The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-19
For the Dispatch.

LEXINGTON, January Is, 1870. -.
Propose to make brief reply to your
correspondent Lexington" I have never
: objected to have my official acts criticised !;
but what object to is that instead of in
forming himself Of the facts, either by
attendance on the trial or applying to both
sides for information, he i" simply echoed
,chdt ,1ds in eueryJody's mouth" Is this
the duty of your correspondents, to echo
what "iS an eueryjodys mouth" rather
, than hear both sides, and then make fair
exhibition of the facts thus acquired, such
as will enable the public to Judge where
censure attaches ? If such is his duty, he
has not observed it in this instance.
Your correspondent complains that I
have not been regularly elected Mayor, but
have been forced upon the town by the
"tdyonet," and my chief qualification
consists "in q willingness TO soralloao the
iron-clad OATH" Your correspondent we'll
knows that I never sought the office of
| Mayor; that when rendered to me I de-
clined it, and was only induced to accept it
at the urgent solicitation of such gentle
men of the town as James D. Davidson,
Judge Brockenhrough Major Dorman, Mo-
jor lellott, Governor Letcher, j. G. Steele,
DR.. James, Med. Taylor, A. Graham, Jr.,
! Charles A. Davidson, and others of the
most respectable gentlemen of the town.
But for the solicitations of these and
other gentlemen l would never have
accepted the office. When the COM
mssioncrs in ohancery were removed
by General Candy / was appealed to
shortly thereafter by the members of the
bar and others to allow my name to be
presented for one Of The vacancies. I told
the applicants could not perform the du-
ties; and it was then stated that if I would
accept could procure competent deputy.
Under these circumstances l was recon-
mended, was appointed, and accepted, and
my deputy has been and is now Colonel
James r. Edmondson, a gentleman uni
vcrsally acceptable. The Office has been of
no pecuniary value to me. Your CORE
spondcnt know all these things when his
letter was written, but has accidentally or
Intentionally concealed them with the
view of making the impression that I nei-
tlcr enjoy confidence nor respect in the
community in which I have lived for more
than thirty years. Your correspondent
again says that my Summing up Of the
testimony differs so materially from the re-
port of the editor of the town paper that
but for the card bearing my name he would
| have concluded it was 'Gn eItrdCt' from
the speech of Whites counsel Mt the trial"
When the testimony was concluded, Gov
crnor Letcher (White's counseD declined to
argue tho case, and submitted the matter to
me for decision. He made no speech on
that occasion, as your correspondent could
easily have ascertaincd, il so disposed.
Mr.. Jones wishes to know why l did
not reply to the report in the town
paper instead of his report to you.
MY reason was this Here the matter
would right itself upon the trial of the pro-
missed appeal from my decision (Which,
upon more mature reflection, however, was
not takcn), and there was no need. there
fore, to say anything about that report.
The Di$putch is paper of large circula-
ton, read by thousands, and it was more
| important to me not to be misunderstood by
! thosc to whom ] was unknown outside of
this community. Everybody here knows
that ain by trade wagon-makcr, and do
not profess to have n very extensive know
ledge of the law. My books of reference
are Mayo's Guide and the Code Of 1860, and
| am happy to say that since I came to
tie Office l have been kindly aided by
the bar with their advice whenever
I have asked for it. Mr.. Taylor (attorney
| for the Commonwealth has been more
generally consulted by me than any other
member Of the bar. / hope your CORE
spondcnt's curiosity as to the means of get
ting my lap is fully satisfied. The counsel
for Mr.. Jewel avowcd his determination to
appeal. ! urged him to do SO :; but it has
not been done, and I am very much in
clincd TO think the appeal never will be
taken now. This course would have shown
whether was right or wrong in my judg-
ment in this case. I have answered
"quickly," so the correspondent could read
the reply before Virginia was admitted and
I dismissed from Office.
H. Ii. HENDERSON,
Mayor of Lexington.