Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1832-10-08
LYNCHBURG, OCTOBER 3. 1882.

10 he OD9onents Of he reelection q Cen Aadrc~
.JdekSon.
The apathy which prevails in this State, on the
eve of an important election, has justly excited sur
prise and astonishinen, A few weeks only will e.
lapse. before the people will be called upon to pass
judgment a, the polls, on the policy pursued by
their present rulers; and yet, VIC see but little OF
that salu,ary excitement which the Importance Of
the OCCASION is SO well calculated to inspire The
reason Of tits apparcn. Indifference so far as those
who are opposed TO the election of Mr.. Clay are
concerned, is obvious enough Iaey have become
lukewarn in their attachment 10 Gen Jackson.
Many OF his acts put the best construction upon
them have been Of such q dubious character US 20
ALLEVIATE entirely from hun their affections, or at
least 10 change their ardent zeal TO stess
plneness The halo of military glory, which en-
eircel the name ofthc Hero, and blinded the judg-
mcnts ofhis partizans, has been dimmed by the
character of his associations, no. less than by the
i.defensble nature of much OF his official conduct
The eyes ofmany ofhs once active partizans have
see and feel AMI in some instances reluctantly ac-
knowledge, that the successful Military Chicitain
is not always the wisest Statesman, and that the
camp is but an Indifferent school in which to train
Presidents for Republics. Coupled with this cool
ing their ardor, is the consciousness they appear
to feel that, in this State, the Jackson ticket will
triumph by an overwhelming majority which
their cxcrtons mig indeed increase, but cannot
render more certain. Tar apathy, therefore,
repeat, is not 10 be wondered at
But, now is it with those, Who opposed to Gen
Jackson in 1895. have had that opposition strength
encd by subsequent events? Are they alarmed at
the idea Of being in .ninority2 Or are their ex-
ertons paraIyzcd by the hopclessness Of the slrns
gsl Such is no. the true policy Of the weaker
psrty in free States If they cannot conquer
they should be ambitious to show that they arc
strong enough to be respected. If they cannot sue
coed in eeya,ing to Office the men whom they think
bestquali6ed TO administer the affairs of govern
mcnt they should not therefore be insensibIe to the
Importance o.cxe'cisns the RICH. of suffrage, and
hiai!iNteht ~ ''o iioh auty VI IcIoIuo Nlclr VOL
ces asalnat the mot 10 whose principles and policy
| they opposed. VIVA. though we be defeated
Is it nothing that be able 20 show an increase Of
! strength, by compariso n ofthe vote oflS2S with
that Of 1892! live cannot Wrest the scen.re from
the feeble hands which now trembngly grasp it,
may not, in diminished majority, read Il lesson
to hun who yields it, which, lhol,h it cannot cor
rect the evils of the past may exert an suspicious
influence on his future course We beg the OPP
ponenis ofthc present administration 10 ponder this
| view Of the subjcc.. Should Gen Jackson be re-
cEcted, by majority great as that which orr
Sinaly seated hun in the Presidential chair he
may, and will, AMI oasht 70 consider it az ratf
cation, by the public voice, OF all tina, he has doae.
innd all that he has left undonc And who shall
venture to predict, under such circumstances, and
when lie will be likewise rendered in som 4. measure
irresponsible, by the fact that he will not again be
acandl'a.c for the sufrages OF the peopo-who
can imagine We ask, the extent to which he will
so, IN suovert'n5 those constitutional principles, &
attempting upon thoscpersona rights & privileges
| 80 "''N" w o his past CouluEl uc mas manifested
such coatcmp,uous disregard II, with the fear
OF exciting popular indignation before his eyes,
and thereby cndanserDg his reelection, he has
been guilty ofconduc,, which has sta,teJ his best
friends, and driven from his support thousands Of
his part'zans, what may he not do, when, havino
reached the highest point to which he can ASPIRE.
untra'nlneed by any barrier, and left to the pro,nn
lungs OF his own impctuous will he SHAH scorn alike
| the counsel of his honorable and honest friends
and the ana'hemas of his opponents? If his frs,
election was fearful experimental that was
justly deprecated as {" curse upon the country"
and anticipated with the most anxious forehodnps
surely ms seconl triumph should be regarded
with the most unafectclly awful apprehensions.
1aen, indeed, may we look fo ward TO the com
plete fuiii!ment Of the threat which hera,ded his
hrSt Inauguration, " He will reward his friends
'''' i''''s" MS e'ch'is. Inc proscrptvc policy,
"hich, IN the first two years of his administration
made the Ian pale, will be again bought into play
& thousands OF victims will feel the edge oftbe oxe
whom policy induced him to spare in his frs, deyas
,atng sweep. The So~fh, heretofore eycmn, fro,o
the operations ofthis official crusade against popular
opinion, will, in lis turn, be brought within its IN
tiucnce and the whole patronage of the govern.
ment IN all sections ofthc country, wall be b,ouob,
to bear IN favor OF the New York in,rruer whom
Gen Jackson has already arrogonty designated as
his successor in the Presidential Office. Rn, on
the other hand, should he succeed bv uaior;,,,
reduced IN the Electoral Colleges, and still farther
diminished in the numbers by which the Collcpes
themselves are on,,on..d bo ,,o.,