Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-03-18
Daily l'iroiuiau.
From thu Richmond hg
Letter from Hon. John M. Bolts.

10 ne Edfors 81 ne " hty:
The ridiculous md unfair attempts Mt msrcpre-
srntaton OF what said short time since in the
Convention. by portion of the Democratic press
in this city, can only serve to satisfy all who heard
my remarks of tho abandonment OF all attempt To
answer the argument. and Of tho desperate straits
h which they reduced. for something that will
constitute capital upon which the existing can
yass i'll this State may he conducted
Despairing Of NIL efforts to rcute the stubborn
iaets that have bccu brought against the Domoc-
racy. they have rosorted to the most uncandid,
aisingcnuaus. and unfair means, % create popu.
lar prejudice for the momcnt~-not against tho
candidate Of our party, but against me who am
in no sense hoinro the people for any office. At
this. however. have neither felt surprise nor re-
;lct was not surprised. because | have been
too long accustomed 10 such misrepresentation not
10 have been prepared ior it, did not regret it,
lccausc il conclusNely showed tho weakness of
cur advcrsarics' position.
But did regret to see that Mr. Lotchor bc-
tween whom and myself the kindcst relations
had always existed hnd initiated NJ bnd nn exnm-
pie. and, taking the "cHe" from the Richmond En-
quircr. Lul mncrrcmononsly and grniuiiously in
lrodnccd my namo into the canvass: rs il my
sounduess or unsoundness, on the slnvcry other
oaestons bud anything 10 do with tho contest DO
tween Mr.. Gosgin and himself and us if my
laerits "r dcmrrs were now presented for tho
consideration and Judgment Of The State II he
language, and the meaning it conveyed.
am not in tho habit Of taking positions thut
will impose upon the ncccsSit, Tor ictrncton
nnoogv, ON the of youth. indiscrcton or
,houg hlcssncss. 1t is customary with mo to
weigh and measure all my words: and it is usual
for me to say what mean, aud TO mean what
say; aud, the occnsion alluded To, | certainly
meant all that dw ny,
In the N \. Herald Of the 10th, Mr.. I.ccher
i, reported to have said several ungrncious nnd
nnromp!mcn,ary things of me, tint Ind no ren
son To expect from HIM.
John NJ. Bolts" he said. had mkcn tho
stand ngnins, him. How stnn- he 7" The Rich
mond Wing hn- been compelled to dcnounce his
nnsoundncss." "lIc nsowcd in his Richmond
'pcoch his willingness 10 mnite with free negroes
to put down the Democracy" "Spols were of
more interest to him thun the rights Of tho
Snuth.'
When mud where have | taken the stand nganst
him? | have mentioned his name but once, md
tarn in terms ot warm personal friendship. and
chiefly to show the Inconsistency Of those who had
denounced him ns being IN decided abolitionist,"
"untruc to the SOUTH "unfuthlnl to Democra-
ey." deficient in moral integrity" and wanting
III mental capacity and yet, IN the same breath,
declaring their purpose to work aud vote for him.
II lac should lac the nominee OF the party. NV OBJ
crt wns to show that the institutions of slavery
and the interests oi the South least cared for
by those who were most '..tussy' on the subject.
aud that the Democratic party had onl used the
question Of slavery ns football for party unity
and asccndnury.
This is the only connection in which have
used Mr.. Lctchcrs name, and it that is offensive
then ! plead guilty of having thrown tho first
stone. although did not make one of the charges
myself Several weeks ago, certain facts woro
placed at my disposal under the snpposiion that
! intended Ia take IN active part in tho canvass,
connected with certain speculative operations Of
Mr.. Lc,cher in Washington, that cannot be other
wise than detrimental 10 his prospects if disclosed
rs they certainly will be- and il they should be
tablishcd but which declined to NEEDLE with, be-
cause they partook Of Il personal, as well as of II
political na,urc,and because iolttownrds him all
the ties of personal friendship
But "thc Richmond Whig," he says, "hns
been compelled to drnonnce my unsoundncss."--
How far it il either generous, or propcror admls-
sable for gentleman to repcat charge of dcnun-
ciution that has been again and again, to his
knowledge, Internationally withdrawn, yoluntari-
ly and without consideration other than that Of
we'll settled conviction and manly acknowledge
mcnt, | leave to Mr. Le,cher on less interested
occasion. To determine. But il he relies upon the
,e,ti,hana ciargc Of the Wing 10 establish un-
t,undncss in me, how docs he propose to acquit
himself orthe wHhd,ama and iafciy nt,ic,uicd char
ec- ut uI,S0un}acss and unr0rthiness against him
hy the Enquircr-uowihstund he is the can
didate ofthc party that the Enquirer is now pre-
h1ding to support.
And 81 announced my willingness to unite piM
f1e nc,pocs TO put down the Democracy" he says.
Nhcn and where did Mr.. Lctchcr see this except
IN the Richmond Enquirer authority that one
might suppose he would not be edgcr to quote, or
establish az rcliablc-and which he was obliged to
know gross misrepresentation of what had
said for he had evidently read my speech rc-
ported, and that certainly furnished no foundation
for such charge.
There was but ono part Of my speech ns far rs
have secn aud that wns taken for the New York
Herald, by its regular reporter, who take pleas
ure in snying, reported me- in substance, with
great accurncy-nnd his repor: was never seen by
me until it was in prnt-and Mdt represents me
i,s saying, in reply to n complaint that was will
ling to receive the vote Of the Republican party
that if there was State in the Union composed
entirely of free negroes, and the constitution gdre
then, lie right 10 rofe, nouid b. much Obliged To-
them TO heip me to beat the Democratic party'-and
80 woodland Mr.. Lecher and all his party
would, rs all know, make every effort and sacri-
fee to secure their votes to keep them in power.
But, will Mr.. Letcher as a lawyer, n politician,
a gentleman, or n man Of sense, say that this Ian
suage justified him in saying Of me, before crowd
Of his constituents, and in my absence with no
one to represent me, or correct him, that l had
said was willing to unite with free negroes on
rny terms, or for any purposes First, it was ap-
parent to ALL, that my remark was intended mere
ly rs illustration of my deep seated and earnest
conviction of the necessity for, and determination
to use all constitutional and lawful means to nc
complish the defeat of the Democracy, and not as
proposition to seek their aid even for the
that there was no such State in the Union, and
never could be- and secondly, to receire aid from
them was very different from uniting with them.
as every body is obliged to know. who understands
the weight and meaning of the English language.
To unite or couiesce with party implies recog-
niton of equality and reciprocity; to receire aid
from them implies neither the one nor the other.