Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-03-29

gina Sentinel, | Will introduce what l salC
in the Convention -
Upon the evening in question, the American
party held a very large and enthusiastic neetin.
at American Hall. At the conclusion Of Of tn,
speeches. the meeting called upon gentleman Il
address il. when the gentleman called upon, sta
ted that he would not speak himself but that Gov
Smith was in town. and he moved that he be invi
ted I" address the meeting. The motion was car
rcd. the committee appointed - wait on him, AND
after au absence Of some time returned, when the
chairman stated that Gov. Smith, upon reflection
deemed it more prudent not TO atterd the meeting
but would address them, il they would call round
al the Marshall House. AS the mountain" said
the chairman, will not 20 to Mshomet, ] move
that Mshomet 20 TO the mountsin,' and thoy did
20. and Gov. Smith did address them. closing hi'
speech just the Democrats, with torches, trans
parencies. aud music. came from the Lyceun
wheeled into kiug -trcet, and sent up defiant
shout.
may GO further, aud say, that, according 10 the
report Of the chairman Of the committee who wait
ell on him. Gov. Smith was on his way the meet
ing; but being met by friend strongly urged
not To 20 to the Hail. it might possibly compro.
nit him far with the Democrats, as to render his
aid In the American party less available"
The pubic will see the three points upon
which the editor of the Sentinel Joined issue
lst. Gov. Smith must have known the politi-
cal complexion of the party he was address
ing. 2nd. That Democratic procession
came into King street, and sent up defiant
shout. before he closed, or about the time he
closed his speech 3D. That Gov. 5. was on
his way to the meeting, american but be.
ing met by friend. was strongly urged not
to 90 to the Hall, &c. The burden of the
editor Of the Sentinels wall, has been to show
that the statements made by me in the ex-
tracts of nv speech. above introduced, were
( disiointcd recollections of fading memory,
after the facts were forgotten Now for the
first proposition. Passing by the letters Of
gentlemen already published, the majority
| OF which show that. in the very nature Of
! the circumstances under which the speech
! was made. the Governor must have possessed
/ the aforesaid knowledge, | here present the
! following extract from the card Of Col. {. f..
Stuart published in the Sentinel of the 22d
| instant IL did say that the statement in
regard to Gov. Smiths knowledge of the per-
sons whom he was addressing, was true"
, Does the editor of the Sentinel DENY that this
itOr OF the Sentinel acknowledge that have
{ introduced the testimony of gentlemen Of the
| highest standing and unimpeachable vera
city, to sustain the second proposition IL
| the people feel any interest in this contro-
yersy at all, one element OF that interest. |
suppose. is, that the issue should be met with
candUr--nud lodging around corners-nO play
ing upon mere words. | have tried so to
act III regard 10 these issues now add in
this connection, that highly respectable
gentleman. belonging to the Democratic par
~. voluntarily offered 10 make an affidavit to
the truth of what stated in my second pro-
position: that might show it to the editor
of the Sentinel, and others. preferring that
his name should not appear in the public
papers. Thanking him. | declined, simply
for the reason that considered the proof
already adduced sufficient. | now come to
the third issue, which the editor of the Sem
tincl has in his paper of the Did. inst, con-
~tlturi the first. Sensible that he was
placed hprs du combat upon the two first,
here he places his heaviest artillery, and
hopes by noise and smoke Ia divert his re,,-
dcrs from the faces in the ease lie SAWS,
none Of these certificates sustain the first
llas'l and graycst charge that Mr.. Massey
made which was, substantially. that Gov.
Smith had determined to desert his party,
aui uulv rrfrancd that he might bctray it,"
II" editor 0t iii" Sentinel may place what
construction upon il he thinks proper, but
aim only responsible for my own language.
Having given him proof upon the two first
points, he now busters and rants, calling in
his extremity for proof upon this last issue.
Hear him: Why pick up hcarsay recollec-
tions from second hands. Why do they not
call on the committec and let them tell what
happened? The reason is, the Committee
will not prove the statement. Nay, we point
+" the evidence of Col Stuart, one vf the Com
mittec, i'll Saturdays and to-day's Sentinel,
To di,proye it, Il, it does positively. Mr.. Mas
>rv pretends To no other statement than Col.
Stuarts. lie promises on Saturday to pub
llsh his statement. Ii did not suit him, and
it did not come 1t fails him. 1t refutes
him. He is compelled to abandon the charge,
and retire discOmtitted and beaten" As
Domino Sampson would say ''prodgious"
Not SO fast Mr. Smith. rely upon Col.
Stuart, say you. He is your witness. and Of
course YOU will not reject his testimony.
confess regret bringing him into this posi-
ton. acknowledge that had | thought pre-
vous to making the remark in the conven-
tion, that statements 30 often made in the
community and 50 generally believed would
have resulted in a question of yeracity. and
Col Stuart thereby be brought into the mat
ter, should have foreborne But the ed-
tor of the Sentinel. triumphantly points to
his Card as complete refutation Of the
charge, and tho Col. stands by and coolly al
lows him 10 say this is my tower Of defence,
and from it | defy all assaults. But one
course is left me, and that is to say, that
Col. G. T.. Stuart told me not only in sub
stance, but word for word all that sta
ted in that convention speech, saving and
excepting the part about the Democratic pro-
cession. This was before | made the speech.
After had made it, and the convention had
adjourned while standing at the Lyceum
corner. in company with A. ID. Wsrfeld.
John I. John.tpn, W. Avery and r. Alex
ander, esqrs., Col. Stuart in going over the
statement, made it, III the opinion Of the gen
tlemcn present even stronger than ] had,
and they 81 declared in his presence. Some
time after that, on the same afternoon, in the
presence of gentlemen. Col. Stuart, in front
of my store on King street, corroborated the |
same. each time closing his remarks with |
some cxplctyes not H0r necessary to men- |
ton. Again on the 18th inst. when ut the |
suggestion of Col. Stuart, changed the |
motive presented to Gov. Smith, by third |
party for not attending the meeting at |
American Hall, Col. Stuart said in the pre-
4 Il Al a