The Van Buren press., 1874-05-19
GEN. J. F. FAGAN.
An Open Letter to Him by Rev. r. W
Trimble, Of Pine Bluff.
PINE BLUFF, ARK May 5, ls1

PINE BLUFF, ARK May o, 1874.
GEN. JAMES +. FAsAS:
: Nh Dear Sri have just heard
through some of your old friends that
YOU have assumed command Of some ol
the so called State militia, by order OF
Mr. Joseph Brooks, late candidate for
} the Governorsbip Of the State. l have
been 10th to believe these statements-
indeed, | could not believe them until
saw military order emanating from you,
and published In the Republican at Little
Rock. have known you personally for
about fourteen years, and during small
portion of that time ! was intimately as
sociated witt you as chaplain OF the
First Arkansas regiment Our relations,
both ia the Confederate army and social
ly since the close OF the war, have been
of the most agreeable character. and
believe have not failed to express my
, appreciation Of your gallant conduct in
every field Of duty. Like yourself, ! have
been quiet, loyal citizen since the close
! of the struggle between the States. II
has been our humble privilege to look on
while political parties formed and re-
formed siRoe the war, and | believe we
have held kindred sympathies amid the
struggle through which we have passed.
!. have reason TO know that you have
been in warm sympathy with the people
ehose most sacred rights hare been cared
for by our rulers about as much as wolres
care for lambs. You know rs well as
that the political party who have ruled
this State for the past seven years have
been as bold and unbushng in maintain
ing their power against the express VIII
of the people as any set of men on earth.
Darker, fouler deeds never were perpe-
trated in the land Of the Spaniards than
have been porpetrated by the political
crew that have ruled this State. But,
why dlate on these matters wnen they
are so notorious You know them far
better than !, and yet it is but proper
that should make these statements as a
necessary preliminary to what have to
say touching your conduct in the prem
ises.
You have accepted n position, the lie.
gality of which is extremely doubtful, and
| may venture to say very unwise, impol-
itic, and fear without that careful dc
liberation that should have actuated n
man of your years and standing. can
not believe that you have advised with
your best friends before you accepted so
mean a position, TO take up arms against
your old friends and to sustain Mr..
Brooks in his revolutionary course, when
it is a notorious fact that he is not the
fP~vpa-i---A-.------'s- s---- .------s -.A.--i-,,
my dear sir, you have scarcely considered
the responsibility OF your act and the
consequences which must follow. What
shall say OF the new friends you have
founl2 Need | present the record Of
Brooks, Mcclure, Catterson and Clayton
to convince you and the people that you
have gotten into bad company? Are
these men your friends? Do you pro.
pose to endorse their conduct heretofore,
and what pledge have they given you
that their conduct in the future will be
any better than it has been in the past
Have not all these and many more Of
their ilk been the oppressors OF the peo-
pie? And now you are associated with
them. AS your old fast friend am at q
loss to know how to regard your con.
duct, 1t seems so unaccountabe (; so op-
posed to the noble stand you have here
tofore taken in behalf of the people. /
hope YOU have not been lured from your
steadfastness as the peoples friend by
any reward that a bad party could hold
out, But suppose you have been induced
by yanity or reward to associate yourself
with Mr. Brooks, his promises must be
conditional and very uncertain Your
chosen friends have proven themselves
heretofore unworthy the confidence re-
posed in them. Pardon Inc for asking
What do you think OF promises and hon.
esty of the leaders of the Republican
party IN this country After what you
have seen and know so well, can you
trust the men with whom you have asso-
ciated yourself? Can you indorse the
organ of Mr. Brooks in its statements
and accept it as the exponent of your
views? My dear sir, fear that you
have accepted more than you agreed for
in the beginning and that an unlucky
current may draw you into the wretched
whirlpool Of radicalsm where all the
waits OF political fortune find a common
centre
cannot but think that n man of your
sagacity ought to have foresccn the con
sequences which must inevitably come of
the course you seem to have marked out
for yourself Surely you are not so blind
rs to imagine that you have made any
friends by the stand you have taken or,
if you have, who are thcyf The same
vile crew who have ruled this State so
long. The enemies of the people.
must spare your feelings by Withholding
an inference that might be drawn from
the above. What are you among SO
many, | mean those who for the last
seven years have sc, at the capital Of the
State and incubated on party schemes to
perpetuate their power and plunder the
people, men whose education and in
stncts are totally unlike your own. |
will not impugn your motives, and hope
you will pardon me for saying that ! be.
lievc you have made great and fatal
mistake, and can assure you that your
best friends in the community think so I;
indeed, your course has filed Us with
profound sorrow Whatyou propose to
accomplish by supporting Mr.. Brooks is
a mystery to me, when it is notorious
fact that he has already gathered around
Il 4. a a,<l,. s,,.tt