National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-09-09
LETTER FROM JAS. r. JOHNSON.


why he Cauno, Train with the Dcmocra.
cy-IIc wa. Opposed 10 the Last Civil
war, aud I. Not In Favor Of tho NEXT.
We commend the following letter from Mr..
James +. johnson, to the editor Of the Vir-
ginidn, TO the attention Of our readers;
, rs,l L,' fv.sE ssp, tsStssas s
DEAR Sin! am very reluctant to appear
before the public In reference to my political
opinions, knowing. as l do, that whatever
they may be they can be Of little Importance.
me, the letter Of Mr.. George V. Case to the
Lynchburg Press, and your editorial In your
issue Of the I'd instant, require some state7
mont from me.
Being a private citizen, and not . csndi-
date for any political office, greatly pre-
ferred that no mention should have oecn
made Of me In the newspaper, and thM
might be permitted to entertain my own
opinions, aud exercise my rights as Vo'cr,
like any other private citizen: A..
will state, In the first place, that your
statement In your paper that the puoiicaion
In the STATE Journal In regard to me was un,
authorized, which seems TO have callcd
forth the communication OF Mr.. Gaze, was
strictly true. did so state to you, and such
is the fact. will further state that Mr..
Gaze was wholly unjustihable In calling In
question the truth Of that statement, for In
formed him before he wrote that communi-
cation that you had correctly stated the con-
versation between us. You will doubtless
remember that you advised me TO notice the
statement In the Journal, and declined to
do so, for reasons given you at the time. l
did not, therefore, expect you 70 make our
conversation tho subject Of On editorial COM
ment. am satisfied, however, that you did
II with no unkind motives to me, for am
well assured Of your personal regard. which
The communication Of Mr.. Case was writ.
ten without my knowledge, and knew moth
ing Of II until l read II Ia the paper. i was
an applicant for the position OF District ut.
torney, made vacant by the Resignation OF
Robert W. Hughes, esq, and In my applica-
ton addressed to the President, used Ian.
guage 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 well known TO
you. Before the war was q Whig. earn
estly opposed secession, and predicted the
disastrous results Of It. I thought then and
i think now that 1t was an act OF stupcndous
wlckedncss and folly. Secession came and
with II o terrible war between tho two sec
lions, which brought ruin and dcsolation to
the people Of this State. Since the surrender
Of General Lee have been Of opinion that II
was tho duty Us well as the best policy OF the
people Of the State to abide by Its results
and accept the situation. have taken part
In every effort to reconcile the two. sections,
and TO bind the States more firmly Into
union that would be upheld and sustained by
the love and patriotism Of the people. was
u member OF the Philadelphia convention,
composed of men OF all parties, the object of
which was to establish more firmly the Union
Of the States with equal rights TO all. You
were present at tho convention, the objects
of which wero approved by you. and gave
ynIunhla MD N IA delihar0ttnnR
was subsequently, member Of the Com
mlttee of Nine, whose efforts, In my opinion,
saved the people OF the State from being
forced TO vote on tho present State constitu-
ton as whole, and gave them opportunity
to strike out, as they did, 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 ticket
were run as true Republicans. Col. Withers
aud tho others on his ticket withdrew In
favor of Governor Walker and his associates.
have heretofore acted with the Conserva-
tive party In all their political contests.
am by nsture, instinct and education q Con-
servatlve. Last year was Of opinion that
thore was no necessity 10 nominate candi.
date for Congress IN this district, the Con-
sentative majority being so large that there
was nodoubt Of the election Of Conservative.
In the exercise OF an undoubtcd right an
nounecd myself an independent Conservative
candidate for Congress. For this have been
denounced without measure or stint, by the
Conservatives. There was no Republican
candidate. Tho contest was between two
Conservatives, and am assured that large
numbers of Conservatives who went to the
election to vote for me were deferred frou
doing so by misrcprcsentat and menaces
believe now that II the voters had been left
free to vote their choice that would to-da,
be the Representative of this district In Con
gress. l was defeated, and submitted to |
calmly. Since my defeat have been treatct
by the Conservative party as an alien ant
enemy, and have been Virtually expelle,
spect forbade any further connection or CO
operation with that party unless q sense o
patriotism demanded 1t. have therefor
brought myself to investigate dlspassionatel,
tho difference between the two parties. 1
cannot be denied that when the Conservative
party took Horace Greeley for It's leader an,
standard-bearer It fell from Its Wanted posi-
tion, and went horse foot and dragoon int
the ranks Of the Radical party. In com
pliauce with the wishes Of many Of my Con
Sentative friends voted for him. hav
ever since regretted II. Horace Greeley ha,
originated and advocated more measures oh
jectionable to the people Of the Southern
States tnhn any Otner man. ana yet we WcI
told that the maintenance Of civil and rcll
gious liberty depended on his success. Tn
Republican party Is national. The Conserva
tive party Is sectional. They both desire :
yet the aid Of the General Government :
complete the James River and Kanawh
canal, the great improvement OF the age
Which Is most likely 10 succeed, the one 1
accord with the General Government or tn
one in hostility to it1 Loot at the platform
of the two parties. and what Ia the diffe,
pncel The Richmond convention, 1t woul
seem, tried to steal the thunder Of the Lynch
burg convention. There Is too much OF fire an
blood and thunder; too much agitation again,
the General Governments; too much rellant
on war records, and a little too much teI
dency to secession In the Conservative part!
am not in favor Of the next civil war, an