The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-11-21
From the New York Progressive Democrat.
WHAT DEFEATED SILAS WRIGHT

MS seems Ia be the great question of the day.
and notwithstanding the neutral and party presses
have attempted 10 satisfy anxious enauirers. thew
silll regard the defeat of that distinguished man
the greatest mystery of the age. The whig pa.
pers, without an exception attribute his defeat To
The nnpnpularIiy OF the measures Of the National
administration The wing party is always in
the condition of a drowning man, ready TO seize
hold OF every straw To sustain itself. Having no
great principles susceptible Of universal applica.
ton-relying for success solely upon lis appeals
to The selhshness of individuals and classes. il is
compelled to identify itself with every faction
that shows its head. During The late canvass in
ms sale. the wings united with the Anti r. Tent
ers and JFatiues. Yesi the great whig marty
which Processes TO be par excellence che conse,'
va'or ct the rights Of property, united with Anti
henters, who were denounced by the leading
whig papers as rebels and murderers. By such
COMBINATIONS, and IN consequence Of the unpopu.
iafiiy OF the democratic candidate for Governor.
the wings have been enabled to obtain a short.
nVed triumph. The soundness and popularity of
me measures OF the National administration were
not tested in The late eIection-tbe whigs did moi
dare 10 risk The result an such issues. and the
tried friends of Mr.. Wright would not afFirma.
lively sustain the course OF MIR. Folks admins
tra'inn. IT the friends of Mr.. Wright had brouub,
MN Forward merely as a candidate for the Guber-
material chair, he might perhaps haye been elect
ed. but his was not their object in forcing his
nomination on The democratic party they had
a d"noIe object in using the desperate means thew
oId To effect his nomination. And althouub but
ie" OF their journals disclosed the fact. II wac
well understood by almost every man in the State
that they intended TO make the Guberna,orial
chair a stepping stone To the Presidency in 1S4S
90 mat IN TACT, The democracy were Teouired to
vote, not for The Governor, but for a candidate far
the Presidency. This was the great issue pre-.
senied Ia The people Of The Stale in the JaIe cnn.
lest. The wings, overrating the fictitious poou.
drIty OF MT. Wright in other parts of the Uninn.
feared him as a competitor in AZ, and therefore
'et noihing und0ne TO procure his defeat. The
great mass If The democracy, remembering ,ba,
ne had been iaIihless To them when he held The
nigh POSITION ~ United States Senator-,bat be
nau grossly nisre presented them when he voted
Tor The Bankrupt Law, and The Tariff of 10
Ihat ne had evinced a deeper regard for men Than
'm ms country, when he opposed the annexation
W ieAaS, because II sealed The fate Of Mr.. Van
o"'en-'nat as Governor Of this State, he has
'aKen TO MS bosom. and appointed 10 office. some
W ~ men VINO were most prominent in the
SECREI CIRCULAR plot, 10 defeat The nom.
'nees ot The Baltimore Convention. inns ano,ov.
ing OF, and rewarding their treason TO the cIea rio
fAPfeSseo VIII OF the psTty-aud that he has
oeeh 'ne Governor Of a clique, and not NJ This
great o'ate, WIN bestowed his favor only upon
'""Se W" 'd"ned upon and Halter red him! We
say, thai, REMEMBERING all these lhinps. thew
could not yield him a hearty and undi sun
port which, II tbeir efforts Is ere successful wonTd
be tortured into an approval of his nomination f.,
The Presidency in 1913. "
ne oe'eal OF Mr.. Wright is not owing to the
numerical superiority Of the wings over The dem.
octais-nor To the combinations of Ub,os. Nh.
mes ana oHnh Reniers-but TO the Determination
~ The Democratic masses to sustain M man as .
leader who is not fit to be follower-wbo cannot
keep pace Win The progressive spirit Of The age
and vino has violated on every occasion, The sol
emn pledges he had given TO his party. But. il
Is asked, " these charges against Nj. Wright ire
iIne' why did the people elect him in 1874 2
we answer that in 1914, Mr.. Wricht's name
was associated with that Of JAMES K. POLK
ihai great national questions depended upon the
result IN This State-tbst every thing vas done
by The disinteTested portion of the parry (the onlv
traitors being those Mr.. Wright has since reward.
ed)-lo unite and harmOnize all our forces-tbs,
Mr.. Wright did not stand alune-and ,be,eG,ra
be was elected. But in the late canvass M,
Wright for The first fine in his life stood bsC,,a
me people Of the whole State-he was tried sc
cordIng to his merits, and the people ba We passed
upon bin an emphatic and irrevocabIe condemnas
ton 10 this State at this day, there is a legiti-