The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-06-15
Letter from Hon. A.H.H. stuart

Letter from Hon. A. H. H. Stuart
The following letter from the Hon. A. Fl. H.
Stuart was Published in the last issue of the
Handicator.
STAUNTON, June 3rd. 1876.
Edtors Vtndfcator- Gentlemen: In reading an
eu,1olial ilotice OF the election recently held
IN Staunton for municipal officers. nublished
in your paper of End inst, | was surprised
10 ma the following sentence, 'Hon.. A. ii. H.
STUART from first to last, refused to Give aid or
COMFORT TO the Conservative party.
AS general rule, forbear from REPLYING
TO newspaper assaults, for after a public life.
extending through nearly forty years, have
learned to place proper estimate upon them.
gut, occupying as do, the position of one of
the conservative Delegates from the county
OF Augusta, do ho. feel disposed to let this
'hlputatioi upon me, pass uunoticed. as it is
not warranted by the facts. |. therefore. ask.
as u. an act OF justice to me, that you will pub
iisu this communications i'll your next paper.
so that the public may Judge between us. am
aware, tnaC Tor some reason, your journal has
occupied position of antagonlsm to me, polt-
lcaliy, Out cannot allow myself to suppose,
that you would wffully misiepreseht me.
From the close Of he late war to the present
hour, my best efforts have been dedicated to
the rescue of Virginia from oppression. and the
restoration OF good government to her people.
AT no small cost OF time and money, and With
the certainty OF mourning temporary odium. I
made several trips to Richmond and Washno-
ton, to cooperate with other gentlemen in OBJ
tanning such notifications OF the Acts of Con
gress, submitting the Underwood Constitll-
tom to the people OF Virginia as would ena-
Die them to strike from it the odious test oath
and DISTINGUISHING clauses.
liant FL
Ders as we'll us in the character of the men who
composed it, met in Richmond to organize the
conservative party, | was unanimously elected
TO preside over its deliberations. was. there
fore, one OF those who called the party inb0 ex-
lstence, and, from that time to the present. [
have been its steadfast and consistent advocate
and supporter. because / believed its success
was essential to the best interests of the State.
But wish it to be distinctly understood that
40 not regard myself as bound to surrender
bhndlyy to others. my right to Judge OF the
means best calculated to promote the interest
OF the PARTY. claim the right to be guided
ny my own conscience and judgment;a and when
see others, protesting to act in the name of
the party, urging line of policy Which deem
unWlsc, inexpedient and injurious to it. cam
not forego my privilege, as freeman, to pro-
test and to resist-otherwise, we must all be-
come slaves, and Patriotism be made subordi-
nate to party.
Ii you had said that did not give ssaid and
comfort to the late attempt to make war upon
andturn out the members OF the HOld Council -
al OF Whom were good and true Conservatives,
you would Rave stated what was strictly true
Gid mol approve of that movement. On the
contrary, deprecated it as fraught with evil
y Knew from long personal, political, and of
nclai ASSOCIATION with them, that P. B. Hoge,
VIVA. b. Kayser, NJ. P. Funkhouser, John b.
Evans, John w. Abby, Isaac Witt, B. L. Bagby
aud Thomas A. Bledsoe. were as true Con-
serVatlves. as estimable gentlemen. and as
faithful public servants us could he found With
ia the corporate limits. They were my life
long friends, and | could not be induced to
Joia IN a hue and cry against them, at the die
tatton OF any one. | could not see that Con-
seryatism had anything to do with an assault
on Conservatives. ! could not see how the
Interests of the Conservative party would be
advanced, by making war upon some OF it's
most meritol!o,ls members, thereby creating
fellds and divisions in our own ranks and ell-
gendering distrust and bad feeling, on the eve
OF Presidential election of unprecedented i'm
portance.
1t the opposition had been limited to the
Mayor and others calling themselves Republic
ans, the case would have been different. But
when the war was made on my Conservative
friends, | could not join i'll it. L thought saw
Ill the whole movement, nothing but damage
TO the Conservative party.
AND the report contained in your paper, of
the result of the election. proves certainly.
that my apprehensons were we'll founded.
In all former elections, the Conservatives
have carried both Wards of the city, aud have
given an aggregate majority of about 2OC
IN the last election, according to your STAN
dard of Conservatism, the Second Ward went
against the Conservatives, and the majority
for the Conservative candidate for Mayor was
reduced to about 124.
that while H'sghes received. in his contest
with Kemper, but 1l2 white votes, Bickle re-
ceved 152.
This exhibit, certainly, does not prove that
the interests OF the Conse. vative party We're
promoted by the movement which YOU so
highly approved
II we look to the election of Councilman we
viii find that the result was equally unfavor-
able to the purposes of those who inaugurated
the intestine war
AS l have already said, heretofore. both
Wards Of che city gave Conservative n,ajorities.
But IN the -ecent contest. you report, that in
the End Ward, the vote for the Radical Can
dldate for Mayor was 297, while the Conserva-
tive candidate received only 26s;. and in this
Ward the old Councilnen we're reelected.
In view of these facts, Z respectfully ask,
Vas FL WlSe-WaS IL TO tile interest or the Con-
SENTATIVE party, on thu eve Of the great Natl
onal contest, which is approaching, to weaken
It's organization, by Introducing this petty
local feud? Ought we not rather, to have
adopted policy of Cancellation tending to al
lay strife and bitterness in our own party
When the Presidential election in which such
grave issues are involved, comes upon us, next
fall, is there not reason to apprehend that the
seeds OF discord which have been so un wisely
sown will bring forth harvest of alienation
and indifference Does it make Conservatives
more active and energetic in the cause, to
charge them with being lukewarm, or ullfaitll-
fill to their party?
In conclusion, | will say, that thought the
movement was blunder when it was ccm-
menced-I think so still acted on my con-
vlctlons, but [ assaied nobody-I wished ev-
cry one to act according to his hest Judgment
i fear the evil consequences will be felt for
years to come-many of our best citizens
thought as did hope the result may prove
that we were mistaken.
Il is useless now, to repine over the past
let us, by wise councils, in the future seek to
repair amy damage that may have been done,
and cndeavor to restore harmony in our ranks.
Respectfully, yours &C.,
ALEX. H. II. STUART.
E Observation-Disclosures are particularly subject to
this disease and it's effects: such stomach,