The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-15
10 rny Friends within and 'isn0Ht
he E.cmlEiNtNrC.

In thinking over the occulren' 'es relating
to and terminating III mr dcfe;tt as can
,iGate .vr the oii!cc Of Secretary OF the
Commonwealth, / am brought 10 the con
clrsfon that owe to your kindness y clear
Niatclncn; of my recent political record-it
that NAV properly be called such which
must consist almost entirely oi the feelings
Which know animated me throughout, and
Of the tenor Of conversations among friends,
rs far as my memory Will enable Inc to re-
call them. This, my racagrc political his
tory, could have no proper place III 'hc
};aucr laid bv me before the members OF
the Legislature, as I sought preterment on
entirely different grounds: such a. long
training and service in thc duties OF INC
Office. and general fitness for *, as rouched
whose who had had sufficient opportunity
and were fully able to Judge; and ne yet
did not know that there was any occasion
to defend myself from attack or account OF
political offences.
The main consequences OF my defeat arc
10 me, fear. now irrcparablc. Certainly:
what | can say here can do little to remedy
ti,cm. But | can, think, completely re-
move from your minds any impression that
| used vo,ir kind feelings so unworthily rs
deliberately to enlist your Interest and ell
forts IL favor Of one who knew that lis case
had q radical defect, which, ii brought
INFO notice. must ensure his defeat. To do
tIi. ia - sufficient object to induce me to
make this communication, and to make II
throurh the public prints, a. the only eff
fcctual mode Of reaching all whom 1 desire
10 reach.
Il has been ,trought 10 my knowledge by
-
sons that on ii Ic> 'cnt oecusion, when the
election for this OF. &c was III tact deter
mined, it was nlege 1 that had heen al
active and pcrscYcrinA' opponent OF wal
ber's election or. 10 give more eAattiy inc
words in which this charge, was summed up
hv my informants, that / wt fhcn ana "ro'e
and used my influence against the walker
movement. Now, am willing 70 beIeve,
or at least TO hope, that tiose lna KING 1nls
stntemen, had come to think 1t true Dut
40 most emphatically deny its truth. ana
moreover. cannot but think them deserV-
inr OF serious cens,lre for making thl4
rrTrc,cnration when and where theS
did by which so serious ali inJury might He
inflicted upon NE and mine; because al
though / was easily accessible to them du-
ring al the time Of the canvass, ttey never
approached NE on the subject, nor gave me
any opportunity of correcting any mistake
into which they might have faIlen as TO my
course, before making the charge where l
could not be properly prepared to meet II.
might mention IN this connection incidents
seeming to indicate G design not only TO
keep me in ignorance Of the proposed at
tack. but also, by misleading words Of kind
ness, to lull any suspicious I might have
that any attack Of that kind would be
made but forbear further allusiol to this,
az there il possibility that may be mis-
taken, and it is no part Of my purpose to
injure those who have injured me--only TO
vndicate myself. I an willing, also, to
make some allowance for the lack OF open
Justice to me on account Of the excitement
Of such a canvass, during which te" men
can be carefully and thoughtfully just
to those who stand opposedAo the men or
measures of their choice, on able accurately
TO measure the extent Of the injury 'hey
may be iniiicilns; s&.4" i.ts. =.
.,Eer evil is wrought by waEt OF tAeDsht
Aslnuca as bs wan. Of heart. - 3if-t 5'}. .
70 return to the charge against me, ana