The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-08-28
evening State a(u,trnal.
WEDNESDAY EvEG, AUG, IS, 1872.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM MIR. LYONS.

ANOTHER LETTER FROM MIR. LYONS.
We have received the following letter
from Colonel Mosby, with request to pub
lish it, and we do so simply because the
Democrats who repudiate Mr.. Greeley are
denied the columns of all their old journals
for defence of their positions before the
people. Il should be understood that, in
publishing Mr.. Lyons letter, we do not
subscribe to all Of his views and opinions.
If the charges made by the Democratic
press against the Republican party have
particle of truth in them, then the letter of
Mr.. Lyons is complete answer in vindica-
ton not only of his own course
and that of General Grant, but
in rebuke of the Democratic journals maxi
ing these charges. When such Democrats
as Mosby, Lyons, O'Ferrall, EwelI, and
others, shall become better acquainted with
General Grant, and fully understand the
motives which have guided his administra-
sion, they will correct many of their opin-
ions not only Of him, but of the true men
in the party who give him their support in
his measures of administration.
RICHMOND, VA, I
.y l.. . August 10, 1872.
Colonel John S. IHoSby:
My dear Colonel have had the pleas
IRE TO receive your letter of the inst,
and have to say in reply that it will be ut
terly impossible for me to speak in Fau
quier at present.
have not been in Richmond at this
late period of the year before for thirty
years, except during the war, and as soon
as can get away | must go to colder
climate, and thence to the Louisville Con-
vention, where | hope to meet you. AL
though you do not, | believe, agree with
Inc exactly in the effort to get up straight
out candidate, yet concur most cordially,
az you know, in your desire to elect Cen
eral Grant over Greeley, if that should be
the issue.
1 have opposed General Grant, not for
any specific acts of his, but because he
was the head of that radical party which
has done 50 much mischief to the whole
country, and especially to the South, and
because thought he did not exercise the
influence which he possessed and might
properly exercise, personally, as well as by
the veto power, to curb the vicious legis-
fation, and to him, therefore, to great
extent, transferred much of the i'll feeling
and condemnation which properly belonged
to the party but it is just to say that he
announced in his inaugural the meretricious
sentiment which Greeley has taken up to
overthrow the constitution, that he would
administer the government according to the
will Of the people.
Now, that [ am required by the
legislative leaders of the party -
SchurZ. the refugee and disturber
of his own country's peace Doolit-
tie, the cleck-peddler, who, it seems,
sold his influence as a Senator i'll most
degrading manner: Irumbull, Summer, and
others, who enacted aud supported all the
odious laws, the execution OF which ac-
cording to his oath made Grant odlons-to
vote for the very worst instigator and the
most cold-blooded approver Of az those
measures, and make him the President OF
the nation, my Indignation against these
treacherous and iaithless accusers, as well
as my sympathy for General Grant, have
been aroused at the attempt to gull and
cheat the South by telling it that Grant is
responsible and odious properly for these
measures, and, therefore, we must throw
ourselves in the arms of the men who con
ceived, concocted, passed, and supported
all of them.
Can anything be more disgusting than
such treachcry, hypocricy and selfishness P?
Let it be conceded, and 30 man will make
the concession more broadly than do,
that the reconstruction and ku-kluX laws
were iniquitouS whose iniquity are they?
that of the fathers who begot them-of the
men who conceived and enacted them
every man OF common sense must admit,
not of the man who under his oath OF Office
was bound to execute them and yet IN
the eagerness tor office, and vlndlctiVeness
against Grant for not bestowing it upon
them, with an impudence, actually unpar-
;alleled in any other case, they come forward
and insist upon it that Grant is odious and
c0ught to be turned out of office for eXecut-
ing laws which they passed, and had there
fore, the power to reject, and Grant had
not The power to pass and did not pass, and
ask rs to turn him out, and put in his place
the man who melted and stimulated them
to pass all these laws, and who found no
other fault with them except that they did
not go farther.
Could there be conceived greater stupidity
tna0 Tie compliance Win bti1V 'oduoot
would be? Is it possible to conceive
of more sordd and disgusting treach-
cry than the request betrays? and
in the most complete verlfcation of the
maxim, Q,tem Deus ouA perdereprias de-
mental +? They disguised their instrument
.as the wolf disguised himself, when, to
Gatch the Little Red Riding Hood, he put
ON ies grandmother's garments, and say
ohi don't take off the clothing; don't look
at the claws; don't examine the teeth
don't ask what our wolf has been doing in
his past life, hoy much blood he has shed,
or caused others to shed; don't judge him
by his past life and pay no regard to what
he has been or what he has done, but take
him because he is old and good natured,
and can't steal any more sheep, and we
won't let him do any harm for the future.
Was ever folly so absurd or ridiculous
which processes to make the test in this
election of public men, not their past life,
spublic services, or wisdom, but ignoring all
fthese, to take him up upon an empty pro-
Sassion made for him by his confederates,
md echoed by himself? How long can
any Republic last under such a rule as
this?
NJ, Tof{frsa, caid fine rule was or should