The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-16
P. 4. J.. smith, of Fauquier-His Reasons
for Supporting General Grant.
The PLAINS,

FAUQUIER COUNTY, Oct, 10.
IT, the Editor orths State Journal:
As many Of my friends seem dissatis-
fled with me for announcing myself for
General Grant, | want to give conclusive
reasons why | cannot vote for Mr.. Greeley;
why under present circumstances | prefer
General Grant to any other man now liv-
ing, and why | cannot fellowship and sup
port the Conservative party Of Virginia.
AS q Democrat Mr.. Greeley has been my
opposer, and denounced all our lives. [
ain a few months older than he.
When | was for Oregon, all Of Oregon,
Mr.. Greeley was against his country and
for England, as | thought. because it was
q Democratic measure. When | was for
annexing Texas MIR. Greeley was opposed
to that measure, because it would add more
slave territory. When I was for sustaining
our army in Mexico, he was with Tom Corr
win, hoping that the Mexicans would greet
our heroes - with bloody hands to hospita-
BILE graves" When | was contending that
American territory ought to be free to all
American citizens to 60, and carry with
them their families and their property,
everything that was property ct home, Mr..
Greeley was calling on the Northern people
to raise money 10 buy homesteads for their
stoutest and bravest young men to 60 to
Kansas, and with Sharp's rifles, bought by
his aid and influence, TO keep me and my
%neighbors from going thither, and even old
John Brown seemed to be under his and his
party's influence when he invaded Virginia
to free our slaves at the risk Of butchering
our wives and our little ones. Mr.. Greeley
is called honest, but | see no honesty in a
mans swearing to go by the Constitution of
the country, and then secretly undermining
it,and thus bringing on a bloody war to take
from me my constitutional property. | am
opposed to him, because for years he has
been the %villifier of my State and people,
and even now this same old fanatic is for
doing what our Maker alone can do, vii, .
from social life all memory of color. Vir-
~ginians, you may vote for him! Chivalry,
you may vote for him But remember YOU
are voting to dandle on your knees a mu-
latto race of grandchildren. How can YOU
do it ? Look at his entire record. Is any.
thing surer than that the ''sow will return
to her wallowingln the mire."
| vote for Gen. Grant because We were
raised in the same political school-be-
cause we were for Douglas, to try and
save the country--because we We're both
opposed to the war-because neither wish
ed the Union to be broken up. He being
educated at West Point, and living North
of the line, held on to the old flag, and
fought for it. | lived in Virginia, and the
Greeleys of the North and the Yanceys of
the South brought about a separation that
neither Of Us desired. ffe proved himself
an inyiHeible warrior and q merciful hero.
| am constrained to admire him although
my conqueror. General Lee himself could
but admire him, else when he wished for a
pardon he would not have selected him as
his friend to try and procure it. When we
were conquered, slavery went down, and
our servants were made citizens by the
Congress Of the United States. We &C.
quicsed, and being u conquered man, | can
fight no more for slavery. Mr.. Greeley in
his late speeches says we should rejoice
that the Union is saved. | do and | glory
in General Grant for saving it. Had | the
right to select q President for the United
States for the next four years, under all
the circumstances that surround us, I
should take General Grant, because no
saved the Union, and because he has the
head and the heart to give US peace.
l have never been able to unite myself to
Conservative party Of Virginia. l look
upon it as the most destructive party that
ever held the reins and cracked the whip
over this people. Ii passed q stay-law and
brother to sue brother by making
the Oldest judgments on the lien docket
have priority OF claim, as if one debt after
such a war should not be as sacred as an
other. Under lawyer control they have
everything to break up our citizens
aud break down the country. They and
he creditors are unwilling to make any
abatement of anti-war debts, but the debt
Dr. must pay for taking care of the credit
IRIS money, when the creditor could not
nave taken care of it himself; and innocent
are held for debts, when the prin-
,ipal was stripped by the country of abun-
liant means to pay the debt.
When, by leave of Congress, Qhe treaty
power), we got a constitution, CIV
ng to our unfortunate people a homestead,
his same party holding the reins made
heir own judges, and these judges have
Iuietly taken the pen from behind the ear
nd wiped it all out for anti-war debts, and
believe would wipe the rights ofthe colored
if they dared. | cannot go with the
Conservative leaders because they keep up
UGH a warfare upon the United States
overnment. Even General Early, the
DOR old broken-down hero of the Valley,
down upon every man who refuses to
Mist against Grant. Mbal, in the spring
f 1865, as / was on my way from prison,
met you going into Richmond you had .
0 horse, with saddlebags across your
loulders and with your old whae hat you
too poor a figure for me to enlist under
!, fight General Grant. Jubal you are a hero
runk or sober, but ! cannot fight any
lore under your banner. am with the =,
reat body Of the people who know that !
le war is over, and as we hayeno weapons, !
is silly to keep up a war of tongues-I /
n compelled to 60 to the Republican party g
the only party that has made us any :
of naYnv That nopiyV Oava no fba {