Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-04-12
LETTER OF COL. w. h. LA1dON.


lstionists, Ihear none repeated so often as this
That you have deserted the principles upon
which you were elected, and turned aside from
the path in which your lamented predecessor
! would have walkedif he had lived. 1t seems
to be believed by some that Mr. Lincoln could
have been used by tie Radicals for all their
purposes, including the destruction Of the Go
/ vernment, the overthrow Of tlle Constitution,
and the indefinite postpohement Of union and
harmony among the States.
i need not say to you or to any well-informcd
man that the masses Of that powerful party
which supported Mr. Lincoln and ydE in the
canvass of 1864, were sincerely attached to the
Union and devoted believers in the Constitu-
tion.
They everywhere asserted that the object Of
the war was to re-establish the Union with the
least possible delay; and one of the resolutions
of the Baltimore Convention pledged you both
to restore the paramount authority Of the Con-
stitution in alEthc States.
1t is true that the party included some ma
lignants who hated the Union, and tried to de-
stroy it before the war began, and their pre-
tended love of the Union during the war was
more than suspected to be insincere and hypo-
critical. But they kept prudently silent. Mr..
| Thaddeus Stevens was, to the best Of my knowl-
edge, the only leading man in the party shame
less and impudcnt enough to avow his hostility
to the Union. He was not the exponent of our
views, and he represented not even fractional
part of the honest millions who cast their votes,
spent their money, and SHED their blood to bring
back the Government Of their fathers.
All this you know. Iwritc now to tell you
what I know concerning the personal senti-
ments of Mr.. Lincoln himself, and claim now
to be the same kind Of Republican as was
when / voted for him at his first and second
election was his partner in the practice Of
the law for a number Of years. came here
with him as his special friend, and was Marshal
,f this District during the whole Of his Admin
Listration.
Down to the day Of his death was in tho
most confidential and intimate relations with
him. knew him as we'll as one man can be
known to another. had many and free con-
versations with him on this very subject of res
toration. i was made entirely certain by
Mr.. Lncolns repeated declarations that he
would have excrtcd all his authority, power
and influence to bring about an immediate
reconciliation between the two sections Of
the country AS far as depended upon him,
he would have had the Southern States rep
resented in both houses Of Congress within
the shortest possible time. All the energies OF
his nature were given to vigorous prosecu-
ton of the war while the rebellion lasted; but
he was equally determined upon vigorous
prosecution Of peace" as soon as armed hostili-
ty should be ended. He knew the base desgns
of the radicals to keep up the strife for their
own advantage and he was determined to
thwart them, as he himself told me often.
II any corroboration of this statement is
needed it may be found in the fact that the ul-
ira Abolitionists had actually begun the ou:cry
against him before bis death, and the moderate
men everywhere, North and South. sincerely
mourned his fall as a calamity which deprived
them of their best friend. If that inscrutabie
Providence, whose ways arc past finding out,
had permitted his life to continue until this
time, there can be no doubt that the Northern
disunionists would now be as loud in their de-
nunciation Of his policy as they are Of yours
Mr.. Stevens demand for the head Of " that man
at the other end of the avenue ), would not have
been one whit less fcrocious.
OF course he could not and did not anticipate
the precise shape Of the measures which the
Radicals might adopt to prevcntrcconstruction
The " Frcednen's Bureau bill, y which recently
met its death at your hands, was not born in
his lifetime But pronounce it a foul SIAN
der upon his memory to assert that he would
have signed bill so palpably in conflict with
the Constitution, and SO plainly intended to
promote the one bad purpose Of perpetual dis
union. go
/ did love Mr.. Lincoln with sincere and
faithful affection, and my reverence for lbs
memory is intensified by the horrible circum-
stances in which his high career was closed
Now that death has disarmed him Of the power
70 defend himself bis true friends should stand
forth to vindicate his good name. II there be
any insult upon his reputation which they
should resent more Indignantly than another,
it is the assertion that he would have been the
tool and instrument in the hands Of such men
as those who now lead the heartess and un-
principled contest against you s
have the honor TO teyour ob,tiient ser
want, af-e "a ~
WARD II. Laxoy,
Iu,yE known some men possessed Of good
qualities which were very scrsiceable TO OILERS
I1b1ut useless to themselves like sun-diai on