The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-08
LETTER FROM JAMES f. JOHNSON.
LIBERTY, 3D. Septeu

Dnif Oh september, 1875.
O. W. Button, Esq, Editor Lyncs5urg Viygtafea
Dear Sir--I am very reluctant to appe,
before the public in reference to my polit
cal opinions, knowing as / do, that wha
ever they may be they can be of little In
portance.
The frequent references recently made I
me, the letter of Mr.. George V. Case to th
Lynchburg Press and your editorial in Won
issue Of the I'd inst, require some state
ment from me.
Being private citizen and not candi
date for any political office, I greatly IRE
terred that no mention should have bee,
made Of me in the newspapers, and that
might be permitted to entertain nv owr
opinions, and exercise my rights as voter
like any other private citizen.
l will state, in the first place, that YOU
statement in your paper that the publica
ton in IHE STATE JOURNAL in regard Il
me was unauthorized, which seems to hay,
called forth the communication of Mr.
Case, was strictly true. | did SO state tc
you, and such is the fact. I will furthe,
state that Mr.. Case was wholly uniustifia.
BILE in calling in question the truth of thai
statement, for ! informed him before h
wrote that communication that Won had
correctly stated the conversation between
us. You will doubtless remember that
you advised me to notice the statement in
The JOURNAL, and declined to do az
Tor reasons given you at the time. I did
not therefore expect you to make our con-
versation the subject of an editorial
comment. ! am satisfied, however, that
you did it with no unkind motives to me.
Tor am well assured Of your personal
regard, which l value very highly.
Inc communication of Mr.. Case was
written without my knowledge, and i
knew nothing-of it until | read it in the
paper. | was an applicant for the position
OF district attorney, made vacant by the
resignation of Robt. w. Hughes, esd,
and in my application addressed to the
President, used language in substance
the same as that quoted by Mr.. Case and
presume that is what he refers to in his
communication.
My political antecedents are we'll known
to you. Before the war was a Wing.
! earnestly opposed secession, and pre-
dicted the disastrous results of it. Il
thought then and think now that it was
an act of stupendous wickedness and folly.
Secession came and with it q terrible war
between the two sections, which brought
ruin and desolation to the people of
this state. Since the surrender OF Gem
eral Lee | have been of opinion that
it was the duty as well as the
pest policy Of the people of the state to.
abide by its results and accept the situa-
ton. have taken part in every ef-
tort to reconcile the two sections, and to
bind the state more firmly into a Union
that would be upheld and sustained by
the love and patriotism of the people. /
was a member Of the Philadelphia conyen-
ton, composed Of men of all parties, the
object OF which was to establish more firm
ly the union of the states with equal rights
to all. You were present at the conyen-
ton, the objects of which were approved
by you, and gave valuable aid to its delib-
erations.
was subsequently member of the
of nine, whose efforts. in NV
OPINION, saved the people of the state
rom being forced to vote on the present
state constitution as a whole, and gave
them the opportunity to strike out, as they
dld, the obnoxious clauses therein. The
present President of the United States CO.
operated most heartily with the members
OF the committee in their efforts.
l supported the Walker movement and
Walker ticket. The candidates on that
.lcket We're run as true Republicans. Col.
Withers and the others on his ticket with |
drew in favor of Gov. Walker and his as
sociates. have heretofore acted with the |
Conservative party in oil their political |
contests. am by nature, instinct, and |
sdueatlon, Conservative. Last year / was
u opinion that there was no necessity for |
convention to nominate candidate for |
Congress for this district, the Conservative
majority being so large that there was no |
lonbt about the election of a Conservative
In the exercise of an undoubted right i |
myself an independent Consery-
alive candidate for Congress. For this / |
nave been denounced without measure or
stint by Conservatives. There was no Re-
candidate. The contest was be-
ween two Conservatives, and / am assured
nat large numbers of Conservatives
Who went to the election to vote for me
we're deferred from doing so by misrepre-
'ehtations and menaces. | believe now
nat If the voters had been left free to vote
heir choice, that | would to-day be The
of this district in Congress-.
was defeated and submitted to it calmIy.
since my defeat | have been treated bv
he Conservative party as an alien and
enemy, and have been virtually expelled
rom it. Under these circumstances
'elf-respect forbade any further con-
lection or cooperation with that party
lnless sense of patriotism demanded Il.
have therefore brought myself to inyes-
igate dispassionately the difference be-
Ween the two parties. 1t cannot be
lenled that when the Conservative party
ook Horace Greeley for its leader and
tandard-bearer, it fell from its Wanted
POSITION and went horse, foot and DRAGONS
nto the ranks of the Radical party. In
compliance with the wishes of many Of
ny Conservative friends l voted for him.
have ever since regretted it. Horace
ireeley had originated and advocated more
measures Objectionable to the people of
he southern states than any other man
md yet we were told that the maintenance
# civil and religious liberty depended on
lis success. The Republican party is ma.
ional. The Conservative party is sec
ional. They both desire to get the aid Of
he general government to complete the
ames River and Kanawha canal, the
great Improvement of the age. Which is
most likelysto succeed, the one in accord
With the general government, or the one
n hostility to it? Look at the platforms
II the two parties and what is the differ
nee The Richmond convention il
VOuld seem triad to ctaal ~ = .L,l