The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-04-05

The following peppery bit of CORES
pondence between Dom Cameron; the ex-
Secretary of War, and Governor Vance,
of North Carolina, throws some light on
the Presidential campaign as it was con-
Quoted in the latter State: -
.Ie s.WAR DEPARTMENT,
AZ Z. i.WAaHINeToN, Jan. 26, 1877.
To the Governor Of the Stat, ef. North Car
S1RMI respectfully request that you
will furnish this Department with q COM
plete set of the reports Of the Adjutant
General Of. your State for the years
1876 inclusive, for use in connection
with the official records of the war Of the
rebellion! for publication. Express
charges for the same will be paid by the
Department. -I-am-your obedient ser.
VII 9ES Ss''"i.'N IS J. D7eA@ER0N,T
Secretary of War.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
4Ga1a Ha!Fa RALRIaH; Feb*5 1877:
To the Ronora51e u, N cameron, Secretary
of War:
SIR-Your letter, asking me to furnish
you with complete set Of the reports of
the Adjutant General of this State for
the years 1876 inclusive, has been re-
ceivedi;~ :.i,iY;:,5 1lR ,ia2,l :hl
.Itrwould. afford me great pleasure to
comply with the request if any mutually
could be infused into the transaction. In
1865, one month after Geneial Sherman
had issued his proclamation announcing
the; cessation; of hostilites and forhdding
the further seizure Of property in North
Carolina, Che letter Books of the execu-
tive of this State were Seized at Green's
boro and placed in the War Department
at Washington, where: they ;Aew.. remain.
Permission has been asked again to re-
turn them or to obtain copies for The
State Archives, which has been persist
emily refused. Ny predecessor, Gov
ernor Worth, on one occasion sent a
special messenger to Washington with an
urgent request to be permitted to make
copy Of q letter fom' those books, to be
used in a law suit pending in our courts
wherein the State was' interested, j which
reasonable request was refused. In 1871,
while was in Washington seeking ad-
mission to my seat in the United States
Senate q slanderous article appeared in
the Daily Chronicle. charging me with
cruelty toward the Federal prisoners COLI
fined at Salisbury. The refutation of
this calumny was contained in certain
official letters recorded in. those books.
I went in person to the Ward Department,
stated my object, and asked permission
to copy two letters which contained my
full vindication, and was reflised on the
ground, as was assigned, that no copies
would be given without the authority of
Congress. -
And yet last spring when I met my
competitor, Judge Settle. who was the
Republican candidate for Governor, /
found him supplied with ansarmful of
garbled and mutilated copies Of these
same official letters, certified as true
copies by yourself as Secretary Of War,
with the great seal duly attached.
I applied to. Congress, believing that
body would feel it beneath the dignity of
great Republic to suppress the truth in
order to oppress so humble an individual
as myself. al resolution which would
have effected my object was. promptly
passed by the House Of. Representatives
and was as promptly ylS9n Iaid on tbs 4sbt table in
the Senate. i''''F 'S''''' ''''' ON
Under this state Of things, therefore, |
should deem myself, wanting both inself-
respect and in appreciation Of the office
which 7 have the honor to fill, were ], to
comply with your request. N'''' -
Were it otherwise I should most glad
ly furnish. you therrequired documents,
first, because it, would afford me real
pleasure. to extend this or any other Off
cial courtesy, and secondly, becauSe I
would. be- proud for the world to know
how faithfully and nobly the people Of
NORTH .Carolna,struggled to MAINTAIN the
cause, whether right or wrong, in which
they considered their rights and honor to
be involved - :! .
lam, sir, very respectfully, your obe-
dient servant, iil, a. .,., ~,