Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-07-01
ISnecial to the Gazette.

tie discussion having appeard III Inc newspapers
over the supposed contents OF certaln private
letters written by myself, have gone to much
trouble to procure the originals, and now place
them at your disposal.
rarely have the time and never tn inclina-
ton to engage 10 such discussions Nor do L
corc.de thai il is incumbent on a pubic Official
to notice assaults upon himself through the
nrcsS especially when they are unaccompanied
with proof, relate to private correspondence,
and emauate from those who never had any
connection with the matters they seek to make
hubble 1t is therefore with reluctance that,
uudcr the exceptional circumstances OF this
case, | yield to what seems to be the wish OF
my friends aud the public in giving publicity TO
all know 10 the premises. :,
have polhiug to rccant ID connection Win
these or any other letters OF mIne-publlc or
private. TO day stand as | have consistent
~ stood from the beginning. to the clear mean
ing of these letters fairly construed. They
were rapidly dashed off uuder the pressure oil
constant aud onerUus engagements; they were
written with the unguarded confidence and
abandon with which Que gentleman addresses
his private letters to others who are his warm
supporters. and were dispatched without copies
bclng retained.
These particular letters were thus written IN
view of the 'proffcr Of reconciliation held cut
in the third resolution Of the Conservative
platform. The first letter was part OF the eli
fort then being made, and in good faith and
fairly made, by thousands of leading Conselva-
,ivrS to avert or ucutraIize the opposition of
the Federal administration to our State ticket
iu the late canvass. 1t was written with spe-
ciaI reference 10 a then impending evil which
threatened Virginia with the horrors of South
Carolina, and endangered our civilization. This
is treated as the most appalling OF our then
| impending evils the third term isassumcd aud
! implied to be another evil; the two evils are
contrasted, the one with the other, and
it is declared 10 eff, CT that in choice between
the two the third and even the seventh term
were the less and the better OF the two evils
| for us. 1t is position | repeatedly declared
in better and more explicit terms before the
people in the late canvass, and one which re-
ayow to day.
Those who have been my daily associates
well know that from the time the suggestion OF
third term was first seriously preseuted,l have
| habtually and pointedy opposed it as propo-
sition considered by itself. When my own
name has been more than oDce proposed 10
connection with the scheme or plan OF third
term ticket have in every ins;auce promptly
repecd the proposal, refusing to be counted
in any calculation, or to make myself party to
any political movement not sanctioned by the
| organized action of the Conservative party. l
| hnrc ncrcy supported and aciN not support any
cundiintc for any o1ice ,0h0 runs contrary to
! tie dcci@on or against the regular nominee q
| the purty My views, as often and uniformly
expressed, will now be re-stated:
\ third term violates one OF those traditions
and EXAMPLES unwlitteu laws--whch in a
| free country constitute some OF its best bull
warks of liberty. In the language Of Mr.. JET
fersou, ''if some termination to the services of
the Chief Magistrate be not fixed by the con-
stitution or SUI piled by practice, his rthcc
nouinally for life, will in fact become for ta;
and history shows how easily that degencrates
into an inheritance" 1t was the proclaimed
idea Of the great statesmen Of Virginia, who
mainly founded the American government, that
any departure from the rule which limited the
incumbent to two terms would be attended with
stupen1ons peril to all the Institutions end lib
critics Of the country. And the opinion has
been ever since held by the most trusted states
men Of all sections, that the usage, as settled
by The example of Washington and Jctfcrsou,
i, hardly les s!rong 10 moral obligation and au-
thpritaivc force than constitutional inhibition.
| do not believe the country can remain 10 its
present abnormal conditions. We are going to
have either popular SeIt-governmcDt or central
imperialism. intend to stand for the liberty
side as long as fragment otlt remains. l alu
DRIP Sed to a third term Tor the reason that,
notwithstanding the past, | have faith in the
cause of constitutional free government. But
OPPOSE some other evils still more. One Of
the cruclest caIamitics which could bciail all
classes aud coIors at the South would be the
5, ca intcrmixiug of the races to result from
the enforcement of the civil rights tanaticism
and barbarSm; and it is hard to conceive what
greater evil than that could be involved in any
possible revolution of the government.
IF the future should bring forward a candi-
date imp"rsonating the third term principle; if
he should cut loose from old party tramnels
and take his stand on our safe Conservative
grouud-ground Of universal reconciliation and
peace under the consltutlon-aDd if SO stand
10y ne should be opposed by any champion Of
the clvi! rights iulquly, then 10 Il contest be-
tween the two the Conservative party ought,
in my opiuion. to 90 decidedly, but as an or.
gauizol party aud not otherwise, for the third
termer-y"t with protest on their lips against
the third-tcrm principle and 10 spite of that
principle.
Having to touch this subject it is but fair to
20 through with il and to develop ali J. know
as hearing upon il in any Of its relations.
+ lrly in December last desire, spoutane-
ously expressed, that | would call aud sec the
President, was conveyed to NE orally from the
best source duly appreciated the courtesy
and tct an inclination to accept it. \ very few
days attarward | came to Richmond, advised
with number of able and leading Conserva.
tvcs as to my duty 10 the premises, and as the
result Of such conference, | then made up my
mind and then fixed and announced to many
friends my determination to make that call.
On the 3lst of December returned to Rich
III. nd and after my arrival on that day finished
writing my inaugural message to be transmitted
on The lst Of January.
. The message went freely and fully into the
subject of the relations of the Conservative
party with other parties and with Gen. Grant.
|, Insisted upon maintaining the integrity and
independence of the Conservative party as
then and now organized 1t alleged that the
Conservative party was under no ties or obliga
tons which bound or identified it with any ex-
listing uaioDal party, but was Independent Of