Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-05-14

al effort 10 obtain their rghts voted i'm the first in
stance, not by way of compromise, but as matter of
first choice. against the White Basis and for the
Mixed Basis. You sanction the act, by striving to
elect them over avowed advocates of your own
White Basis-nOt rcvolutionists nor Dorritcs but
simply declaring that IN The Legislature they would
give to our Allegheny brethren that ..aid''
which you yourself say Augusta promised them.
and which had been denied by the candidates whom
you felt bound by public duty to sustain
One other Inconsistency in your editorial was SO
giaring as to convince every one it would prove
harmless, and therefore, in respect for its author
the thing was suffered to pass. II was ,his-"C,n
we believe, you excaim, ''that the Legislature of
Virginia as at present constituted, with majority
OF ~ In one house and in the other, will ever CON
sent to law Tor organizing convention on the
tphde Basis The idea is preposerous." and i'm
the next breath you proceed ''It," the White Ba
sis, us principle for which we have been ariently
battling on all suitable occasions for more than is
years, yet we must say mall candour that we do
not dream of so idle thing as getting it by act of
the Legislature. We look for it through a conven-
ton" Through what sort of convention, Captain
One organized as Mcssrs. Baldwin and Massie pro
posed on the basis OF the present House of Delegates
I'm your own principles, it is very "idle" thing to
expect mat. Your argument in plain English strip
ped OF It's foufces reads thus: 'lt is preposerous
and idle to believe that the Legislature as at present
W
IN the other will consent to law organizing conven
tionon the White Basis. yet am the ardent and pug
nacous friend of the White Basis. Iexpect TO OBJ
tam the principle yet, by hard fighting, on suitable
occasions, and hope the friends of that measure will
look to me, in consideration of my consistency and
ardour, a safe adviser. | am not one of those
idle and preposterous fellows though who expect to
attain this darling object by holding dele
gates to the true representation of our own views
by proclalmng our principles to the world and
urging them upon legislature where SO large
majority is against us-but | really do look for the
triumph OF this darling principle of mine through
convention organized the same basis and contain
ing the same dead majority against us as that lees-
ature, from which would be idle and preposterous
TO expect it. | therefore advise that the consttl-
tional guardians OF our sacred rights should fold
their arms-no, not that ether-but that they should
cooperate with our advcrsarcs. until we are tied
hand and foot and ready for the sacrifice, and then
by some miraculous interposition, believe me, we
will surely be delivered"
| beg you, sir, to review that strange editorial
calmly and carefully, having first divesed yourself
Oh all The eNtraneous influences that must have 90
verned your course, however unwittnnly during
the late canvass and say yourself whether it did not
require all your previous consistency superadded to
all the charity which generous and magnanimous
community could exercise, TO vindicate your SINGER
ity IN the use of such arguments whether YOU are
not the last man In the world, situated as YOU are
who should reckessly fly at the threats of your for
mer friends with rash impuaons against their con-
duet and motives. Yet in another editorial of the
3lth ult, just after the election, snarting under
Waterloo defeat, and under the neglect that your
fellow citizens had bestowed your resistance
arguments forgetting your prayer of the End ut for
the same consideration respect that you accorded
to others, you are pleased TO cast upon your former
friends, but now adversaries the most odious impu-
tatlons. Forbearance with you is, therefore, no
longer virtue, and having here called your attention
to your former editorial, shall take the liberty of
crlllcsing in future number, that of the 3Oth of
April, which is not less puzzling than the first to
your former co-labourer.
A WHITE BASIS WHIG