Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-06-10
ALEXANDRIA, May 2Gtb, 1862

| H,H I.iris NJ hrHrt: -,
Dear Sir-ln reply to your letter of May "a
asking me, "ss minister of the Gospel, called
| to preach 'Jo0d 3cW 10 mca, to be kint
| enough to state what grounds | had for sayini
| that YOU were clever, kind-hcarted man, bu
politically unreliable, | beg leave 10 state a
| follows:
That You are u clever, kind hearted man i:
| sometime of which you perhaps, are less con
scious than any other person in the community
| but Of which your ncighbors and acquaintance
| of all political opinions will bear willing tcstl'
| mony. That you arc politically unreliable Is
another truth of which you may be equally un
| conscious, but of which everybody else IN the
| community has been for long time painfully
| aware. You wish 10 know why 1t is that this
| opinion of you has become so prevalent; !
will, rs y friend, inform you. 10 do so, shall
| be obliged TO review your political history for
| tho last eight years l shall do il is briefly rs
possible, stating only those things which are be-
| cvcd by your neigh ors to DO facts. | do not
myself undertake to vouch for some of these
facts, but shall state nothing which cannot
| find some OF the most respectable citizens of
Alexandria TO vOuch for frCm their own knowl-
edge upon the statements of facts which | shall
make. ] am willing TO let any man, even you,
yourself, be Tho judge whether you can be rC
lied on either as a Democrat or as 3 Republican.
/. II is believed to be a fact that in 1861, as
a member of the Virginia Legislature. you
voted TO raise large sum of money for tho pur.
posc of defending the State against INVASION
II is also believed to be fact that in q debate
in that Legislature, you declared in substance,
that you were opposed to 'coercion," and that
if tho North invaded Virginia you would unite
with the rest OF tho Southern people in resisting
the invaders. II is further said by your neigh
bors in Alexandria, that while the Confederate
forces occupied this city, you offered to supply
tho rebel government with saltpctrc, and tried
to get contract for that purpose. In view Of
these facts great mary ''old residents" profess
-, dl1h utlta ihnr on Il tly fob
the Iron clad oath" if elected to Congress. l
will say however, that if you should take that
oath i could not doubt that it WAS taken con-
sciencCusly, since you also profess to be fol-
lower of that Gospel which commends him who
"sweareth To his own heart, and changeth not"
blu. let US look further to your record.
2. 1t is believed to be fact that, notwith.
standing YOU voted to raise money 70 put Virginia
on q war footing, and your declaration OF re-
slstancc to the government, you Immediately
sided with the Yankees as soon as they came
into Alexandria, 1t is further believed that
you supported the measures of tho government
during tho war, including emancipation and
the enlistment OF colored men into tho army
and in order TO give i. q more influential aid
than was in your power to render as Il private
citizen, you never allowed a Congressional
election TO pass without running for Congress
and bidding for the votes Of the Radical party.
3. 1t is believed to be q fact that notwith.
standing Jour four years of Radicalism. as soon
as the war closed your cleverne.s and kind
heartedness led you to be, for q short time, ex-
ceedngly concilistory and tender to those who
had lately been rebels and that. within few
months thereafter, you offered yourself again
for Congress- hoping this time to be elected by
their votes. This WAS in the fall of 1868. You
failed to be elected.
4. 1t is next believed to be q fact that ut the
Republican State Convention. held at Alexan.
dis, IN May, 1856, you declared squar, ~ in "a
vor of negro suffrage and that 1T the Southern
Loyali:t Convention, at PhlaGephia, in Sep
TENDER, lod5, you also voted in favor Of negro
suffrage.
5. Not only were you then in favor Of forcing
negro suffrage upon the State and upon the
United States but during tho following winter,
1856, you testified under oath before the Re.
construction Committee NaL the latc reJeIs
trerc unit 10 BE- entrusted 1rH the control Of The
state that you had hoped when the war closed
that they would go away from Virgins and
leave II to Northern settlers to build up and
develop: but the rebels would no. 90 away,
and you saw no way but to put tho State under
military rule. You also stated that when Gov
Peirpont assembled his Legislature in 1866 |
10 repeal the test oaths and disfran hi. in |
clauses Of tho Alexandria Constitution, you op-
posed their repeal on the ground that if they |
we're repealed the disloyal element would at |
'nce control the State and you said that the |
esuIt had been rs bad rs you then feared
his 10 substantially your testimony in 1867 |
'eiore the Reconstruction Committee The