The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-08-14
RICHMOND, Va, August 5, 1878.

Dapid Fuztz, Esq:
.Sir-In response to yours of yesterday, I say
al once it satisfactorily clears you fromthe impu
tations said by the eInterviewer," of the Staun-
ton Vindcator, to have been cast by you my
course in the convention of 81 did not credit
the '.Interviewer,' but thought it just to you as
we'll as to myself to afford you the opportunity of
contradicting his statement.
"intereaeWers" are modern impersonation of
modern bad manners, and bad morals. They are
hirelings Of mercenary press, who pander to q
vicious and vulgar taste for garbage della
tors of the worst class; '.nsale bascds, impudent
without shame; ignorant, without tact indiffer-
ent to truth or fasehood, 80 either pays best the
panderer or a political party. If you are irex-
perieneed in public life, as you say the first
warning for you to heed is to avoid them, or, if
they VIII come in to say, SECT thee behind me
satan" or, to kick them out
But you yourself have stated incorrectly two
important facts as to my course in both the con-
vention of 1851, to amend the state constitution.
ana of 1851. call ed the secession convention
AS every living member Of the convention of
1851 knows, there were but five members of the
eastern part Of the state VINO advocated the equal
izatIou MISREPRESENTATION in the state on the basis
| of white voters. l was Of that five. The ad-
voc&tes of the mixed basis, as it was called claim
ing that representation should be based on white
population and three ffhs Of tie slaUes or on pop.
ulation and taxation combined, where in SO large
a majority in the convention that many members
from the west and from the Valley proposed and
| advocated in caucus the breaking up Of the con-
ventlon and returning to their homes. l was
called into consultation With them, and seconded
by Allen Caperton. William Smith, of Creenbrier:
liugh W. Shelly, of Augusta Charles J. Faux
ner. and others, prevailed on them to remain, Law
| siege to the question, prolongng to the session,
by getting vacation in order to obtain instruc
tIpY,, fuo n, Il
majority into compiance' with political Justice
and right. That course was pursued for near
| ly or quite eighteen months, and succeeded tri-
umphantly In equalizing representation Justly
and fairly on the basis of he numbers Of The vo
| ting population. v hen a candidate before the
people of my district, opposed to any but the mix.
ed basis 1t was urged against my election that
there would be no security against leyying takes
| unequaly upon the slave property, if the west
should obtain the majority ofrepresentation I.
| r. Joynes and Alexander P. Upsher, the two
great champions Of the mixed basis in the con-
! ven!ion of 20 and 80. still alive, and ur-
| ged that they knew of no such adequate security
IN making the taxes on slaves quadrate with tn
Ian tax; so that the west could not tax the slaves
Of the cast, without equally, by given ratio tax.
I! ing the lands of the west and east This guar
antee promised to urge and it was carried in
convention without delaying the success of the
| white basis for q day. | closed the de-
bate on the question having been silent du-
ring the whole session. and had to reply to every
antagonist who had preceded me, and as was well
known and understood spoke partly against time
to gain the vote of my colleague in the COMM ttee
| which had to report upon Ii measures and com
promise. | hardly expected that any Stauntcn
man would ever complain of my long and contin-
ued struggle TO gain justice for the west and Val
! ley, or would Intimate that had ever DELAYED
the success of my own favorite measure
Again. You say ''in course of the converse
ton, r. (you) expressed the belief that YOU IN
had taken an active part in causing the state to
withdraw from the Union In this you were
strangely at fault fought from the first to the
hour OF voting on secession to prevent the stale ON
withdrawing from the Union Before the conven-
ton met, and on its committee of twenty-one to
report upon plan for the state to pursue, ur-
ged, as IS notorious, the policy of fighting in tile
Oni0n" So well apprised ought you to be Of
that fact, that your townsman one of The CON-
naittee cfNtne,' Mr.. A. H. H Stuart of staunton. J
not long ago, since the war, in public speech at
| Stanton exulted in denouncing the absurdty of
the idea of fighting in the Union. That was NV
urgent policy, but ne was and is Federalist and
auti secession, advocate Failing to obtain my
| plan, voted TOR secession, approving it heartily
/ as do now, as the next best alternative as a
perfectly constitutional remedy, and as forced
upon Virginia at least by every consideration of
| honor aud sef-respect and right. | am an IN
subdued rebel (if you please to call me SOY yeti
will eatnone Of the dirt Of unsurpation and tyrany
and despse the sercIay Of the man, party Of men
eoho do Your interviewer or you, would have
been right in saying that am an extreme man. if
he you had only added ION moral principle
a moral feeling and faith, and on the points of
truth and honor. recognize no 'expedieney
which recognizes the power of brute force to ex.
tinguish either moral principle, faith, fee
| ling or a truth of honor
| am, sir, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
\ HENpyA W,er