The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1883-10-20
FROM COL. w. H. FITz.GERALD.

Tn your paper of the 9th inst, ther,
is an editorial which has given rise to t
question that has been several time
asked me. To,wit: "How was it abou
one Judge Webb pressing you with
nuestion at the Democratic mass meet
ing at Charleston on the 29th ulto, ?
Your representative, without intending
10 do me injustice, Tor no gentleman
will intentionally do another Injustice
nevertheless did me injustice when h,
said that after being pressed by Judg
Webb, Tailahatchie planter and |
prominent Democrat, to say whether o
not would abide by the Democratic
Z convention aud support the nominee
/ that | said; 81 will make you the sam,
answer | made Mr. Oglesby. II viii
answer that question after the conyep
tion has acted" 3
What object to is the idea sought tt
be conveyed that | was reluctant tc
answer plain and respectful question
I! and was pressed to say what / did,
shall say nothing in this to annoy Judge
Webb, who is q very clever gentleman
and would scorn to do a little thing
but the fact is while | was speaking he
stepped out in front OF me and said il
substance "Col. FitziGerald, in the
name of the sovereign people of this
county, ! desire to ask you this question
"Will you abide by the action of the
people Of thi, district properly OK,
pressed % | said, Eyes, certainly will. y
After coloquy between us for a little
while he asked what l would do in case
the Democratic party should nominate
candidate for District Attorney? My
reply was in effect, ii not in the very
language your representative reported it
The reason I did not make that reply
before was simply because the question
was not asked before. Any effort to
make the impression on those who don't
know me, that l could be pressed to an
,wer question that did not wish to
answer, or that | would not promptly
answer any proper question, would be
an effort to do me gross Justice.
now ask the courtesy through your
columns, to give my reasons for not an
swering then as do now, that | shall
continue in the field. notwithstanding
the nomination of Mr.. Oglesby. /
believed Thea and so did very many Of
my personal friends of both PARTIES, that
had | then and before that, publicly
said that | would not abide by the ac-
ton OF convention, none would have
been called, but this result would have
been sought by my opponent and his
friends, to make the impression with the
Democratic party that had announces
my detection from the party, and there-
By array the party, as such, against nee,
and then say, in effect, to the opposition,
that my opponent was not party cans
didate, that he was running upon purely
non-political grounds, IS evidenced by
his card and his not being nominated,
and thus catch as many OF them as
would believe such u tale. did not in
Tend to be "whip-sawed" in any such
style Hence my reply. A er that
convention was calleo, and " the l5th
inst, it was held and my opponent
was romina'ed. But for his industrious
efforts in that beha' no convention
would have been caIleI. He has sown
the wind, let him reap the wirlwind
With your permission | shall now
demonstrate that the nomination ol my
opponent, und,r the circumstances, is
against precedent and principle. The
unly precedent that | know Of was the
candidacy in 1871 for the Office Of Dis,
trict Attorney OF the late VIM. Barksdale
and d Il. Thomas, formerly of Coffee
vile. They were both Democrats The
district contained a large majority If
those opposed To the Democratic or
ganizatioi, and there was no opposition
candidate Anexactiy parable case. A
demand for convention then, under
those circumstances, would have been
regarded as reasonable. They ran
through without party interference, und
Bsrksdale was elected. He owed his
election to his popularity with the OPP
position, andthat very popularity, which
was well-known in his own party, pro-
duced most unreasonable and foolish
prejudice among the ignorant and
thoughtless of his own party, and in what
were called the ''white c,unties," Thon~
a' ran ahead. Both gentlemen, as their
lrieuds now wei, know, anticipated that
result. Suppose Mr.. THONGS, with u
view to avail himself Of that senseless
had demanded a convention,
would Capt. Barksdale have allowed
himself slaughtered in that style, AS he
certainly would have been had he sub
mitted? Certsinly not. His Logical
mind would have sumed up the case in
this way: That the party having large
majority in the district, were willing tor
Thomas and himself to run without or,
ganized opposition from them; that ! We
submitted to convention, two horns Of
a deleuma would be presented. 70 have /
taken either of which would have been !
fatal, To owit: That he would be defeated |
by tile convention or il nominated, be-
ing Il party TO the act OF rendering the
gage Of political battle over nom
political Office to the opposition,
they would refuse to vote for him and
accep' the gage OF battle by running |
man Of their own, AID that the sane re-
suit would have followed the ion,ina-
zion of Thomas Thomas might have
replied to him as Oslesby has % me.
He and myself have no right to discuss
that matter; that is matter to be de-
ternined by the party"
Then had Mr.. Thomas, as Mr.. Ogiesby
has done. forced convention and ie.