Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-12-11
NUMBER SO.

called to the stand, he would cross-question
them
The Chair said it was NOT in order to
call members to the stand and cross-question
them.
Mr. Smith, editor of the Alexandria Sem
tinel, was called to the stand, and in reply
to a question from Mr. Wise, said that he
did not believe any such letter existed.
Great cheering
Mr. Garland, of the Blue Ridge Rupubli-
can, called Jno. Bell, of Culpeper to the
stand.
Mr. Bell said he had never heard of the
letter until he visited Richmond. A voice.
Another humbug.] He had heard of the
existence of the letter from Mr. Tyler, ofthe
Enquirer.
[Cries of "ahal "aha % "let him 90
on" &c.
Mr. Bell-Something was said then about
q letter from Letcher to Smith, persuading
him torun in opposition to the regular DEM
ocratic nominee for Governor. | said I
knew nothing about it, but would not be
surprised if it was so, as I knew that both
MIR Letcher and Mr. Smith were opposed to
the nomination and election of Mr. Wise
but that Mr. Lctcher's opposition had soft
ened more than Mr. Smiths, as the former
had voted for him; had no conviction on
the subject; as to my belief, that is another
thing. | knew nothing of the existence of
any such letter. knew that Mr. Smith
was applied to by many members of the
Know Nothing party. They had applied
to him by letter and otherwise, to run a.
gainst Wise.
Mr. Wise-I have heard the report in
manner which forces me to believe it.
A voioe-''Believe it then"
Mr. Wise-Mr Letcher has applied to the
nominees Of the Democratic Convention of
1898, the term that ''they were three of the
d-st renegades in the State
Loud cries of ''true," s'true," and Kisses,
Mr. Wise-No man who is gentleman
will hiss me, or will call Henry A. Wise
renegade; and The man who will come on
this platform and do it to my face, shall not
leave it alive. Had that remark of Mr.
Letcher gotten to Governor Wise's ears, he
would have been held personally RESPONSE
BILE, even if Governors commission had to
be resigned for it,
Mr. Pryor stated that in Congress Mr.
Letcher voted against Governor Smith, for
Speaker Of the House.
Mr. Barbour, Of Culpeper, wished to mako
a personal statement. He had consented,
at the requestof some of Mr. Letcher' friends.
to nominate him in this Convention. When
he first heard Of this letter he felt it due to
investigate the matter. lie did rot wish to
be placed in false position, for If that let
ter was produced here he would 10 longer
be the sponsor Of Mr. Letcher Mr. Letcher's
friends denied the existence of any such doc
ument, Or that it had ever been written. =
They said that the day after the Staunton
Convention Mr. Letcher had travelled with
Gov. Smith, on his way to Washington, and
had he felt disposed, could have spoken to
Mr. Smith his suggestions, instead of putting
them on paper. He was also with Smith
for three months afterwards, in Congress and
there could have been no necessity for wri-
ting to him. He was assured by Mr. r M
Smith, relative of Gov s., that he did not
believe in the existence of the letter. Mr.
Tyler proposed that the Convention be adj
journed until the next day, when tele
graphic dispatch to both gentlemen, Letcher
and Smith could be sent and answered.
The time in which the answer was to be re-
ceived passed without it's reception, and he
had nominated Mr. L. IF the letter did ex-
ist he considered himself very badly treat
ed man.
Mr. Wise.-Will the gentleman from Gull
MOI Hn ho "a IL.
no direct communication with him. I sup
posed the friends of Mr. Letcher, as thew
had been notified Of the reputed existence
of the letter, would have telegraphed in re-
lation to it.
Mr. Barbour, in reply, said he had not.
Mr.. Garland, editor of the Blue RIDGE
said that he had written let
ter to Mr.. Letcher, and had received reply
from which he would read the following ex
tracts:
''In the gubernatorial canvass of 1855.
when Gov. Wise came here Oexington) to
address the people, [ introduced him to the
audience myself, and addressed the people
on the main points of the subject for an hour
after Gov. Wise had concluded During
his stay here Gov. W. was visitor at nv
house.
II desire to see all the main lines of i'm
in the State completed, and be-
lieve the lateral lines will follow in due
time"
Mr.. Harman, of Augusta, said the canvass
Of 1855 was opened in that county against
the Know Nothings by Hon. John Letcher.
in speech equal in strength to those of
Henry A. Wise. So bitter was he in his
aenunciations that the opposition paper of
Stanton characterized it as disunion effort.
Mr.. l.. having said that John Fremont could
never take his seat if elected
a Voice-F'remont was not in nohinatior1
then.
Mr.. Harman.-Oh [ recollect that ex-
preston was not used then, but afterwards
The party cannot strike down leader II
[1etcher had written that letter, the Tenth
Legion would have asked him to resign
He had heard Know Nothings say that the
Know Nothing State Convention was anx-
Gus to get Letcher for Gubernatorial can
Gdate, and that member of it approached
lim on the subject. He only laughed at
hem. Even Gov Wise himself had been
approached by the Know Nothings. Yet.
10 one would urge that as an argument that
he was unsound
Mr.. Tyler. not the same gentleman
Who communicated the reputed existence of
his 1ettnr n, Nv yV;so enoal- - Mr. Cho,Ja