Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-04-03
From the State Journal.
THAT LETTER!

Mr.. EDIroR :-Immediately upon seeing in the
Standard call, signed watch and wait, for the
publication of letter received by me, from the Hon.
L. OBJ. Branch, during the late canvass, request
ed Of Mr.. Holden the name of the author. In reply,
was informed that the author saw no good reason
Why bis name should be given, unless felt person.
ally aggrieved, &c. After this. saw no good rea-
son why" SHOULD comply with the demand fer the
letter. The next day left home and returned yes
terday. During all this time Mr.. Holden has assu-
med the place Of watch and wait" (if indeed, he
was not watch and wait and continued to call lust
lily for "that letter." Growing in his soeH knopn
faspcse he has assumed to give the two main points
Of the letter. the correctness Of which will more full
ly appear below, and in frtherance of that purpose
declared that he would mot support Mr. Branch for
Congress" and would not be bound by the action
Of caucuses, clques or conventions! Now what is
the English of all this? Is it possible that Mr.. Hol-
den wants place or Office? Do you think for mo.
ment that he desired pretense to attack Mr. Branch
and Dust him from Congress? Was this cry after
the letter gotten up and set on foot for any such
purpose? Who can believe it. l have known men
when SO e'ated by victory, thing unusual with
them, take . sudden and irretrievable fall and il
opposition to Mr.. Branch, from certain quarter is
started you may expect to hear Of this experience
Of others being raised in midst truth crushed
to earth will rise again, &c.
I have just received letter from Mr.. Branch re-
questing for therein set FORTH the publica
ton Of the letter, much thereof as made pub
lie, which herewith send you to be published, in
order that Mr.. Branch's constituents may see the
animal. Before closing, if it would not be "impugn
ing the motives of any gentleman, and without the
slightest disposition to be troublesome" would
like to know something definite about those dis
patches! those dispatches!! A. NJ. LEWIS.
Raleigh, 23d March, 1861.
RALEIGH, 23d March, 1861.
Mr. A. NJ Le,ois:
DEAR SIR Ever since I reached home from
Washington City, you being absent from the city,
Mr.. Holden has been calling on you for the pnblca
ton of private letter wrote to you in February
The object evidently being to fish out Of my private
correspondence, some justification for opposition
for which my public acts and record furnish no ex
cuse wish you to publish every word of the let
ter relating directly or remotely to my opinions on
Secession and Disunon, taking care to embrace all
that you read in this canvass. wish the people Of
the District to see at the outset Of the Standards
warfare upon me, out Of what slight materials that
paper with the aids and adjuncts within its rank,
raise the poorest charges against it intends
to oppose.
So much as refers to private letters received by
me from persons out Of the State, and affecting my
private relations with others would not be justified
in making public; that portion of the letter does
not throw any light on my own opinions and acts
on the Union question. But if you find any one
disposed to cavl about the Withholding of even that
you are at liberty to show the whole letter to any
responsible gentleman who may ask for it, under
such conditions and restrictions as your sense of
propriety shall suggest.
The public will make all due allowances in read
ing and constructing the phraseology of familiar
letter written in haste, and without any expectation
that it would ever reach the eye of any but pri-
vate friend.
Not waving my right in other cases to pre-.
vent my private correspondence from Being violated
for the purpose Of making political capital against
me, lam, yours very respectfully,
L. OBJ. BRANCH