Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-08-09
Jud &c FuIfZ and Gov. Henry 4. Wise

JHttge fhd-
Sir-Thc Enquirer Of to-day, under the head
of Interview with the Candidate for Attorney
General says, on the authority of the Stauu-
ton Vindicaror. that the report Of an interview
with you represents you as saying:
II was iu the convention of 81 when the
white basis question was up, and when we
would have carried it but for the folly OF Henry
A. Wise, who, when the very point Of victory
had been attained, defeated it by some silly
motion, though he had been advocating It,.
That man, it seems to me, does nothing but
damage believe he brought on the seces-
sion. A miserable fellow
Did you utter the above, in words or sub
stance, or anything equivalent, about me? II
| SO what!
| Your obc1ient servant,
HENRY A. WISE.
STAUNTON, August I.
E,r. Gorcrnor II 4. Wise:
Sir-Y ours of the ri instant is just this mo-
mcnt to hand have been cheated and mis-
represented by a mau with whom had no ac-
uuaintancc, but who | took to be Il gentleman
| lie called at my Office before WAS informed
of my nomination by the convention. and al
! lulcd to the probability of my becoming can
didatc asked the place Of my nativity; what
had been my pursuits III life, and if ! had been
in public life. answered that had been in
the convention OF 81. He then spoke OF your
course on the whltc-basls question; that you
had made Il speech of six or seven days, when
YOU should have said all you did say 10 three
or four hours. and that you were III extreme
| man.
TO this responded, that after You had de-
! livercd your speech We asccrtalucd that there
was IA clear majority in favor of the white basis
but that you were unwilling that the question
should be put in committee OF the whole, until
the west furnished the guarantees agreed on,and
that the final settlement OF the question was
| thereby delayed. La course OF the conversation
expressed the belief that you had ia ken an
active part in causing the state to withdraw
from the Union.
This is substantially if not literally what
passed regarded the conversation a. entire
ly confidential, and never for a moment sup
posed that it was to be reported or put into Il
newspaper am mortified and Indignant
mortified that Isutfercd myself to be approach
cd by one who it is now certain was acting as a
spy, aud indignant that what | did say should
he mlSrepreSentcd.
Ircgret that this should have happened,
The idea that | had in any way been inStru
mental in doing you injustice Is painful to me-
Your obedieut servant,
DAVID FULTZ
RICHMOND, Va, August s. 1873
DarM Fh!t-, Esq.,:
Sir-In response to yours of yesterday, I say
at once that it satisfactorily clears you from the
iuputations said by the 'Intcrview, of the
Stanton indicator, to have been cast by you
on my course 10 the convention OF 81. l did
not credit the "Iuteryicwcr, but thought it
just to you as we'll as 10 myself to afford you
the opportunity of conradlcting his statement.
"Intnricurs are molero impcrsonation
Of modern manners, and bad morals. They
are hirelings OF mcrcenary press, who pander
to vicious and vulgar taste for garbage; della.
tors Of the worst class; ''mnle b"w'ls mpu
dent, without shame; ignorant, without tact;
indifferent to truth or talsehood, so either pays
best the pandercr or political party. Ii you
are inexperienced 10 public life as you say, the
first warning for you to heed is to avoid them,
or, if they will come in, to say, "ict thee be-
hind me, Satan. or, to kick :hem out
But you yourself have stated Incorrectly two
important facts as to my course in both rhe
convention of 1851, to amend the state cOustl-
tu;ion, and Of 1861, called the secession con-
yentl0n.
As every living member of the convention Of
1851 knows, there were but live members OF
of the eastern part OF rhe State who advocated
the equalization of representation 10 the state
on the basis OF white voters. | was one OF that
five. The advocates of the mixed basis as 1t
was called, claiming that representation should
be based on white population and three htths
of the slaves or on population and taxation
combined, were in SO large rnajOrlty in the
tbab ,hs-s fran, hn CnSt
and from the Valley proposed and advocated
in caucus the breaking up of the convention
and returning to their homes [ was called
into consultation with them, and seconded by
Allen Caperton, William Smith of Green
brier; Hugh W. Shelley, Of Augusta; Charles
j. Faulkner, and others, prevailed Oh them to
remain lay siege to the question, prolong the
session, by getting vacation in order 10 OBJ
tain instructions from several districts and 10
fatigue the majority into compliance with
political justice and right That course was
pursued Tor nearly or quite eighteen months. and
succeeded triumphanly IN equallZlng repre-
seutation justly and fairly on the basis of
the numbers of the voting population. W hen
a candidate before the people of my district,
opposed to any but the mixed basis, it was
urged against my election that there would be
no security against laying taxes uncqually upon
the slave property, if the west should obtain
the majority Of representation. Thomas Il.
.Joynes and Alexander 2. Up>hur, the two
great champions of the mixed basis IN the con.
vcntion OF % and 80, were still alive, and
urged that they knew of no such adequate Sc
curity or guarantee. replied that there was
security 10 making the taxes on slaves qnadrate
with the land tax; SO that the west could not
tax the slaves of the east, without equally, by
given ratio, taxing the lands Of the west aud
east. This guarantee | promised to urge, and
it was carried 10 convention without delaying
the success of the white basis tor day.
closed The debate on the question, having been
silent during the whole session, aud had to re-
ply to every antagonist who had preceded me,
and as was well known and understood. spoke
partly against time to gain the vote OF my col |
league in the committee which had to report
upon the measures Of compromise. 1t was time
we'll spent and yielded its fruits Of equal repre-
seDtatlon, with guarantees against unequal tax
alton. | hardly expected that any otaunton |