The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-21
,sr VIRGINIA FATHERS h"
WIS., pORSED.

.-..sDopdeuce OF the Resis'er.
..,.,.d IS | am, at some distance IRON
.d and iuconvenienced By poor
.a ,.cilities-depending upon mS''
'D -. or borsebsck over the mountains,
'I; .;,., 70 the delays incident to the bad
and bad weather OF winter season
am sometimes late in receiving my
,,,,a,. and papers. Consequently the
n.,,srr. of the 9Th inst, containing the
.,.rondspce of Gov. Letcher and his
sI,,.. in reference to my obituary notice
:, ,ba late Col. Terrill, has Just reached
ne today.
vopId take no further public notice
o,,bi, controversy but for the remsrka-
n. fac, that Governor Letcher publishes
.uof the lengthy correspondence on THIS
.,oiac, with the exception OF my letter
:, him. which was most important IN
Giving TO the public my authority TOR the
,,.,smspt made in reference TO his su'
;,;.,rs,ion Governor Letchers letter
.,4-e..ed 10 me at Wheeling, requesting
nv authority for the statements concern
ing himself, did not reach me At thie
r,scs until the evening of the 2iIh OF
January. On the following morning
wrote in reply the letter given below and
which I forwarded immediately by hsnd
.. .ro,ber Office on postal line with
more frequent communication thsn 'ne
one passing ny postOfice, in order that
he might receive it without delay
C,oyEsLIcK, PocAHoSTAs Co, W. NA"l
January 25, 1878.
Hon. John Letchcr:
pv.R SIR:-On yesterday l received
,,',- letter of D,cember 3lst, addressed
= ma 4, Wheeling, and, after some de-
lac forwarded 10 me At this place, Where
1 an resting for my health.
Nv authority FOR the statement IN ny
s,,1r,e m the Wheeling RfGIsTER OF the
S-,h NJ, was Col. Wm II. Terrll hlm-
self and knowing thst Col. IerrlIl was
NJ, man TO claim credit for acts to
which he was not 8 party" l had no hes-
its,lon in giving publicity to h's slate
lnent.
l would not willingly do you, or sny
o,s else an injustice, and will cheeriuiiy
Zoo von ths benefit OF denial through
;,s s:me channel in which my statement
appeared, and il you srthorize me 10 90
So will publish your letter.
Yours most respectfully,
GEo. H. MoFFETT.
I,isnot nv purpose to detrsct unJu'tly
on. i,,. from the fame 10 which Gov.
Le.cher msy be entitled Tor his services
As chief magistrate o the COMMONWEALTH
Of Virginia. Neither do propose lo
su1.r an iriu.tice TO be done 10 tie |
m,mory of the drad Therefore l hope |
70 be able At an early day 10 lay before
III. public such testimony SIS Will enable
i, 10 Judge correctly OF the truth or talsi-
" OF the pre.eusiohs asserted oa oehaIi
OF the famous Col TerriIl. And until
then, | AIN conteEtto let that branch ol
tue controversy rest
THE CORRESPONDENCE.
But 10 the meantime, propose TO pay
nv respects lo;u. CORES pondence which
passed between COS. Letcaer and his
three faithful lrIcLds in reference to this
ms,tsr and which bss been published.
The universal be.iet ibat there was a
power behind the throne in Virgins,
was part OF the history OF the event!ui
times marking the administration OF Gov.
Le.cher The perIls threatening the
commonwealth =, this peculiar crisis in
her history justified the people in the be-
lief that the Governor would call - hls
sid the best talent OF the State. His con-
tinued professions OF devotion 10 the To-
terest Of the Stste over which he
presided led them to believe that he had
done what common sense and patriotism
dicls.ed. The tone and style o! the
State papers st this critical period were
50 superior 10 anything tbs. bad pre-
yiousy proceeded from the governor IN
hls long political career, that the people
were more than ever justified IN the
belle! ID A. there Was power behind the
throne possessed OF more brains thsn the
Que IN IT, The only question IN the
public mind was So - IchO Il was that
furnished the brsius. The hong personal
intimacy existing between Gov. Letcher
and Col. Terrill and the frequency with
which the ls,,er visited the former, taken
in connection with the brilliant talent.
and finished scholarship OF Mr.
Terrill lei msDy people 10 think that
be Il was whose mind directed The
administration OF the State 81 thst time.
These were matters not ibid under
hUshel' but continually snd openly
talked Of. II cannot be that Governor
Le,cher or his friends should have been
altogether ignorant OF these facts, yet
no. word IN denisl wss ever spoken,
ror 50 effort msde 10 remove this false
populsr impression iIt false II wss) until
Colonel Tsrrilrs lite hsd been sealed for.
ever IN death. II is little remarkable
that s. soon ss Death had stil!ed the
great brain snd heart which had worked
and throbbed for the glory Of Virginia,
tsst the Governor and b.. friends
should rush so impeiuousiy into pm;
- secure the hoLor 10 themselves.
have somewhere seen 81 sphorism 10 the
eject that truly virtuous woman never
eyinces an uueasineess about her own
honor.
THE THREE WITNESSES.
Rsiher singular circumstance con-
necied with this correspondesce Is the
position occupied by tue three friends
who seemed 10 have occupied the
extraordinary double relations OF
secretaries snd members Of the
Priyy courcil They seemed 70
hsye acted on the principle similar TO
that on which the three friends of the
Fsther in Moliere's comedy recommend
et 8 cure for the melancholy o. bis
daughter, insi he should furnish her
apartments, viz: with pAintngs-wiih
ispest.y-or with china, according 10
tie different commodities in which each
otthem WAS dealer. From the fossillsts
relics Of politics with which Virginis
sbounds the Governor has selected three