The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-10-23

which ven kindly SHED some ten days
or q fortnight asgo, an ter ing 70 YOU
nv grest ,,ieaSst;re at the course os your
valuable ra,,er ol, the most imp rtant. cues
sfion now ayisatii.s the. plib bic IN aud
;;ypon the proper solution and settlement OF
which. as 4 conceive, SO much OF Weat OF OF.
,ssSe 40 Che eossntry.s G
why could not, and why 4 hoped tue lse s-
s,5,I6iicans OF the district would moi, SD ID
bort either Genera! Joseph u. Johnston 20 9 Z
soiopeI w. w. Newman in the present con.
grcssIoi,nl contest At the time 4 pennea
that article was not aware That some z! o. oll
the best and ablest OF my party Iriends
were counselling differently. And regret
exceedingly TO haveto differ from such men
as General Wickham, Judge Hughes, ana
Others, whose good opinion ]. nave alWa!s
valued most highly. But L have seen OF
heard nothing, sirce the appearance OF my
letter, to induce me to change. or WISH 10
hove changed. one word therein contained,
or to give different advice to my frlcnds;
On the contrary, the speech OF Generai
Johnston, delivered at the Theatre Friday
night week, but confirms ME IN my opin-
ions and the correctness of the course al
yjsed. The election Of General Johnston,
which. as a choice OF evils, might be tole-
rated. cannot be accepted rs In any sense
favorable to the issue made BIZ the ADMIN
istrasioD, and which is now the great issue,
and almost the only one. now dividing
PARTIES in the country. BE is Democrat
OF Democrats in favor Of the repeal OF tine
resumption law; in favor OF the issue OF
can abundance OF greenbacks," tWitn
saving clause, it is true, for they are 10 De
as "good as gold,") and IN favor OF State
or wildcat banks, and the overthrow OF the
national banks. j am sorry to be compelled
70 write ii, but this speech Of the Generals,
"a reported by you, either does him gross
Injustice, or it is as weak as IL IS PAD IN
purpose. II what is said is meant in a lit
eral sense, and not put forth simply as gam
mon and stuff, then the speech is very weak
and bad. IL it be CANNON ana stun, IN
tended simply as food for simpletons, thenlt
is utterly unworthy of the man we nave
ali taken General Johnston to be. Is II not
possible to be an honest politician! is II
not possible to be honest and be poiltl-
clan? Can no one openly and boldly de'
clare his honest sentiments ana gain tue
favor OF the people,? Or are we compelled
TO resort to tricks Of imposition aud shallow
devices to deceive the people SO as to gain
their votes? Whit is this speech OF the
Generals at the Theatre but rehash of the
twiddle.twaddle OF his letter? Boiled
down, 1t is simply bare-iaced humbuggery,
or nothing, or lrorSe than nothing. con-
TESS surprise, even grief. at the evidence or
want OF ability to grasp the situation ana
deal with it as q statesman and philosopher
contained in the speech in question.
Il is now almost certain that either Gen
eral Johnston OF Colonel Newman wilt rep
resent this district in the next Congress.
Between the two, greatly prefer that 1t
should be the General; and yet. as friend
| OF the country; as friend OF the Admins
tration; as friend Of the policy OF resump-
ton; as friend OF sound national cur
rencv and the nations good faith; rs
| friend OF the national banks, which De-
| licye to be the best fiscal agency that can be
employed to secure to the people sound
and elastic currency, and at the same time
serve in the regulation or the nations
finances; as Republican and a I" lifelong -
opponent Of the Democratic party, cannot
support him. | Will not support his COM
petitor.
| Why, gentlemen, the question is not Whe-
| Their General Johnston is an original or
" lifelong Democrat" or Wing. or Re
publican-a hycna. leopard or non )
whether he regards certain measures already
adiudged and settled by the courts as OF
doubtful constitutionality. No. But Whe-
Their the country shall be prosperous and
happy under rational system OF finance,
based upon the experience Of mankind
through untold ages; whether the good
faith OF the nation shall be maintained by
an honest purpose to pay its honest debts,
or whether we shall again so to sen on all
these great questions; whether we shall
again enter upon Il wild system OF finance
and bad faith, and speculation unworthy OF
the aye in which we live, and remarkable
only for its folly. say, therefore,
to Republicans, you can best pre-
serve your self-respect. your conscious
| ness of true manhood, by standing aloof in
the contest now being waged between the
rag-baby and its twin. brother yclept the
| Democracy. Result as it may, the country
stands but slim chance OF being benefited.
Again gay thanks. Messrs. Editors. for the
facts you have adduced from time to time
in support of the true issue now before the
people, and, though we may differ as to the
means to make those facts available fol-
good, / hope we have charity enough. to
tolerate the difference and be friends.
q. X. GILMER.