The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-10-03

FFor the Disrstch.I


fFor the Disrstch.J
Messrs. Editors,--In your leader oil
Thursday last find tho statement that the
e so.caIled suew movement" which vas
tho beginning OF the Conservative party.
- began with letter from A. ii. II. Stuart"
&c.
As, in the same connection, you do me
the honor 10 mention my name among those
OF many gentlemen present at conference
which took place on the slst OF December,
1868, Il may appear that am In some sort
witness, vouched bv you, to establish the
accuracy OF what your editorial contains.
Az all events, under this stimulus, or
through this excuse, II you choose, re-
specially ask space In your columns for
some facts which l wish TO state In that
connection.
a., Mr.. Stusrt's letter OF December 20 b
was not "the beginning OF the new party"
IL sprang, IA 1 believe. from the fertile
brain OF Major W. T. Sutherlin. OF Oan-
vile. and was announced for the first time,
within my knowledge, by him on the night
OF December 81, 1868, TO five gentlemen
four OF them still aiiye-of whom | was
one, and the only assentient. The next
morning Mr.. Sutherlin conferred with Gen.
eral Echos, and the result, of which was
apprised at the time, was that General
Echos should go TO Stauuton, see MT.
Stuart, and engage him in the movement"
This was done. and SIR. Stuart wrote let
ter for publication and sent il to Richmond
10 be altered and amended nc discretion by
Mr.. sutherin, Mr.. Alexander Moseley OF
the Whi1, and General Echols. 1t was so
amended in what was deemed some I'M
10 nj hoU
been done-and in that shape sent to the
press. IL preceded rather than caused the
conference OF the 3lst December, 10 which
all the conferees had been specially invited
by "the management -; necessarily invited.
because there could have been no time for
the letter issued only five days previous
ly-to have worked.
That conference ended 10 the appoint
ment Of the Committee OF Nine, OF which
heartily approved, and into which | was
invited, but did not go because bore the
unpopular paironymic Of rbe gentleman
W no {" fired the first gum But was often
with them, and knew OF all that was done
or meditated. / also knew that the work OF
"the Committee Of Nine" at Washington
was failure. Some gentlemen over-acted
their parts, some would not act any part,
some were independent; and as all were
under suspicion OF disloyslty, they did, and
could do. nothing there; though at home
the conference had prepared the way Tor
the concessions made by the rebels, as they
were then called, which, afterwards accept
ed by the Liberal Republicans, were made
the basis OF alliance.
or these facts was cogDizant at the time (;
and / fresbened my recollecti IN OF them
several years ago by conversations with
both General Ecbols and Major Sutherlin
and by the inspection OF contemporary
correspondence between those gentlemen.
The occasion OF that was that had written
an article for the Dispatch, slight tribute
OF affection to Colonel John b. Baldwin,
one Of the very dearest friends ever bad,
then recently dead, IN which l gave him the
credit. as / still do, OF being The soul OF
"tbe Committee OF Nine" To my surprise
Mr.. Stuart, his brOther.in-law, and near
neigbbor, came out in q cord, said Colonel
Baldwin bad had little TO do vita the mat
ter, and claimed to have inaugurated the
movement himself. | at once sought the
two gentlemen above stated, got from them
the facts to disprOve Mr.. Stuart's claim, and
was about 10 do il, when they requested
that would not and desisted; though the
forbearance falsited history.
o. The Federal action that enabled Vir-
ginia to get upon her feet was mainly
caused by the volunteered eXertions OF two
patriotic Republicans whom Virginia should
never forget, gentlemen whom | am happy
to call my personal friends, Franklin
Stearns and john Bacon CIeDshaw, EsqrS.
These, slightly assisted by Gilbert c.
Walker, who "smet roast meat" in the
affair. and very few Others, got General
Grant TO get Congress to do what was done;
and which need not reeite. Here | am
witness again. having been to Washington
en- two occasions with both gentlemen, and
on the most confidential terms.
(3.) Upon that action OF Congress and
General Grants, State Conservative Con-
vention was held on the 2Sth April, 1869;
and the Conservative candidates were with
drawn by it, in the face Of hot opposition,
by decided vote.
This left the coast clear for the Liberal
Republican ticket, with Gilbert &. Walker,
John +. Lewis, and James &. Taylor as
candidates for Governor, Lieutenant-Goy-
eruor, and AttOrney-General. The alliance
and the whole affair was arranged with
Messrs. Stesrns and Crenshaw on one side
and General William Malone on the other.
General Malone took command Of the
combined forces and organized The victory
over Wells and "the party Of hate" which
enfraDchised the people OF Virginia. Here
again | speak as witness; for in that can
vass was a volunteer aid upon the staff OF
the Richmond Enquirer, and witnessed the
which hlnked the enemy aud
gave us the day.
Where General Malone was in the be-
ginning do not know. He may not have
been invited to the conference OF December
3lst. But from the time he came into the
openly be took leading part
and that be had, as mar others bad, more 10
do with it from the beginning than would
appear on the surface, judge from this
A very few days ago, talking with gentle
man (oi the Funder persuasion) OF great
intelligence, who had been leading Con-
servative member OF the Underwood Con-
vention, he said he had then predicted
the present unhappy state OF things, and
with General Malone as leader, because he
had then developed the policy he is now
pursuing, and had, at that early day, men,
toned the name OF Gilbert G. Walker, then
for the first time heard OF by my friend, as
q Git man to head the movement, no doubt
under his guidance. This was year be-
fore the conference OF 1868.
| have had two motives for writing the
above-one to correct historical mis-
statement, especially in the lifetime OF Mr..
Stuart, Major Sutherlin, and General
Tchols the other to assign what | regard
as his proper historical position TO General
Malone. am not Malone man In the
popular sense. When 1 have thought bis
conduct erroneous in State policy or pOliti-
cal principle, have never hesiiated to op-
nose III with aII my feeble poyer He
knows and respects the fact. When / agree
With him. as do now on reimbursement and
I Readluster Hancock electoral ticket,
a. i,,E h. l...l., Ill