The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-17
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.


RICHMOND, March IL, 1870. }
To the Editor of the lthig:
Upon my return from Washington last night
tu1 there has been much discussion and talk about
General H. r. Juhn>on'S appearing rs ociate cou-
sci on behalf OF The Sta!e in the Itives imbrogo.
In your paper OF Mon ay last there are seyer:
two letters from The GOVERNOR dated oh and eth
Of March. In The SIate OF last ,n;e;g ey;ening my my
to conference with Judge Robertson and myself
at my Office IS published. very Euch regret that
word or line to IT but from sense Of duty and IN
Justice TO all parties. and i'll vlndical0 OF me tIut
- Lot justice oe done. though the heavens iali II
The appearance OF General Johnson III lhe Ereat
ight which Virginia Is now making for con. titu-
0naI liberty is for crucfyin2 any one, let The
malcfactor bear the cross.
/ submit the following statement as substantially
true. It's details true 10 the extent that me I'm,
perfcct1ons OF human memory enable me 10 recall
what was said and done some week or more ago:
The day after the passage or The JOINT resolutions
authorizing The Governor to employ counsel 10 as
indicted by The United States Court At Danvie aud
TO protect the interest of the Sae in AL matters
Judge Raves the Governor sent for me: went to
his Office He called my attention to The 1act mat
and a1e rencrously said that as the su matter re.
lated more directly 10 my department. ne proposed
10 leave the selection of counsel to nySeif. i
thanked him for The consideration, and told him
that If The privilege of selecting counsel was ac-
corded TO me that the se'ection wa> already made !;
that Judge William j. RobeItO OF charlottesville.
was my choice. My selection Of Judge Robertson
was Influenced by long acquantancc close
and Intimate personal and lroie>sional re- re-
ability us Il lawyer ana advocate. and his devotion
to his state. The Governor promptly rcspnndcd
thaf Il better selection could not have been mace. ana
tl,ut he woaid chcerCuIIy Inake the app0int tlncnt
He, however, said that he had been thinhlns about
The polcy OF eInplo. ing counsel beyond The limits
Of Virginia more intimately connected "lth tlle
pracficc OF The Supreme Court and cohnected Win
the dominant o cal nary J." response nrc 70 rrnS Iri
Judge Robertson for various reasons anu aliiong
ihcm thai INV opportunities for conference Win
hlm would be more frequent. ana such conferences
less restrained: that portion, at least OF the ser
vice would have 10 be rendered here III virginia,
and that foreign lawyers %ou!d not cUe and cr ipr
S,des. I said that such foreign lawyers would
txpcct a fec OF from $4,000 to s20oo0, and we
ceded The force of tcese reasons, and said he was
entirely satlsed to associate Judge Robertson WIN
me; but said was mat,eT o. Pa derr ay olrcIion TO
confer with the charmen OF the CoInmltess OF
Courts Of Justice In the senate anu t1use. m toI M
Dei. None IN tho world: that would oe f pieaseo ps
10 have such a conference. He sent Tor LIosc gth.
llcnlen the matter was ,alkcd over Freely, anu lne
result was that for @ e and If IN Inc progress
Of the cont roversy Judge Robertson and my,ed .
should reach the conclusion That !he interest oa n ,ne
STute demanded the employment or otner coui-
Sci then we should report to the Governor
aud he would act in the premises another SUP,
ect was - Ws IN Teh he % T room
crivcd message that Senator wanted 10 sec iie
for few moments. Il Will not give hls hauin, ,HJ 10
is not necessarily went out TO STE him. he ASKED
me what my personal relations were % with Geners. aT.
self had since our acquaintance uniformly e1tchuea
to each other the courtesies Of ocia Intercourse
ina: had no unkind feng for and enteriainca no
hostility towards him. and that If he enttrl;ineu
either hostile or unkiud feelings to me lGsd never
seen any evidence of 1t. Hv said that General john
SON would like to aid The State us counsel; that a;
chairman of the committee iu the Senate he mao
devoted q great deal of time 10 the inveSigallon
Of the questions Involved and limt ne hnD9as toS'
he conId render valuable assis, rance; ana Desues,
said the senator he viii charge Ie or nothing ,nd iol
his services replied that greatly preferred anu
had selected Judge Robertson as my associate anu
did not suppose that should have more tnai one
that while had no personal feelings That w9uln pre-
vent nv acting with General Johnson that hna1 no
ant horfiy to associate him with me. 10
eayc for my oce The Governor followed me ,s9 t,e
his table TO the window the east side aud near ae
door and SAID in substance, as follows e a,S
what are the personal relations between Sox ar anu
General johnson Are there are feelings OF PEI. p.a
soual unkindness between you growing ou OF ne ,ne
investigation made by you a9d o'nap inst s Gonerni
johnson n: IreDled that was not conscious y