The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-01-24
a Gard from General Early.

cara from GeneraI Early.
Whenever it shall become necessary ia
defend my character against the aSper>ions
of such creatures as Thomas l.. Claiborne
or his associates in or out OF the Legisla-
ture, then that character will not be worth
defending. As matter OF course. when |
gave the written statement in regard 10 the
character OF that nun. | expected the whole
pack of his supporter
Both moueIcl, puppy, whelp, and hound,
And curs Of low degree -
to open on me, and have not been diSap-
pointed. think, however. ! recognize in
the assaults on me The inspiration Of Il man
who has not the moral or physical c1magc
10 do tlfat which he prompts his tools to TN.
dcrtake. The only response have to make
to the YiiuperatiOnS Of the whole elan, from
the head to the tail, is that whenever such
men shall undertake 10 praise me my friends
will have reason to begin 10 doubt me.
do not fear their denuncialiOnS.
Knowing that my native county Crank
linz is practically without representation in
the Legislature, so far rs ner Interests are
oncerncd-thOugh one person has been
elected senator and another delegate from
the cOunty-when Claiborne was nominated
for county Judge by q caucus OF the pTed0m.
inant party in the Legislature | wrote The
statement in regard 10 his character. which
has been read in both hoUSeS OF the Legisla-
turc, and gave it to my friend General
Payne to be read in the House oi Delegates,
with the request that il be handed TO an
other friend in the Senate TO be read there.
The reasO.s which impcilcd ne TO make tie
statement are correctly stated IN the paper
itself
L. F.,f 4.f ti,.s
per before he investigating committee OF The
RCadiuslers, or that | sought to 20 before
that committee TO have the matter inycstl-
gated. knowledge OF the existence OF the
statement had come 10 the ears OF some Of the
ReadjusterS, TO whom il was communicated
by my friend in the Senate, and also to Cal
borne himself, and | suppose the so-called
committee OF investigation was appointed in
consequence thereof. | was requested by
two persons, who, presume, were members
OF the committee, to 90 before it, a. the COM
mittee wanted TO see me. The same request
was made in writing by another person,
styling himself Clerk" though he spoke of
il as a committee Of the House. had some
hesitation at first, but determined TO 90 be-
fore the committee in order to prevent any
charge that | was not willing 10 stand up to
the responsibility had assumed. 1t was
very apparent 10 me, from the beginning,
that the committee was not organized for
the purpose Of ascertaining the truth, but
to suppress II, and whitewash Claiborne.
The statement Of my testimony, as it was
called. which was read in the House, is very
inaccurate and imperfect. l stated to the
committee III the beginning that what !
knew was stated in the paper Itself, and
was mainly in reference to Claib0rne'S gen
eTa character. \ question was asked me
whether / had ever seen him cheating at
cards, to which | replied that bad not, or
! would have exposed him at the time
th9t men did not do such things openly, or
50 that byStandeTs could see them-and that
Il mans character in that respect, as well as
in other cases, rested on general reputation.
a number OF questions were asked me for
the purpose OF showing that had political
prciudices, and amongst others | was asked
If I thought a Republican vas unfit to be
a Judge because OF his politics, to which !
replied that could not say that, for Chief
Justice Chase had made Il very able and
honest judgc, and ] understood Chiei-Jus-
tice Waite was also an able one, and they
were both Republicans. The chairman Of
the committee told me that Claiborne bad
some statements to make, and also some
VI
hear, but | told him that | could not think
OF entering into controversy with such a
man: that / had made my statement before
the committee at their request, and they
could regard it or not As they thought pro-
per.
| still adhere 10 the opinions expressed in
my written statement, ard no candid man
who reads the statement OF Commissioner
Raum can doubt about ClaibOrne's being
capable OF all | charge him with. IL is
sought TO impair the force of Commissioner
Raum's statement BY that Of j. II. Riyes,
collector at Lynchburg.
| have no personal acquaintance with Mr..
RiyeS, and do not know what means he has
for knowing the facts stated by him. The
original papers are on file in Commissioner
Riuin's Office and he speaks from the re-
cord. Ii Claiborne did clear himself Of the
charges OF fraud and forgery against him,
and the papers showing this fact are on tle
in Commissioner Raum's Office, the latter
has committed great wrong in not stating
it, Though he is a Republican, do not
believe he has committed any such crime as
the suppression of the truth to the injury
Of an innocent man.
No candid, honest man can avoid the con-
clusion that The RCadiusterS in the Lcgisla-
urc have elected Is Judge Of the County
Court OF Franklin a swindler and forger;
md this man is TO have the administration
)f the criminal laws in Franklin for six
years.
In conclusion, must say that the copy |
u my statement published in the Dispatch |
makes me say that Claiborne was discharged |
rom the revenue service "for untruthful. |
iess, il not for grayer cause" The word |
houd be worthlessnesS," and it is so
published in the State. | make this correc-
ION, as, in my view, untruthfulness is |
be germ, II not the sum, OF all vilaines, |
ma there could not be much graver cause |
or dsplacing public officer.
j. A. EARLY.
January 23, 1sSO~