Year: 1866




the 23d instant, asking me to inform
you' at my earliest convenience
whether it is my purpose to suiler
my name used by the Union men oil
this State rs their candidate for Lieu
tenant Governor" has been received
You also state that should | "acceptt
the nomination. that my true and
tried friends" among whom you are
pleased to class yourself, "woilu
welcome mo with open arms; For
this kind expression you will please
accept my sincere thanks.


would be sorry to do anything
which would disappoint or alienato
old and tried friends, but l cannot,
with any kind Of consistency with
my own acts, professions or convic-
tions, become the nominee Of par
ty for Office at this time. However
gratifying it would be, under other
circum stances, to fill the second Of
flee in the gift of the people OF Tex
as, l cannot, will not, seek it as the
nominee n Of a party, The best ener-
ergies of my life have been exhaust
cd in q warfare against political eau
cuses and conventions. Had my tel-
low citizens, irrespective Of old par
ty divisions, in such numbers as
would have induced mo to think it
was general wish, invited me to
become a candidate For that office, l
doubtless would have felt itmy duty
to have yielded to their wishes. But
if a standard bearer of u party IS
wanted, / am not the man. ! re-
cognize no such necessity for party
organization, nor any special right
in the members of the late State Con-
vention to inaugurate such an or
ganization. These gentlemen were
sent there, not to create parties, nor
to array the people in party conflicts
but to make a new Constitution, and
to take such steps as are necessary
to re- establish the State government.
Having been absent from the State
for the last 'siX.weeks, and for the
most of the time, for the last six
months, | have had no share, and
desire to have none, in these un-
happy divisions-divisions so inaus-
picious for the future of Texas, and
which have eliminated in the pre-
sentation of antagonistic candidates
to be voted for the people as the en-
suing election. The election is so
near at hand, the State so large, the
means of communication so slow
and unreliable, that the people will
have to submit, and make their Sc
lections from the lists presented by
the respective parties. Fortunately
for the interests of the State, the
names of as good men have been
presented, as were ever presented
by any of the caucuses or conven-
tions which have assembled in this
State. The two gentlemen, who
have been presented as candidates
for the Office of Chief Executive, are
old public servants, whose conserv-
atism and devotion to the true in
terests of Texas have not hitherto
been questioned. The impress of
no two minds are so indelibly stamp
ed upon the past legislation Of the
State as that Of Gov. PEAsE and
Gen. THRocKMoRToN. They have
always been regarded as among the
most conservative and practical mon
of the State;-both were alike op-
posed to the fatal policy Of secession
from my knowledge of Gov. Pease,
from the composition of his mind, I
cannot give credence to the charge
of Radicalism made against him.
The intimate and personal and po
litical friend of Gen. Throckmorton
for years, would as soon doubt my
own senses, as to believe he is seek
ing to lead those who would wish to
renew the war, Gf there be such,O
or that he is now a convert to seces-
sion, when all others have renounc-
ed it. In the darkest hour, | hope
ever to witness, when reason seemed
to be dethroned, l stood by and saw
him hissed because he dared to vote
against secession, when almost all
others yielded. A man, who had the
nerve and moral courage to stand
firm amid that pressure, and the
temptations held out to yield, may
be safely trusted to resist any other
which is likely to occur during the
life of this generation. When the
spirit of political persecution was
rampant, and mobocracy ran riot,
when men whose fidelity to the Con-
federacy were questioned, were in
danger of their lives, who came for
ward to stay this tide and to protect
their lives? Where is there one Of
those men, or a conservative man in
the State, who did not thank God,
that he had influence and position,
whereby he was able TO prevent
carnage, murder, assassination and
devastation in our own midst? Who
then doubted his, conservatism P
Who will now doubt but that he is
true man TO his country2 And, if
from any cause, the cry should now
90 up, cruelty, cruelty him, who of
these men can turn their back upon
him


have not the pleasure of a per
sonal acquaintance with Col. G. W.
JONES, who has been brought for
ward as a candidate for Lieutenant
Governor, and against whom / must
run, if 1 accept the nomination
But know his political record. We


stood together on the question Of