Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-11-03
SPECTATOR.
>STAUNToN:-
THURSDAY, NOV. 3, 1886.

L " m.
rem Executive Committee Of Augusta
Who The gentlemen are that compose this
committee. and Why they have no, honored
their bantling with their names, arc nliko
unknown 20 US. How IL has happened. too.
that they have deferred this importan, duty.
until the very eve of the election, is also a
little remarkable. IT their cause he ss rood
as their holiness Of decla nation would seem
to imply, they have really been iar,lv in
coming up I" its support. And if they have
confidence IN the truth Of What ihoy assert,
why not give il the benefit of their name, :
But DO all this As II may, one thing i, certain,
they have not boen sparing in their censure,
OF the motives aud conduct of others. and
they need not, therefore, complain, if the
measure they mete should be measured :,
them agaia.
The first thing that strikes US on reading
TINS addtess-espccialIy where il speaks Of
the merits Of Mr.. Van Buren.-isa prudent
dealing in vague generalities. II the Commit
Tee possessed tie authority Of the Oracle Of
Delphi. and the People were accustomed 10
receive their dicta as the emanations Of divi mi
", then there might he a dignifed prpprioty
In their course. As they are, however, but
failiele beinge like ourselves, we have RICH,
To expect, and TO require Of them, that when
they attempt 10 instruct US, they will do so
nationally and in.elligibly- dealing in
empty assertion, bat giving W facts and
arguments. IL is not enough for them TO
say thing Is so, Gas for instance, that Van
Buren, is the Republican candidaie,) s. make
no effort to prove it. II will no do Tor them
to ask us 10 "Look al MIR. Van Buren,.
"course in the Legislative Councils of New
york, combating every principle calcula.
tied 10 operate preJudicialIy to the interest.
"of the people specify nothing But
cannot be expected Of US that @ should
waste our time on things abos. which the
committee have not even taken the tropbIe
to make themselves understood. We shall
therefore confine ourselves to those topics
on which the committee IN AXE q show. at
least, of proof
LIST. then, MIR. Van Buren, course in rela-
| lion TO the late War Tho Committee hold.
iy challengs us tosoe the stand he took In the
Legislature OF New York on this question
and ask us TO "look al HIS classification bill:
(which was pronounced by The first men in
the Union the strongest war measure ever
proposed" Now pray, gentlemen OF the
committee on what authority do You make
this assertion Do you not know that
DANIEL d. ToMKIAs, and not MIR. Van
Buren,, was The author and originator Of that
MEASURE? Do you not know, too, that it
was adopted at time when o sense Of com.
mon danger had hDsbed the srfes of party!
when, in the language of the Governor at
the opening Of that session of the Legislature.
"ths acrimeny Of party spirit has Ihad] disap
peHrea in the combined crcrfion for the main.
| tcnHnce of National honor and common safe
ty." Mr.. Van Buren's "advocacy of this
MEASURE" therefore, DOES NOT "stamp
with the seal of ialsehood every assertion
that he was opposad to the war; NJ. van
I Barren but acted on That occasion as did the
Federal yar.y generally in New York
When there was party in that State, how
ever, opposed 10 the war, Martin Van Blu
rem, beyond dispute, belonged TO il. He
warmly supported Clinton, the Federal and
Peace candidate, in opposition TO Madison!
But word OF two in relation to this
much boosted war-measure, which the Com.
mitles call Mr.. Van Buren's What was
ii? And DO the Committee approve it
Are they prepared TO face their fellow
citizens Of the South, and say that they do
No-ihey cannot-THEY DARE MOTT
part Of that measure WAS to ORGAN
IZE and ARM THEIR NEGROES
than which no system or policy could be
more hazardous TO the peace Of the South
End. The Committee next ask us 10 fol-
low MIR. Van Buren, TO the New York Con.
veniion, and vnuntingly enquire where we
lind him Not on The side of power
(say they) as exercised by The ARISTOC-
RACY I" Well-LET Us SEE! "His
advocacy OF an extension of the Elective
Franchise (say the Committee) to the Free
White Inhabitants: and that master stroke
Of his TO sxPEL frsm the polls those sub
servient federal tools, the NEGROES, eyibee
at once the powers of his mind"
Now, verify was ever effrontery like ,i;ss
Have the Committee taken leave of their