Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-07-18
LETTER or ma. FAULKNER.

warm ana earnest appear To per-
NIT my name to go before this dis
trict as a candidate for Congress,
and that appeal having been sus
tanned by letters addressed to me
from portions of the district, / do
not feel myself at liberty to with
hold my assent TO their request. ]
do not presume TO say that the men
who have thus invited me into the
canvass speak the voice Of this dis
trict. OF that, ! shall not under
take 70 express my opinion. But
this / do know, that they speak
their own manly and independent
sentiments; and as freemen and
citizens Of The State, they have a
right 10 give expression to what
they think. twill be for the peo-
pie, In the fu!lness Of their power,
to act upon this subject according
to their good Will and pleasure, and
to accept or reject any name pre-
scented 10 them, as the best interests
of this district demand. .
Ny political course is well known
to the people Of this district, but it
may be very briefly referred to. /
commenced life a Henry Clay a1hig,
/ felt an unbounded admiration for
the broad, comprehensive, patriot
il, and national policy which plac-
cd that distinguished man in front
rank Of living American States
men. | adhered with unfaltering
fidelity to his policy and personal
fortunes, until / discharged my
las, duty to my illustrious friend
by nrououncing an euiogy on his
earthly remains in the House Of
Representative Of the United
States. Mr. Clay did not die one
day too soon. If ceaseless labor in
the cause Of his country had not
shortened his life, his noble heart
would have burst with sorrow at
the action of the party which owed
to him its existence. Just about
the period Of his death. it openly
repudiated his national principles
and policy; and sought alliance
with his enemies, and degenerated
into a mere sectional organization.
at the same time, renowned my
connection with it, and united my
self to the national democratic par
tn ofthe Union, which then placed
itself under the compromises of
1850, upon the broadcast and most
conservative constitutional plat
form. Having seen nothing in the
principles of he democratic party
since that day to condemn, | have
adhered rigidly to its fortune and
organization, now near a quarter
Of century.
I was absent from the United
States as one of the representative
of this nation in France, when the
late civil war broke out. / had
therefore no connection with the
events which precipitated that fear
full crisis upon the country. Upon
my return from Europe in August,
1861, without a charge or an impu-
tation against my fidelity as the
nations representative abroad,and
solely because / was a native and
citizen Of the South, | was arrested
by order of the Secretary Of War,
consigned to three successive gov
ernmcnt prisons, where | remained
until | wasleXchang"d, ana SEM by
the government of the United
States within the limits Of The
Southern C0nfederacy. The con
fiict Of war was then raging, and
as hat conflict presented itself 10
my mind, j had 30 alternative but
to choose, between the armed inva-
ders of my native State, ans the
defense of herrights, proper(y,and
sovereignty. | choose the latter
and remained for four years an ok
lie from my home, faithful TO the
fortunes Of the South, until they
were crushed by military pow err
upon the fields Of Appomattox.
Immediately after the close of
hostilities, in August, 1865, Istaft-
ed, ! believe. the first conserN
journal published in West Virgln
al, and styled the Neie Era lis
purpose as announced, Nas go
soothe the ahimOstiee hat grew
out of the hate war; 10 maintain
and defend the rights Ga tie then
crushed ana hopeless minority; 10
disseminate sentiments Of IiberaIi
~, magnanimIty and justice, 10
discourage and denounce proscrip-
ton, and 10 bring again into har-
moni9us rotherhOod all the dis
cDrdunt and angry elements Of This
State. | did not cease in those e.
forts until those results were ac-
cofnpiished, which now unite Us as
one people.
/ Am opposed 10 The centraliziDg
and absorbing tendencies Of the
present national government; |
am for the constitution as it came
from the hands of the fathers of