The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-12
fC)mmunit attd.l
To the Public.

Az men. as ctiZaDS, and as conservatives
we have read with pain TIE repeated attacks
mon General Bradley I. johnson, The more
especially IS they purport to come from
within the party, and yet were withheld un.
til after he bad been publicly announced as
a candidate and elected as party nominee.
We desire to express our uoShaken conn.
dence in General johnson both as man ana
as candidate for Office, and our conviction
that his defeat would he calamity to the
party, to the city. and to the State.
He has already replied TO these attacks IN
public cards, which to US seem perfectly con-
elusive and over wheIming; but because
these cards have necessarily been long recI-
tails of fact, aud a condensed statemtn! may
therefore be of service to the puoilc, and
also because We belong 10 profession one
of whose members has been, as we feel, un-
Justly assailed, We beg leave to call the atten'
ton Of the people OF this senatorial district
again britfly to the Farmers Bank letter.
That letter is an elaborate tissue of ingenious
insinuaiions and unWarrautable differences.
As lawyers we submit the following as lar
ANALYSIS and refutation OF It's charges AN
anlysis aud REPUTATION verified and fortified,
but by no means suggested by General John-
sons card. The impression which the Farm.
does convex, to q mind otherwise unfamiliar
with the facts and not especially cautious in
analyZiug its allegations, is about this
General johnson, in order to get bis fat
prize before tribunal which BE- could readl-
ly use for bis corrupt purposes, gave erigi.
nal jurisdiction 10 the Federal count by a
sham: he then harried the bank debtors and
collected the bank-assets by the invention OF
supplemental jurisdiction aud the tabrici-
ton OF supplemental process so slaragly
illegal as to amount 10 an "a5surdity" ard
an " outrage" de so conducted and bur-
ried the proceedings as TO prevent the seat
tered creditors Of the bank trefn having nc
| tice, while he distributed the dividends
among 4 ring OF the initiated, with whom
| he shared the spoRs; aud, tinaily, be robbed
creditors and plundered the funu by eX0rbI-
| tant fees for himself. and enormous costs and
charges for clerks and ma,shas.
Every candid reader will admit this to be
q fair statement OF the general tenor OF the
! letter; and observe, nothing less than this
will answer the purpose of the writer. 1t
will not EJECT tie demands of his argument
to say merely that these Jurisdictions were
questionable; that these proceedings were
irregular; that these dividends were uu-
equal; thatahese fees and casts were large,
because all aslese assertions might be true !;
and yet General johnson might be u G. at d
proper person to receive our suffra@es for
the Senate. obviously these irregularities,
int qualties, and overcnarges must be so reX-
aggerated as to force upon the fair.minaed
voter the conviction that there was corrupt
intent in the nind of the attorney who con-
Quoted the caase. He, ping this distipe.
ton in view, we invite your at eution So.
riotsm to the charges in the letter, promising
that most OF Us were to some extent cog
infant OF these proceedings at the time, aud
some of US represented both creditors and
debtors OF the bsnk, the latter of whom were
defendants 10 these rules ntsi.
LIST. The general G6,arge Tor insicuatioD) is
that General johnson alone was responsible
for the entire conduct of the cause. The
JGG is that the cause was complex one,
embracing many sides aud pirties-plain-
lifts, defendants. creditors, debtors, trustees,
| rece&ers-that these We're represented by
| different counsel. each Oh whom naturally
| struggled for DEGREES and orders in the il.
terest Of their particular clients, and gay
have obtained them withoe1 the Enowleage
OF General johnson, or ever against bis pro
tests and efforts.
I'd. The charge is that general johnson
gave oiiSiuai Jutis0iStlou w Tue 1 eueidi
court by setting up as nonresident plaintiff
a man of straw who asserted claim never
afterwards heard OF, though fat dividends
were paid, and residence never afterwards
discovered, though diligent search was
made. The fog is that William Bayne (the
plaintlf) Was and is wellkuown eerchant
OF standing and property, resident in the
city Of Baltimore, who, We presuae, col.
lected his claim through 40 agent Or broker,
as many Others did ia the progress OF these
causes.
Sd. The charge is that General Jobason
originated before Under wood these supple.
mental rules niss-a jurisdiction and process
so utterly without color OF law that the TO-
vention was at once an insult to the pr1fes.
sion and an outrage upon the public. The
fact is that General johnson did not ori,i.
nate them at all, and be aud bis learned and
able senior, Judge Crunp, did not pretend
10 submit so grave and delicate question to
Judge Underwood. bat brought 1t directly
before Chlel-JuSliee Chase, who decided in
aVor OF toe jurisdiction, and approved and
1xed The very fol u Of the process and of the
uogment TO be eutered upon it. A contrary
decision was afterwards rendered by Jud e |
oono. but alter The question had ceased TO be |
ne OF great importance, apd tbe matter Was |
eyel carried TO the Supreme Court.
All. The charge is tina! General johnson so
onducteu ana nurried the proceedings as
, deny 20 scattered creditors OF the bank
,eir legal i"h' OF notice. The fact is these
editors had u0re Than Ordinary legal
CUTS IN this re- 'otc', for even our own
ate law does mol rtqnlre Or ccn,emplit7 !