National Republican., 1882-08-03
WILLIAM MALONE.
ONE OF HIS OLD BRIGADE SPEAKS.
What His Policy win Beget In the Old DOmIn.
iona Glance al the Situation OF Anairs
In 1861 and at the Present Time
His Views on the Subject.
To the Editor of THE Rrrunn1cAs.

To the Editor OF TIE REPUBLICAN;
SUFFOLK, VA, Aug. 1.-The readers of your pa.
per, though Of course getting the general views
from this locality, have never yet, believe, had
letter from this particular town. Suffolk is town
Of some two thousand inhabitants situated in and
ia the county seat of Nansemond County, and Is
the head of navigation in the Nansemond River
II is also blessed with railroad communication,
being at the point of intersection of the N. e W.
and the s. & r. Railroads, and is the terminus Of
bs rGSd int into Nqh
county are peanuts, potatoes, and Readjusters or
Administration Coalitionists, During the war this
county furnished to Mahone's Brigade six compi-
nies, numbering, rank and fle about seventy five
men each.
THEsB MEN WE'RE GOOD CITIZENS
before the war aud during that bloody struggle
hardship of the camp md battle field with hero
ism that must have been born of patriotism, since
! the great majority of thcm were not directly in
terested in the property questions likely TO be nf-
iected by the result. AqAppoulattox Court House
tudes of the battle, the SIEGE the camp. and the
| march, surrendered as many men as the average
company of the confederate army. They returned
to their homes determined To accept the results
of the struggle, aud they went faithfully TO work
10 rebuild their homes and their fortunes leaving
the administration of their State Affairs in tie
| hands of politicians. II is needless here to re
| trace the events which so characterized the days
| OF reconstruction as TO mark them inefacabiy
| upon the minds OF all. Our people were a labor
| ing, coniiding people, and
TRUSTED THEIR POLITICAL LEADERS
with the same unquestioning faith WHICH had
| won their obedience us soldiers. They tniled on
| fairs they saw their State debt piling up like
| Ossi upon Pelion, till its figures reached the
clouds; they saw and felt that the so.called Con.
| servaive party had woven around them amet OF
| partisanry and sectional prejudice which moth :
| ing but q heroic effort could break; they saw
| their old brigade commander Ignored, spnrned,
rcyiled, and abused bya prpsumptve oligarchy
and pseudo uristocracy, and yet they did not
break into open rebellion, Their meekness and
fnri.n hn l0Gh and
| petuosity with which they went to the rescue of
their State when the opportunity and the leader
presented themselves in happy conjunction.
| WHEN MALONE IN 1879 OFFERED
I himself to lead the cohorts of reform and read
justment, his old brigade, almost to man, signifed
| their willingness TO follow, and they soon brought
that discipline and habit Of obedience Which had
been inculcated In the camp. The colored people
OF the county, being utterly powerless under their
link their political fortunes with the Readjusters,
and, though besought then as now to form a
straight. out ticket, they resisted the appeals of
| Dezendorf and his minions, and the Readjuster
| candidate was elected. In 1881, in spite OF the
formation of the straight out ticket, their candi:
| date only received 161 votes in the county, and
| the Readuster candidate was again elected by
the combined votes of Mahone's confederate SOL
diers and the colored people, the writer himself self
tolsome and bitter sessions of the legislature
THE RRADJusTERs HAVE KEPT THEIR PLlGHTED
| FAITH
| to the people. They have ignored confederate
attachments in their representative capacity
| they have repealed proscriptive laws In the face
of a most bitter denunciation and opposition
lie school system, and have secured in this the
| second Congressional district of Virginia, what
we never enjoyed under the John Goode reign-a
| full vote and u fair count And now, in the year
of 1882, the war-worn veterans fold Nansemond,
after twenty years fruitless opposition to the
| Federal government, under the guise of patriotic
sentiment, find themselves tired by fight which
brings no fruit, and are ready under the gentle
| treatment of President Arthur's Administration,
and under the bold, steady guidance of Genera,
| Malone, always loved and trusted, to renounce
| Conservatism, as represented by Kelley and
Massey, and pledge themselves to the support Of
Mr.. Arthur's policy In doing this we are not un-
mindful of the past; we do not
| INTEND TO FORGET THE MEN
| who fell In the war; we do not intend to forget
the memories or traditions Of the past, nor shall
we let them perish; but we do not intend to let a
mockisb sentiment step between us and proper
solution Of the difficulties which embarrass us
| General Malone has shown US way out of the
he es the sense the
and, though blindfolded, we shall follow him aud
fear no danger, Asan instance of the devotion
of Mahoues old soldiers to him in this county and
| the trustfulness with which they follow him
| shall relate an incident which occurred some
weeks ago, when the Funder press was trying 10
infiame the popular mind by false representations
| Of the Generals vote iii the Tebbs case.
FIVE OF THE OLD BRIGADE
| were together discussing the vote which had Just
been given, and were C, mparing their views with
| the comments ofthe Norfolk Landmark which one
| of the group held. The writer approached the
| group and was at once appealed to for an expla
his humble way. He told how General Malone
| had only voted to refer the matter back TO the
| Judiciary Committee, the proper channel through
| which such questions should approach their final
consideration. He told them that the discussion
of the subject by the Funder press was nothing
| less than war upon Malone and his policy; thai
| 1t was a sham sentmentality and not substantial
regard for the welfare of eX-confcdcrates: that
the average Funder editor was never in Il battle
and could never appreciate the strong bonds o
| sympathy which bound q general and his soldiers
mutually 10 each other, and that the whole dis
cusson was but political clap-trap. The unaul.
| nous decision then aud there was that
| THE GENERAL WAS RIGHT;
| that this vote was but another evidence OF his
| sagacty and good sense that Tebbs was mere
| figure. head from behind which the Funder press
could belch forth their anathemas upon the only
| Vrginian who to-day is wearing out his life and
| best energies in waichiul care and regard for
| her interest. But why spin out this article,
already too long? This Mr.. Editor, is tc
| notify you, and through you our Presi-
| dent, that though once we were conieder-
| ate soldiers we now are loyal citizens 10 the
| United States government, and ready to support
| him in peace, to defend Him in war, asking only
| that we may enjoy that prosperity and happiness
| which Nahouu \ nnlicy will bepet from the buuud-