Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-10-06
AN EARNEST APPEAL TO THE
WINGS OF VIRGINIA.

The crisis which is to decide the fate of
our country, is now near at hand. Are you
prepared 10 meet itl Have you done-are
you doing every thing that may honorably
be done to defeat the election of the PRESS
dents nominee-the candidate of the Spells
party--the ''soi disamt Demucrat?''
Look Tor a moment at the force against
which we have 10 contend. The Van Buren,
party is probably the most thoroughly orga-
nized party in the world; more influences
have been brought TO bear upon the feelings,
the prejudices and the interests of the people,
than ever have been before, or ever will be
again. Forty thousand voters, who are dali
ly Ted from the "publc crib, and hope still
10 fatten upon the spoils of our country, are
exerting all their energies TO promote the e.
lection Of Martin Van Buren,, as the sure
means of effecting this object, "a long chain
of Pet Banks are eXertjng an immense mos
MED interest in favour of their darling can
didate, that they may yet longer make their
| enormous dividends from the public purse !;
and host of political hangers on-aspi-
rants for some petty office-beggars OF the
crumbs that fail from the great mans table
men who can hepe 10 be noticed only by
| fawning subserviency 10 the powers that be,
are actively engaged in every petty mean"
ness, and political dishonesty, to Willy the
man whom the people have opposed to their
! idol, and 10 prejudice the minds of the honest
yeomanIy of the land. To oppose this sy-
cophancy-this dishonesly-this monied in
f1uenCe-this almost overwhelming force oil
government patronage, we have only firm
Notwithstanding integrity-an abhor-
renee OF dictation-and our country's good
to stimulate us TO eXertion, and unless these
motives actuate US TO The utmost, and infuse
into us energy, activity and unwearied zeal
We are irretrievably lost.
Wing will do his duly, and let h hot erye er
Ter him from coming to the polls, we NAV
! rescue sur beloved State from the eXpungers
of our public records and from the degrade
ton OF submitting TO Presidential dictation
and give TO her that rank and weight among
her sister States, that she deserves; but al
the same time it is not 10 be disguised, that
by our Iukewarmness we may Cause our
own defeat. There are many, too many
who consider the election Of Gen Harrison
as hopeless, although they earnestly desire il.
! These have been accustomed 10 see the Jack
son party, (Which they very enormously sup
pose to he identical with The Van Buren, par
ty,) uniformly triumphant, and naturally
concluding thence, that in the present strug-
gle, this party will maintain its ascendency
they sit down supinely and give up all for
lost. Is such conduct republican,? Is this
! the spirit that was manifested by your Fa-
theirs in '76 Suppose that we were sure OF
defeat, would il be like Virgioians, not TO rush
10 the combat, CALAMITY maintain the cause
Of our country, and braYely fall in the FORE
most rank? But why this dependency? II
! we choose it, tho victory is ours. Look al
/ the changes in the sentiments of the peo-
| pie, which have been developed within the
! past six months mark the fact, that every
change during that Time, has been in favour
Of Gen. Harrison, and against Van Buren,
- Read the election returns from NJ Carroll.
ma, Vermont, Kentucky, Indiana, s. Caro-
lima, and other StsIes, and then say whether
we ought TO despond. No. The victory /.
ours the prize is within our grasp. BE
| up then, and doing. Let no supineness. OF
Indifferent matter hold you back--Iei no de,
vice OF the administration party lure yot
from what is empbatically the path OF duty
Again, there are others who are inactive
and thus endanger our success, from a yer,
different cause; they are the Antipodes o
the former class. They receive daily &C
counts Of glorious iriumphs, and their eve
are open TO the tremendous changes that arc
in progress in public opinion. They see TN
cause OF Van Buren, rapidly declining, ant
the Wing cause.-the cause OF freedom-a
rapidly gaining the asCendancy, and the con
sequence is That they feel as # all is safe, an
there IS no necessity for their exertions
They feel like the Rabbit in the fable-con
6dent OF success, they push on for while
+ and then stop to slumber look to il, friends
that the tortoise does not pass you while thu
yeu sleep. Every mans vote is worth some
thing; 1t may be worth every thing. Their
are ll5 counties in Virginia. Supnose ths
only ten IndiVidas in each county shout