The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-16
The Clark Letters.
The Much Talked # Letters
Published in full. The Cir
cumStanceS Under Which
They We're Written Ex-
plained.
Raleigh, n. c., May 10, 1902.

Raleigh, N. G., May 10, 1902
Col. e. j. Holt, Smithfield, y. c.:
Ny Friend and Comrade: The en-
dorsement of myself for Chief Justice
by the Confederate veterans, of Beau
fort county and other camps has toch-
sd me deeply. No tr~uer-hearted men
ever kept step TO the tap of drum than
those North Carolina sent to the front
IN 1876. In all the vicissitudes Of
life I have found no stauncher friends
than my old comrades.
To the recent vicious attacks upon
me i have paid TO attention, and even
now / might be content like the patroit
orator Of Athens who, when assailed
in a long TRADE by Eschines, a hireling
in pay of the enemies of the people,
rose and asked the great audience If
they believed the charges. Upon a pro-
longed shout in the negative. Demos
themes sternly said to the hireling,
You have heard their answer" Like
the great Athenian / could content my
self with pointing TO the resolution of
my gallant comrades in Washington.
to the unanimous Instructions Of the
convention Of the good people of the
historic county of Chatham, to the like
unanimous resolutions this day in the
convention in the gallant county of
Warren, and l might we'll say to my
~detractOrs, "You have heard the an
swer Of these representative bodies of
the people of North Carolina, and when
they have spoken o should be
silent"
But the "idN agents. and newspa-
pers belonging to the great railroad
corporations, who aspire to control the
government, ard especially he judici-
AIRY of North Carolina, have rung the
changes on a correspondence between
myself and Governor Russell. While
your confidence needs no assurance, j
would not that a single man should
vOte for my nomination to the high
office for which they have named me.
nor ratify that voice at the ballot box.
in Ignorance of what that correspon-
dence may be. For months it has
been furtively shown behind doors and
rumors industriously circulated as to
its fearful nature. At the first m
I could get sight of it, which was on
yesterday, procured verified copies
and herewith submit every line of it
TO you and my comrades. If l IA
earned the confidence of the people it
Is because 1 have always had the full
est confidence in their intelligence and
patriotism and have always been ready
to submit my Official conduct t their
approval.
RECENT CORRESPONDENCE.
On Sunday last, May 4, l received
the following letter from X-GOvern
Daniel l.. Russell. 1t was unsealed.
without stamp or pOstmark, and had
been brought Dy hand from Whining
ton by eminent railroad attorneys, who
had doubtless visited that city to pro
sure, if indeed they did not dictate the
letter:
Wilmington, y. c., May ?, 1902.
Tossing to be authorized to speak for
you, in n newspaper article, makes de-
mand upon me for the publication OF
any letters or papers that l may have
in my possession written by you 10 me.
] have never authorized the publication
of these papers. I did show them pri-
Yately and confidentiaIly to one of the
counsel for the inpeached judges. 1
did this because these judges were my
friends, of them was my appOintee,
and both of them were, as l believed.
cruelty prosecuted by a proceeding
which, as / believed, was instigated by
you and which you were regarded as
substantially the prosecutor and in
which you were expected to be a star
witness against them. 1 felt that to
defend these gentlemen was about the
same thing as defending myself. If
the exposure of these papers was to
contribute to the defense of the judges
I felt hat it might be justified on the
ground OF Salf-defenSe, ven if it were
to be conceded tnat / was otherwise on
general principles in honor bound to
keep them secret. They related to mat
tiers that were entirely political and Of
fcial, but as some of them We're mari
Sd private / was and " been I'M
willing to make them public.
1t is easy, perhaps natural, for you
to say that / have already made them
public, because the letter of Mr.. Will
son processes TO give their substance,
and that this shows that he must have
seen the papers. Whatever informa-
ZION Mr.. Wilson may nave received
about them was not authorized by me.
I never heard of his purpose to attack
you and knew literally nothing about 1t
until l saw his publication.
1t is not clear that communications
to a public officer regarding his public
action impose an obligation on him to
keen them seCIe ct because they ara
the attacks made upon me show that
the writer desired them to be concealed.
But I have chosen to refuse to make
them public Al at this writing do not
intend to do so without your consent
write this TO inquire If you desire
these papers 20 be published or to be
delivered TO responsible persons for in
SDection- Yours truly.
d. L. RUSSELL.
To his / replied:
Raleigh, y. c. May ,. 1902