Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-19
To tho Public.

lam compeled Ia appear before the public
,,l.r nv rr,ucr name, and make no apollo
go. for T. 4 disconnected remark OF mine,
nn,.,I. IN :, casual conversation, Oh the street,
i snu,bt to used to the injury OF MIR. Shack
aIf,rd II is due IL him, therefore. and Ia
uv.cIf 70 submit the whole matter To the
public. r A.
Thomas. for Congress, by the Opposition '"il-
y.ntiou. at Alexandria, III II conversation
with Mr.. Shackcliord. remarked that HAD
heard one az two Of the opposition say that
,hrv would like to vote for MIR. Thomas, but
that they had promised TO vote Tor INN ana
sbould do 50. | added that replied to them
that | did not expect he was the man to hold
another bound under such circumstances:
that had no doubt he would be glad to get
III, Votes of Eli his nrighbors aud friends,
ofhotI parties, but that did not suppose he
wouId be willing to receive their votes against
their dcsirc-cspecially such as had promised
him before a candidate of their own was III
the field and when IT was believed there
would L,uunr This was what | repeated I"
Mr.. ShackeliUrd. and lie replied substantially y
..You NAV saw 10 any such, that 1t they de
sire il | release them from such pledge
hold no man bound under such crcums'an-
eos If h. want, to vote for his own party
,.,nJi,Iot, | shall not force him t. vote Tor
me" No man sent me 10 Mr.. ShacKeiloru 10
ask to be rcleased-no man asked me t" men
ton the subject Ia him. Nor dld Mr.. snack
eifcrd send me L. any one. or ask me To MAKE
il my business 10 proclaim It. / mentioned
il. | believe. in the presence ri but MFtt "i
the Opposition party, and that III very
casual manner. This is all. This is the head
and front the wonderful discovery. Could
Mr., Shackclfnrd. ~ high-minded, honorable
man, have said less? Was he to say to tn Csc
gentlemen-"l have got you, and intend to
hold you-vou have promised me yoluntarl
". too. but am not the man to lose vote,
if can help it. let it come how 1t may
want all the votes | can get. Or was ne,
like man--a heightened gentleman to say
70 his opposition friends "lnu made this
pledge 10 me before You had Il candidate OF
your own. and when We thought there would
he none: if YOU desire, now. to be released
from that pledge, that You may vote Tor your
own man. ! umhc-itatlngly release you. -
The thing was not voluntary on the part OF
Mr.. Shackeliord-trom beginning TO end 1t
was casual. and incidental.
The matter had not been thought ofby me,
or any one else that know of, for some time,
until it came up in II conversation with Mr.
j. VI. Spindle, few days ago, after his return
from the South. where he had been several
months absent. The subject was incidentally
and casually introduced. spoke without
weighing nv words. or detailing the whole
Of the case. II had thought that any use
WAS 10 he made of what said, or that 1t was
To assume the shape of written certificate, !
should have been a little more explicit. Mr.
Spindle has stated the conversation, rs tar as
invent. substantially correct. do not recol-
lret the precise language employed or the
order in which | mad, the remarks. The
substance Of his statement is correct, and
told him, when he read il Ia me that | should
not contradict it, But it was u fragment,
only, of the case, and ! determined 1T once,
to let the public have it all.
And for this, for his, for THIS, the friends
of Henry Shackeliord are called upon to de-
sert him. For 4 high-tonel act Of liberality
for refusing to play the tyrant, and .tTcn.y
his opponents 10 vote for him, because he
happened to have them roIUmf"riW pledged
he is to he hunted like wild beast, and ac.
ru-cd If diShunorablr coiiuSlon. ~ far rs
this matter Is concerned, the charge Is
FALSE. care not when. or by whom, made
There was no such idea expressed or implied
and call upon his friends and neighhorS to
rise up anil ruprl it rs become men who
>curn 10 lend themselves To persecution and
prescription. Ii. NJ. GARLAND, JR.
Culpeper c. II. May 18th.