !elivered by yourself in person. at late
nour last ut, is now before me- and avail myself
ot the ear 81 moment of leisure TO reply to It.
You sui it to me- whether, under all the circHm
stances q nding our conversation, and the publics
ton of r letter in the Enquirer" believe that
You hav. ,een engaged in any intrigue against me-,
r that have acted a treacherous part towards
me.
1t mig be sufficient perhaps to say in reply that
have never charged you with entering into any in
'rgue against, or with acting treacherOusly towards
ne. In my card in the Enquirer" very carefully
avoided giving utiersnce to single word calculated
To wound or lpure You, except 80 far as the repudia
tDR OF any authority on your part TO commit Inc,
you had done, might necessarily have that tendency
In recalling all the circumstances Of our basty meet
ing at Grafton, and all that eaid touching the
Gubernarorial election, land conversation OF
come fifteen minutes continuance, was by no
means confined TO tbat) while your course in
withdrawing my name from the canvass, a.
by my authority, filed with sstonishmeni,
| was not willing to impute il to any iptrigu,
or trsachery on your part. Knowing al do the i'm
pulsiveness OF your temper. and remembering the eX
pcit disclaimer made by me- of wish TO be Governor
of Virginia, or to be an npedment to any other gen
tleman aspiring TO the Office, did not hesitate to
attribute the course adopted by you to mere incon'
-ldtraieness. and not to any unworthy motive.
supposed that you had concluded, you would thereby
promote the political aspirations Of friend, withou,
ntlcting any injury upon me-
From hs whole Tenor of our conversation do not
think you could reasonably infer that | would with
mold the use OF my oane, 'n any way, in the coming
CANVASS unless the mere disclaimer Of desire 10
be the incumbent of the Gubernaoral office, could
warrant such deduction / certainly never design
I'd TO convey such an impression, and had formed
resolution TO decline the nomination, il rendered.
would have chosen TO communicate the fact to my
fellow ctzsns, in no equivocal terms and in my own
name. Yours, respectfully.
JOHN w. BROCKENBROUGH.
Hon. SHERRARD CLEMENS. Present.
Such is the conclusion of record which the mos
iavoraby disposed juror, acting under oath to decide
the upon the evidence before him, could not fail
fssard Eoo at s ssecfdSR. cmMs M ShsrTsrS ssTs
the Enquirer" AL announcement that he is author
:sd by Judge Brocken6rough 10 state that the latter
declines in any way the use of his name in the com
ing Canvass" This is followed by publication
over Judge Brockenbroughs own signature. frcm
which we gather the following facts: lst. That be
cation whatever the subject I'd. That he did no,
even inform Mr.. Clemens of any intention TO decline
lhe Of his name in the canvass; 81. That in the
course Of brief and casual conversation tof few
minutes only, as it now appsars) he merely informe
Mr.. Clemens that he did not seek desire the oicr
OF Governor Of Virginia 4th. That he gave Mr..
Clemens no assurance that he would shrink from
high public duty it, unsought, it should BIZ imposed
Oh him by the voice Of the people.
Under these circumstances. we called on Mr.. Gle
mems for defence. The facts themselves, as they
appeared, we're his accusers. We called on him to
furnish, by precise and crcumstans array of fact.
and arguments, whatever justification be could pre-
sent consistently with truth. Upon what grounds
did he pretend to be authorized to publish anything
whatever in Judge Brockenbrough's name1 How
did it happen that he nisconstrued the intentions ol
the latter which he not authorized to publish.
by authority, If he had understood them per.
fecy1 How could hi. hssty action in this matter be
made to coincide with bis professions of friendship for
Judge Brockenbrough1 Was not his action dictated
entirely by an eager desire to serve the interests Of
some other csndidare7 All these questions pro
pounded for bis co7sda-a:ion snd reply. We had
right to demand thorough c.> uunstaI,isl M
ton of the whole matter. He had abused our coln
dence and misused our cou-tssv; we had right 10
every clue by which TO determine whether this was
done wfuy, csrelessly or Intentionally. Instead OF
presenting us with fall and manly explanation over
his signature, Mr.. Clemens now appeals to Judge
Appeals to him for what Not for
report Of the conversation between
them This was the only manner in which Mr. Gle
mems, as an honorable and generous man. could ap-
prOsch Judge Brockenbrough, under the circumstan
ces. But Mr.. Clemens tskes another course. He sp
proaches Judge Brockenbrough not TO demand
statement of facts, but to avail himself of judge
Brock kenbrsughs opinion on ths facts as stated. He
appeals to Judge Brockenbrough to pronounce sum-
msrily his acquittsl or condemnation. No one will
pretend that Judge Brockenbrough WAS the proper
person to select for this office. BY An entifs and
positive condemnation Of Mr.. Clemens, Judge
Brockenhrough would have been obliged to manu-.
facture POI cal capital for himself. This consdera-
ton. and Jl dge Brockenbrough's honest pride aud
we'll known pirit of extreme charity and forbesrance
towards the weakness of others, furnished Mr.. Glen
mems ever assurance that his appeal, in the form
nust be received not as proud densnd
for the unqualified severity of JUSTICE but as an hum
ble De.i.;on for charity, If not for mercy. And yet
he stopped TO make the appeal. The answer is eI.
aotly what might have been expected. Judge Brock
enbrough cannot be swerved from positive state
msnt of facts, but declines to issue condemnation.
which, if pronounced, would enure TO his own ben-ft
and, giving Mr. Clemens the benefit of single doubt
ia his favor, Ia charitable enough to bs unwilling
to believe him guilty Of intrigue or treachery;
and escapes the necessiy of attrbuting unworthy mo-
tives, only by supposing that Mr.. Clemens has acted
with degree OF 'incopslderstenees which would be
objectionable in quick witted urchln, ten years Of
age 1t requires only glance to determine that every
effort on the part Of Judge Brockenbrough
is in.uiceu to mitigate the sentence pronounced by
the facts themselves against Mr. Sherrard Clemens
Judge Brockenbroughs letter presen in spite of biz
extreme msgnanimiiy, q smooth and convex surface,
which reflects upavoidably the rpenviable situsioD
t..1L