Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-05
Reply 20 n. v. Randolph. Esq.
RrcHMoxp. September 4. 1891.

pandolph rs above. / have long been com.
mitted both by word and letter against
aboous titles. think l wrote letter
last wear IN the DrsPATcH on this subject.
/ sometimes fear that. nke Inc african
"nrr;vatesp will all disappear and nothing
r,,,ji be lett but Confederate majors, colo
neIs, 20 on no. the least occasion for this letter
If Mr. Randolph's after careful reading,
INIT IL demands a reply. as he has almost
called me by name. 1 Will DO as BRIEF as
possible. .,
clan Of high standing called on me and IN
omired IL mattrs were oil right at the
aoidier,s Home; That three men had gone
10 the poorhouse by preference and one
had lust died alone in the streets and that
10 feared great mismangement. told him
.ho. knew nothing OF the Home; that,
while friend Of soldiers. had nothing TO
do with Camp Lee for reasons which Will
presently appear. advised nun 70 get
..renortI and, as he thought none had been
nads suggested that he write to the
Governors secretary for information.
had a postal card and he asked me to write
1b,s name can be had If desiredJ. l got
answer that no report had been made,
Last week | saw in the DIsPATcHs special
correspoudence that North Carolina had
raised : 30 900 for the soldiers last year and
more would be raised next year. read
everything l see in the southern papers
abont soldiers and soldiers homes, ana it
occurred 10 me that probably Virginia was
not doing her duty and l wished to
know how much we gave to the
soldiers as l had no idea, except
the SO, 900 gwen TO the Lee-Camp Home.
AZ I had once asked through the State
at the request of my medical friend for a
report from our Homo and got no reply, it
occurred to me to repeat the question. My
idea was that when the Legislature met.
with this information before Us, we might
better know how to ada 10 tne soldiers
fund What reflection these questions cast
ON the MANAGEMENT Of our Home | can't
imagine. nor can any one else but Mr.. Ran
dolph. Had | been an enemy to the Home,
ne MIR. 4. insists, here was most exceilcnt
opportunity. with such good authority. to
Iniurc IT. But gave mot the remotest hint
on the subject. | mention it now only in
self-defence. Indeed, did not attach as
much importance TO II as would most men,
because Tor twenty years l have been ut
the head of two charities. and know how
impossible it is to please everybody.
2. Not satisfied, MIR. Randolph goes on to
give an account of my application to the
Legislature for $4,000 for the soldiers
and failed to get it. but does not say that
it was MS fault that failed. and here he
shows his complete ignorance OF the bill
passed by the Senate. The bill provided
for thirteen mot three " directors, and
they were expressly debarred from getting
"pdy." In the second place. the Georgia
General" referred to had no more to do
with my bill than Mr. Randolph. This
whole reference to the General is a myth.
| may have spoken to my friend General
L. T.. Alexander about locating one home
in the South certainly not at Charleston.
prOuided the scheme succeeded fully; that IS,
if | got all the southern States TO unite
with Virginia. l was certain the Home
would be in Virginia. 1t could be no
where else, for the simple reason that trds
impossible for Virginia 10 gre S6OOl0 10 eStdb-
ish a home elserh.re. If DIR. Randolph has
neither memory nor reasoning faculties
he should not write for the press. A man
who undertakes to enlighten the public
should first inquire, Am qualified
8. Long before Lee Camp. no. 1, had
existence l and thousands of other SOL
diers had thought of home for our noble
men. but in Virginia the debt question
made the matter impossible. In the win
ter of 18S4'S5 l thought the time had
come to make the effort. There was great
interest on the subject North and South.
| commenced to prepare a bill, worked at
it till midnight and before day, consulted
Major Stiles, the lete Colonel William 7.
Munford (of blessed memory. and Others,
and after getting 1t in good shape read 1t
to Captain Drinkard, OF the DISPATCH. who
bin it will be passed by every State III the
South" Colonel Ruffin, l think, was
present. by the way. there were two bills.
the first depended upon the cooperation
of nine other States. but Mr.. Koiner, of
the Senate, told me that he wanted the
bill to go into operation at once and
must change it SO that other States might
join US, and with this alteration the Sem
ate passed the bill unanimously, appro-
priating 100000 for the next two sue
ceeding years. Mr.. Writ Henry had
endorsed on my bill these words:
1T will work" Mr.. Koiner required
this "of some lawyer" and Mr.
Henry kindly examined the bill. Up to this
time | had little or no knowledge of any
opposition. / had written eight or dozen
letters for the DISPATCH and state over vari-
Gus signatures advocating the bill, and
sought discussion and criticism, but got
not a word The day before the bill went
to the House heard that Lee Camp was
opposed TO it, and at once sought Mayor
Carrington who was then at the head of
The Camp, and he was SURPRISED to find
that was the author of the bill. and We at
once agreed 10 harmonic our views, and
/ sought Mr. Charles u. Williams. who was
then also very prominent In the camp,
showed him printed copy of the bill, and
proposed to put his name in place of mine
from the Third district, and asked him to
let me know at once il he would accept
the place. He took the bill and never
heard from him. When it came up next
day Judge Joseph Christian and four
negro men advocated IL warmly. One OF
the negroes said that he went TO his masters
grave Che was killed In battle) yearly
and wept there. found there had been a
still hunt going on long time, and the
majority were pledged to Lee Camp and the
bill was defeated. was present when the
vote was taken and was never so indignant
and disgusted-that while the late slaves
had some idea OF patriotism and gratitude
the white Legislature cor House rather
had none. AZ | have no idea how the
still hunt" was carried on cannot dis
cuss either Its methods or character. Wise
and good men sometimes engage in this
kind of warfare. but confess never liked
it..
Early next morning, and for the first
time in his life. Mr.. Norman Randolph
came to my Office and inquired If l knew
who had defeated my bill" Ireplied.
NO" He said with great gusto" did it,"
THIS visit was new form OF courtesy. He
claimed the whole credit, and though am
very certain he overestlmated his powers
/ suppose no one now will wish to share
his honors. But for Mr.. Randolph, there
fore. the soldiers of Virginia would have
received $780, 600 from the State instead of
sac, 900 (Sl0. 900 for four years.. Am l or
Mr.. Randolph the best friend of the OIL
diersi My plan was to benefit all the SOL
diers of the South. and had the bill passed
and the whole plan been carried out the
South would by this time have appropri-
ated more than two millions of dollars and
there would be two grand homes
one in Virginia and the other In Atlanta.
perhaps--where thousands of Confederates
would be spending their days in peace and
plenty.
When patriot Fronchman hears the
name of "Alsace and,Lorraine cloud
passes over his brow-not that he does not
love the citizens of these provinces; he
loves them with peculiar tenderness. but
these words are associated in his mind and
heart with loss and dishonor. When
hear the name Of Leo Camp l think of
wasted hours of toll and labor. of crippled
soldiers in poverty and poor-houses, and
of my country dishonoring herself and also
her noble and gallant defenders. For gal
liant General Perry, the superintendent
Mr.. Pollard. and others have the warmest
attachment and / am ALWAYS at the ser