The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-05

American history were InOse oihoh"Si"S
from the Executive office while Govern
or Letcher controlled the destiuies OF the
old Common wealth. Col. Terrill was
their author, as he prepared sll the I'm
portant State papers OF that administrA-
tion, &c"
This, 10 me, is q most extraordinary
statement. do not hesitate to say that
In my opinion if Col, Terrill were alive
he would utterly deny any such suthor-
ship, and repudiste with indignation the
idea that he deserved the credit OF the
preparation, not only o. all, but OF any
of the important or unimportant State
papers referred to. 1t is known that L
was Secretary of the Commonwealth
during the entire period OF your admin
istration, and, therefore, in daily inter-
course with you in relation to State mat
ters, and that was required by
law to keep the records OF your
official acts. l had an opportunity to
know how your messages TO the leglsia-
ture were prepared, how your proclama-
tions and official letters and communlcs-
tlons were written and promulgated, and
in all that time / never saw line IN
serted in any of your written papers IN
Col Terrill's handwriting. l saw you
personally engaged in the preparation OF
many of your best State papers. Many
of them were read TO me by you
before they were completed, and when
thus prepared, the thoughts and Ism
gusge remained unchanged. l have often
commented on the fact that you rarely
corrected your composition, as you pro-
gressed with them, and that your facility
in writing WAS remarkable.
deem it unnecessary to dwell upon
this extract, because l believe what has
been SAID Is sufficient for your vindicatlon.
am very truly your friend,
GEORGE w. MUNFoRD.
RICHMOND, January 25, 1873.
My DEAR GoyEsNOR:-I have never
read more ridiculous statement than
tue claim now set up, for the first time,
ard after his death, that Col. VIM. b.
Terrill, late of Bath, was the author OF
the State papers emanatlDg from your Of
flee while you were Governor. l had
the fullest opportunity of knowing
whereof testify. was confidential
Secretary from April 1861, until you
went out OF office, and the inmate OF your
house and i; was most improbable, and
almost impossible for any one to have
written the papers bearing your signature
without my knowledge. Most II not all
Of these papers were written in my pre-.
scnce, and when copies were necessary,
they were copied by me, from your own
manuscript, and l never saw line OF
Col. Terrilps-with whom and whose
hand writing | was fully acquainted, eI.
cept occasionally a letter, which, with
all other letters, all passed through my
hands before they reached yours; IN
which there was nothing beyond an ordi-
nary letter of the day.
70 the best OF my knowledge and be.
liot, the papers bearing your name dur
ing your administration were entirely OF
your own production, and especially that
the claim set up for Col. Terrlll, Is wholly
unsustsined by the facts.
Very truly yours,
5. BAssETT FRENCH.
lion. John Lstcher, Leringtom, Va.
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE, I
January 20, 1878.
lion. John Letcher, Lertngton, VG.:
Ny DEAR GovERNoR-I have read
the article published in the Staunton
Snectator of the I'D inst, taken from the
Editorial Correspondence OF the Wheel
ing REGISTER, on the late Col. w. II.
Terrill, and l note particularly the iol-
lowing passage: During the war Col.
Terrell was the power behind the throne
in Virginia. He was the warm personal
friend OF Governor Letcher, and spent
good portion of his time at the Executive
Mansion, when Letcher was so hone ra-
bly, filling the position Of War Governor.
Some of the most finished State papers
of American history were those emsnat-
ing from the Executive Office while
Governor Letcher controlled the destl-
MES OF the old Commonwealth. Col
Terrill was their author, as be prepared
all the State papers OF that sdministra-
tion. But SO unsmbitious was he that II
was matter of no consequence 10 him
whether he got credit for 1t or not. If
he could serve friend or could have An
hours social enjoyment with a jolly
crowd, he was happy"
l am sure that Col. Terrill would be
the last man upon earth who would as
sert such q claim as the above. l knew
him well, and knew him to be Your
wsrm personal friend, but it will be
news indeed TO those who recognize, IN
sll your public documents, the clear
marks of their real author, to hear that
such clam is asserted for Col. Terrill
OF being the "suthor" of "sll the State
papers of your administration.
/ wss a member o. your council for two
months after the passage o: the Ordi-
nance OF Secession, and during the greater
part OF this time, / was your guest at the
Executive Mansion. Thus brought into
the closest official and personal relstion
towards you, i feel warranted in saying
that the papers emsnsting from the eX.
ecutive during these most eventtui
months were the productions OF the same
mind that SO worthily directed the ad-
ministration Of the State 81 that time.
l recall the clrcunstsn ces under WI ca
one OF the most effective messages
ever prepared by an Extcnve was writ
ten. You called me inte your office on
Saturday evening TO read me message
which you had just finished, and which
you designed to send IN TO the
Convention on the next morning, (Sun-
day. l had been absent on q short
visit from home. and hal only returned
ths: evening. You introduced the resd-
ing OF the message by referring to the
attacks which had been made sgsinst
your administration from the public
press and elsewhere, and that it wss right
and proper 10 vIndicste yourself
The message WAS clear snd 10 The
pont-snd IS q defense, it was complete.
l expressed TO you my warm approval
l.. IL -