Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-09-04
LETTER OF GEoseE G ROUND,
MANASSAS, Va, August 30 Is

MANASSAS, Va, August ~, lSS2,
Colonel John II. Volts:
Ny Dear Sir,-I have read YOUR letter of
the 10Th ultimoto General William Malone,
and have been rejecting upon the political
in our district I am more than
ever convinced that I would be guilty of
crime against the public interests were I to
quietly submit to the outrage perpetrated
upon me and my friends by General vii
liam Malone which was consummated at
Fredericksburg August 18th.
do not think | am open to the charge of
being j bolter. have honestly fought
for the principles of the readiuster party
since 1871, because | thought that an honest
reimbursement Of our debt, the proper main
tenance Of our schools, and freedom Of opin-
ion and freedom of suffrage were the Sill
preme issues of the hour Believing this.
followed the Readjuster banner in 1880 and
voted for Hancock, although Garfield wasa
man l had admired above all men in our
country. did this because Considered mg-
self bound by the Readj,Lster State Contention.
When subsequently Judge Critcher was
nominated by the Readjuster Congressional
Convention and you by the Republican Con-
vention you will recollect that supported
Judge Critchcr Notwithstanding you had
made gallant fight for me in 1878, battling
for me evenat your own personal peril. You
know that | did this amid the indignant
criticisms Of your friends, simply BECAUSE
C,'ichu :sas the ReuJu&er aon.inep
The question now arises, am | bound po-
litically, morally, or honorably to support
Col. Robert NJ. Mayo? Think not.
| shall not oppose Colonel Mayo on ac-
count ofhis political record or anything
connected with him personally shall not
oppose him on account of the means used by
him to obtain friends at Fredericksburg or
Oh account of the untarcriticisms made up
on my record by his friends and the friends
of Mr.. Mcdonald, but shall oppose him
simply because he was not nominated by the
readlusters of the First district, but by Vii
liam Mah0ne.
believe that Il greater question than any
OF those mentioned looms up before us. 1t
is whether William Malone can maintain
successfully his claim to control and ensave
the Judgment and conscience of a Virginia
freeman? Ofwhat use is property or edu.
cation or the right Of suffrage to the voter
| who must go to William Malone for his
opinions and his motives? General Malone
in his letter to you of August 18th unblush-
ingly admits that he used the great power
| placed in his hands by the Administration
without inquiry rs 10 the cause of your abb
scnce from Washington, and because YOU
were, as he says, engaged in an effort to
| influence the appointment of delegates in
behalf Of 4 certain candidate for Congress.
Ii l. true he subsequently says you have II
right 10 do these things rs Il citizen, but not
while an employee Of the Government"
IL 4 country therefore, where every boy has
right to aspire to every office from the
| presidency down, we are told that no office
| holder can express his opinion and influence
others without suhjecting himself and his
| vile and children to the loss of honorable
position and support obtained in Govern
ment employ. And this audacious political
tyrant seems 10 regard the almost omnipo-
tent power Of the United States Government
as his prerogativc 10 use at his will and
| pleasure!
The facts show that on June 10Th William
Mahone pledged himself before the Joint
Republican and Readjuster committees at
Richmond not to interfere in the congress
| ional nominations that in his political cir
culars and in his personal organ the Whiq)
he has protested to exalt the will of the peo-
Pile; and yet on the 18th of August he sent
his privy councillor, Duff Green, to the
| county of Prince William ;'to influence the
appointment of delegates" against me bv de-
| clarlng that he (Green) would not support
me if nominated that the Republican Con-
GreSsiOnal Committee would not support me
if nominated, and that Malone had sworn
the night before, with fearful profanity,
that Round should not be nominated, and if
he was nominated he (Mahonel would not
support him. The facts further show that
on or about August 10th-only three DAYS
later-Mahone told distinguished friend
OF the Administration from the Northwest
that he was friendly to George C. Round,
and assured him that he would do all he
could TO secure Rounds nomination. but he
thGuGh' thfre Tas some doubt about his bein0
nominated On this rery day, or the day fol-
lowing. while the conversation of this gen.
tleman was fresh in his mind, knowing that
had already secured large majority of
the delegates, and that secret manipulatiops
wonld be no further Use, he, with bold
and reckless duplicity, telegraphed to the
postmaster at Fredericksburg WHOM he had
lately imported from King Geroge) that he
had removed you, and this he did. as | be-
| llcvc and charge, knowing that the city of
Fredericksburg would that night elect YOU
as its delegate to the Convention, unless
some extraordinary means were used to pre-
vent 1t: This petty tyrant was not yet sat
| lsticd but must need find some victim from
| the colored race for his guillotine, and so Z.
d. Beckley, one of the leading colored men
of the State, who fora decade had served the
POST Office Department faithfully, was dis.
charged. And so Wolff and Beckley. one
| representative of both races, were behead-
ed-the one to brighten the white people of
Virginia, and the other the colored, so that
both races might be driven at once to fall on
theirkneesan mplore the mercy ofAIahone.
.ind"It THIS was done topvnish Vote and Beck
ley for supporting man for Congress mhose
nomination he had assured Senator John 4.
Logan he mouid do all he could to secure.
Well did he add, "he Monght there ,pas some
do"bt about his beiagnominated, knowing as
he did his instructions to Duff Green and his
other agents, and his request that day made
of the Secretary of the Interior and Post
master-General with reference to Wolff and
Beckley.
need not recall the balance of the his
tory ofthe Fredericksburg Convention: how
| outrageously you were swindled out of your
seat in the Convention, and delegates ad.
m tod RI oil