Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-04-14
Letter from John Minor Bolts.

/ HENRY SHACXELrORD.
Dear Sir-I was greatly surprised at the
contents of your letter received to-day.
You say Gov. Smith has letter from Mr.
! John Williams, clerk in one of the depart.
ments in Washington, in which it Is stated
| that he was present and heard me In $500
/ invite Mr.. Smith to take the field against
! Mr.. Wise assuring him that he would get the
/ Know Nothing vote and be elected, and that
| Mr.. Smith declined it on the ground that he
would not run against the nominee Of his
| own party: and that this letter has been read
| by Mr. Smith in his public addresses, and
/ you ask me to state whether such or any sim
! liar conversation has occurred between Mr..
! Smith and myself.
| To all of which | answer No, alphabetically
No. Such an idea never entered my head as
that myself or the Know Nothing party, rs
it was then called, could be induced to sup
port Mr.. Smith in the position he occupied,
for they would never have thought OF going
out of their own organization for candidate
for any political office, rs long as they could
have found suitable candidate in 1.-THE
nomination of Mr.. Patton as Attorney Cen
eral being excused only on the ground that
the law office of the Government should not
be held TO be political Office.
might stop here but as witness has
been introduced in advance Of any denial on
my part and before the necessity for proof had
arisen, which is an unusual proceeding, |
feel bound to sustain nay own assertion by
circumstances that must put the question be
yond doubt.
In the first place might enquire, who is
Mr.. John Williams? know Of nosuch per
son in Washington, and never have been in
his company as far as my knowledge extends;
but | am introduced to so many persons that
an introduction to this gentleman may have
escaped my recollection, but he is certainly
laboring under some strange delusion.
have no recollection Of ever having held a
conversation with Gov. Smith ON the subject
of the election, from the time MIR. Wise re-
ccived the nomination to the present hour.
recollect very well that Mr.. Walker, Of
this city, then and now employed in the Ex-
amiuer Office, during the winter Of '54-'5,
placed letter in my hands from Gov. Smith
which he asked me to take home with me to
read, and give him my views upon it when
we next met-In that letter there was not
only Willingness, but desire expressed,
for the nominatiUn-it contained an argu-
ment TO show that it would be bad policy for
the Know Nothing order to require him to
become a member of the order, as that would
deprive him Of Democratic votes--it should
be enough for them TO know that he sympa-
thized with them in their purposes, and
agreed with them in principles. This was
the substance Of the letter left with me for
several days, and signed William Smith,
and which was told was from Extra Billy"
as Mr. Walker termed him. understand
Gov Smith denies having written any such
letter. Of course, | cannot, and do not, say
he did. 1t may have been forgery. Mr..
Walker and myself, as well as others, may
have been imposed upon; but that such II
letter, purporting to have been written by
one William Smith," was placed in my
hands, and seen by many others, there can
be no doubt. Since receiving your letter,
called on Mr.. Walker to enquire what had
become ofthat letter, and how he came to have
it. lie said that he had first written to Mr..
Smith, on his own responsibility. suggesting
to him that he should run Us the Know Moth
ing candidate that he received letter in
reply. stating that he Mr.. Smth) did not
like to answer such letter to a stranger, but
invited him Walker to meet him in Fred
erlcksburg. Walker says he then wrote
Smith that he had probably mistaken his
position, that he was al humble and obscure
man. whose calling and influence would not
Justify the meeting invited, and it was in re.
ply to that letter that the one referred to was
received. In regard to the disposition of the
letter. he said that on some subsequent occa-
sion he handed the letter to Mr. Robert
n. nIi If tia
that it might be returned to Mr.. Smith, who
was then in this city, and that he did SO.
Mr.. Hughes, therefore, is now the proper
person to be applied TO for further intorma-
ton respecting the letter.
But when | saw Mr. Walker again he
warmly urged the movement he had contem-
plated. which was done in good faith on his
part said to him, rs he recolects distinct
~, that no man could get the Know Nothing
vote, who was not member Of the order; and
that if he were "A member he could not he
elected, and that no other democrat could, for
the reason that it was necessary ~ have the
Wing vote outside of the order to z i've US an
election, which could not he obtained by any
decided democrat, especially by Mr.. Smith,
whose violence towards them had rendered
him almost rs obnoxious to the party as Mr. |
Wise; and that as between these two, the
Wing vote would either remain neutral. or be |
divided and rs the Democratic vote was Sc
cured to Mr. Wise by his nomination, and
would outnumber any vote the Know Moth
ing party could give, the nomination Of Mr..
Smith, would necessarily secure Mr.. Wise's
election.
Thi, was my argument from beginning 10
end, as will be seen by an extract Of letter
written to Mr.. Nathaniel B. Meade, of Clarke
county, in December, 1854, and which was
read BY me in 1856, ard constitutes part of |
nly African Church speecl. OF that gear
enclose that extract, together with por- !
ton of my speech, onl y to show the connec-
ton in which it was used, and in that letter
it will be found that even 1T that early day | |
was in favor Of two conventions, Wing and !
Know Nothing that they might unite Oh the
same candidate for Governor, and thus ensure |
MS election. "Let Mem," / said, "M be
Kno~ .Notti"ys ityo" choose. JUtMey must be
Hhigs HMc sumo Hnte.'
How then was it possible for me to have
united Gov Smith to become candidate,
with an assurance that he could get the Know
Nothing vote?
But there is another circumstance even
stronger than this, aud that was that from tho
first, it WAS i'll contemplation by my friends
TO present my own name 70 the consideration
Of the Convention, for which they had OBJ