Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-10-27
Letter from Hon. Elijah Walker.

his reputation, we cheerfully give publicity
tc his disclaimer.
Letter from Hon. Elijah walker.
CESTREvILLE, Tenn, Oct. %, 1858.
To the Editors Of the Patriot;
At the urgent solicitation of many of my
personal friends, and in Justice to myself, / ad-
dress you this note in order that the public
mind may be disabused of any prejudice that
may exist therein against me, from the con-
nection Of my name with the late Judicial
election in our State. No one could have
been more surprised, and certainly no one
more deeply regrets than myself, that any
vote was cast for me in that election. Ny
name was used, not only without authority
from me, but without any knowledge or even
suspicion on my part that it was to be so used
in that election. The first intimation that
had from any quarter whatever, that any per-
sons would probably cast their votes for me,
l received on the morning of the election at
WaynesbOro, from Mr.. James Anderson, who
had just returned from Nashville and who
told me that h had understood while absent
bia and Nashville, and Immediately on receiv-
ing this int lIigence, requested my friends
not to vote for me and asked their cOOpera-
ton with me to prevent any votes from being
cast for M, and by reason of which | receiv-
ed not one vote at Waynesboro, where was
at the time Of the election, and not one vote
in Wayne county. | received only about
eighty six votes in my entire judicial Cir
cuit-and only nine votes in the six coun-
ties nearest my residence; when had I been
DESTROYS of receiving votes it would perhaps
not be extravagant to say that | could have
secured more votes in my own Circuit than
were cast for me throughout the whole State;
at least | have been SO assured by many of
my personal friends.
This public disclaimer on my part of all
knowledge of or participation in the scheme
whereby my name was to be used secretly as
candidate, perhaps should have been made
by me at an earlier date, and | have delayed
so doing, partly from great reluctance to
appear in public card, and partly from the
fact that until recent date / could offer but
little evidence in my support besides my own
denial; for when the event transpred / was
totally at loss tn account for how my name
came to be used as it was in said election
when and where the plan for so using it Or
1ginated, and who where the prime movers
therein. Within the past twenty days con-
elusive evidences have been furnished me by
my friends on this subject. | have been shown
hD in Dnu
ten by w. l.. McCOnico, of Memphis, to diff
ferent persons, detailing the whole plan and
the means of accomplishing i'll mean the
defeat of Judge Wright by the use of my
namr-and which letters show conclusively
that i was no party to the transaction and
had no knowledge of its existence and that l
was the very person from whom the matter
was to kept secret In one of said letters the
following language is used I'VE must not
let Walker himself know anything of it,
and in another, land Judge Walker must be
kept in the dark and in others which have
not seen but whose contents have been re-
ported to me by my friends, language similar
TO the above is used.
Now had been party to the scheme or
been notified thereof, why all the above eau
ton to conceal from me all knowledge of the
transaction.
Since I had knowledge of the existence of
the above letters, | have waited in hope that
those persons who took such unwarranted Ii
berty in the use OF my name would, when
they had seen the false position in which they
had placed M, and the injury they had done
to my reputation. have promptly come for
ward and done mo justice and relieved me
from all blame, and censure as, a simple state
tement of the facts on their part would
30 fully have done. Finding however that it is
folly longer to rely on their magnanimity or
sense OF justice am forced either to acquiesce
silently in t'Ie sr ut wrong that has been done
me or to make this appeal to the public how
ever unpleasant 10 me or others may be the
performance of this duty thus forced upon
me by necessity.
| have heard that by some suspicious minds
an inference has been drawn to my prejudice
from the fact that happened to be ut Nash
Vile few days before the election; and that
it has been insinuatcd that while at Nashville.
fixing up the details of the plot. In these
surmises and suspicious, gross injustice has
been done TO me. nerer sac the Editor Of The
Banner IN my life that 1 an a,oare Of, nor haze 4
eper had any eorresp H,de'ace with him on auy
subject whatever. My visit To Nashville was
in no way connected with the judicial cleo
ton but was on business of a purely private
and personal nature, as all suspicious minds
can satisfy themselves by enquiring OF Mrssrs
Campbell and McEwin, of Franklin, Tenn.
The movement 10 defeat Judge Wright,
may have been the result of an ebulition Of
party feeling-ard partiality for me may have
had its influence know not the motive,
only know and complain of the great injustice
that has been done to me.
In conclusion repeat my solemn disciaim
er of all completely on my part with the trick
attempted to be practiced upon the SURFACES
OF the people by the secret use of my name
and declare that no inducement could be Of
fered to me to obtain or accept any office ac-
quired In such a manner.
T.. WALKER,
lae- The Richmond South counsels the De-
al. IL