Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1847-03-12
TO THE DEMOCRACY OF Trp -,
CONGRESSIONAL DIsTRIcrE ~
For the Spirit of .Iefsr,or

cipIes which lie at the foundation of
presumes to address you upOna subec, i...,
an issue of deep and momentous in5o-.'
is well known to you, that regularv,
Convention, rejecting as far as i, i,, u''s
any such body to do so, the will of tS., .ss,'eh
in which each county in the District' ,srS'
sented, and may say fully, too, has n.y..
you. with unanimity almost without msT
candidate to represent You in the next Con-.
of the United States. The candidate tbu,ss
you, asking, in the name of that Copyentio,
the name of the common usages of the party,
may say in the name of Democracy Itself,
sufrages, is the Honorable HENRY Brnr,.,
your late worthy and distinguished represents
Under ordinary circumstances, it would BE- :,
cient to know, that Convention thus organ,
had presented you candidate, to rally every,
of the party around the glorious standard Of
faith but as there exists to a certain exte,.
portions of our District, heart burnings and dis,
sions-not engendered by differences of pOla.
opinion, or from want of sympathy with h
great principles that constitute US a band Of.
theirs engaged in a common cause-but WI,
from personal Considerations have recs,
believe that this happy unanimity does not e1s.
veracity, that some of our party have dsch.
their unwiliingness to support the present ps
nee. l ask you, fellowD Democrats, is this,
| appeal to you to know whether ii is pos,
there can be found among you single intrs
so forgetful of the duty he owes TO himself,a
party, and to the great and common cause inv
we are engaged? Suppose Mr.. Bedingerb
the candidate of your choice. Grant, for l.
ments sake, he may be personally ObnoxS,
some of you'll ask with all earnestness,-V
You sacrifice your principles to your Prejuda
Will you degrade cause which we all belsr
be the cause of our country-identiied
mans true and substantial happiness, by bring
it down to the level of poor human traities! v
profess to be guided by the glorious motto, ~M
sures before men," We profess to be COVER
by the controlling desire to secure the trump
our principles. How are we to show this desr
BY repudiating those principles? By querlys
ting down, while our enemy is in the field, Il
lend no hand to check his naughty march? s.,
ly, surely not.
We have now the same foe to contend with
at the beginning. We see the same antagons.
elements-Democracy and Federalsm-sti CO
tending for the mastery, as wien our Constitute
was ushered into existence. Democracy, b
great equalizer and elevator of man, hallowed /:
the names Of the greatest and most distinguish
OF men-FederaliSm the creator OF distinction
ever grasPing and arrogating TO itself privilege
not its own. "A rose would smell as sweet b
any other name" and Federalism is alike odior
in all its shifting garbs. Let us not be deceiy:
by fair professions and specious appearances. L
us examine beyond the outside, and if beneath {.
cloak of Whiggery, we see the same disgui:e
foe that triumphed in the election of the eltg
Adams, but to fall again before that OF The PaiTa
Jefferson let US kindle in our hearts aEresh the
of our fathers, and VOW eternal enmIty to the !os
The issue is now distinctly and fairly beIO7
you. You are 10 have Wing or Democrat.
represent you in the next Congress. Which
will be you are now to decide. No one can que
ton Mr.. Bedinger's Democracy. From his Ell
Hest manhood up to the present time, has he BET
battling faithfully against our common foe.
1910, when doubt and darkness hung over our p
ty and the proud waves of Federalism dashed ie'
fully against us, his voice was heard i'll CLIQUE
appeals, calling upon us to stand by our posts, a
nerve ourselves 10 meet the storm. That stO
came and burst in all its fury. States which h
heretofore braved the shock, were moved lrr
81 -, \
Virginia stood firm. Ever true 10 her faith a
her cherished principles, she triumphed as
had ever done whenever those principles were
sailed. Among the names which stand conspt
ous'in bringing about this happy result-in
polling the slanderous attacks OF our enemy, a
planting more deeply and firmly than ever,
principles OF our faith in the hearts of the people
none, am sure, is more prominently so than 4
Of Henry Bedinger. You all remember it, feO
Democrats. [ know that conflict has not thus SO
faded from your memories. know you rene
Der it, and also know you remember the dist
guished ability with which he conducted the ca
paign of 1874. Who is there among us Il
would have thus taken upon himself the arduc
duties of that campaign, and sacrificed, as he
his time, and his money too, to serve the cause
You all remember that when Wing was to
dress the people, Bedinger must be sent for TO
sWer him. NC matter where or under what
cumstances, he must be there, and no one but hi
And, fellow Democrats, he 1c0S there, wht n =
called upon; and Democracy, with him for
indicator, never lost any thing from Wing
saults.
have been informed from good authority t
Mr.. BIS standing in Congress is of the most
spectacle. No one from our District has &C
manded more general respect among the memb
Of Congress. AS an able debater and fearlessT
dictator of the Administration and of South
rights, the numerous concentrations OF the pre-
from all parts the country bear ample testimo
Who then, in view of all this, can be content
remain lukewarm in the cause? Our oPpone
are actively at work No stone will be LEI.
turned, no means unapplied to carry their Po
Witness the poor and pitiful efforts of the +
Press to distract our party by its false rePres
tations and insidious appeals. Witness the str
uous and active eXertiOns of certain Wing a