Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-05-03

have seen their and are rapidly retracno their
steps, When General Taylor was first named for
the Presidency, it was thought that it would be ac-
quesced in 10y the Wings all over the Union. but
u turned out differently hence the necessity of
National Convention. Let that Convention act
and we will all unite in support Of its decision tho
1t clash with our general preference. The Wing !
party Is not Unidentified with single individual.
In our armament there many stars You may |
strike out few and We! not leave us in gloom or
will be left, shining not less
brightly than those that have fallen. The Wing |
party Is certain OF one victory in every four or FIVE
chances The Democrats will bea, us at least three
out OF four times in the Presidential contest but
they are pretty sure to get things all wrong and to
require Wing wisdom TO set them right again.
hey Will misnanage the engine, get the screws
ioose and perchance pocket few of them but then
when things are so bad that they can't be made
worse, good Wing engineers will come in, and soon
restore order and efficiency and set the machine \,
going again.
In conclusion, then, let us 90 into the choice Of
our candidate in the best and most harmonious chi
rlt The roll Of our party aSounds in brilliant and
noble names. that would do honor to the Presiden-
cy. We are like the fair lady who looks into her
ooX OF Jewels, and is sorely puzzled to determine
which brilliant stone or gtteriug diamond shall
gi'er on her lovely brow. Let us not be guilty of
the folly of quarrelling about individuals, when we
have great principles to guard-to contend TO fight
for.
Let the Convention select Old Zsck-who will
withhold his support--his warm and cordial sup
port or one no has done so much for the national
fame and characer-one who has borne the stars
and stripes thousands Of miles into the centre of
hostie land, and has planted them where no civil
zed soldier had ever trod before-whose exploits
cast into the shade the fabulous achievements of the
adventurous Cortes-who has, with a few scant re-
gimenis, conquered vast Empire, and laid il at
Of no nf IN IIu;n
great deeds and gentle virtue-whose firm charac-
Ter and calm courage-have marked him as the
Man OF the Age2 (Cheers) But should The
choice fall upon the great Statesman. whose civic
and political laures yield not in brlliancy to the
brightest chaplets that ever bloomed upon War.
r'ors brow, what Wing will falter or hesitate in his
supportR Since the days of Washington, what
name has exerled so potent an influence upon the
wing party as that Of Clay2 When has his cla-
ron voice been heard that il did not kindle an ardor
and zeal among all true Wings greater than that a
reused In warriors breasts by the tones of the trum
pet, the deep rolling Of the drum OF the loud boom
ing or cannonE Cloud cheers, and cries Of CLAY
Clay !-Elurra for Clay !'-which were so yigor-
GUS and so often repeated. that the Reporter lost
much OF Mr.. Prentss's very eloquent illusions to
MI Clay-which, by the by, were very percepti-
Oily more earnest and impassioned than his referen-
ccs to General Taylor.)
MT Prentiss concluded his long and eloquent
narmOuv IL
mon, and due subservence To the decision of the
National Convention. His voice, however. bepra
10 lai him, and grew so indstinct that we could
not catch the point of his concluding remarks they
were' however, very warmly appIauded.
HE COURT OF INQUIRY.-The last New Or
leans papers contain volumnous details of the pro-
ceedings OF the Court of Inquiry now sitting in Mex
leo; but we are unable this morning to continue
their publication. We hope TO be able to resume
1t tomorrow.
In regard 10 the famous 'Ieonilas', letter il has
been satisfactorily shown. that Paymaster Burns,
VINO very kindly consented to take upon himself the
cfet OF It's authorship, for the purpose of relieving
General Pillow of the Idum has wholly failed. bv
the generous sacrifice of his own reputation. to re-
move suspicion from his friend. His own tes,imo-
ny, indeed proves that he did not write the letter
though 1t may fail TO show that Gen. Pillow did,
Like all men who fabricae story to suit an emer-
gency, he swears to do too much, and is of course
dlscredlted altogether In regard to the interlnea.
lions, tor example, in the Leonidas letter, which
were ascribed TO Gen. Pillow, Major Burns swears
that they were made by himself; when. being una
ware OF the extent to which their willing witness
mad gone, in extreme zeal to exculpate Gent Pill
low from all participation in the preparation of that
fabulous eplstle, the editor of the New Orleans
Delta, who had the honor of first laying before the
country this narrative of Gen. Pillow heroism and
generalship declares tn, those interlneations were
| MAUI ny IitilSell. lie IeIta says:
"We consider it due to Gen. Pillow to correct a
misapprehenson, which seems to have possessed
Ten Scott and Mr.. Trist in regard to the 81 eoni-
das' letter. known as No. 3 in the charges These
inerlneatlons were made by the editor of this pa
per, In the exercise of the prerogative which all ed
tors claim and exercise of correcting and improving
the language of anonymous communications The
lnerneations did not essentially alter or affect the
substance of the narrative, but somewhat improved
1t, according to our udpmentN
! f1ad fay!naster Burns been in truth the writer
OF the Leonidas letter, he would have known that
the interlneatons referred to- by whoInsoever made
were not has handiwork. Yet having sworn TO the
authorship OF the letter. and the suspicious imputa-
ton still existing that the interlneations were writ
ten by Pillow, he swears just as readily that he is
responsible for them also! And now, it appears
that they were made by the editor of the Delial-
Illuminating as is the position of General Pillow
the superserviceable zeal of Paymaster Burns has
sunk him to an infinitely lower depth.-R Wing
v4prit 25
The ScoTT CoRREspoNDENcE.-Th Wash
Ington correspondent Of the Baltimore Patriot gives
us the following information in regard to the new
saneht OF THIS correspondence just extorted from
the War Department:
You will recoect that in reply to the former cal
OF the House for this correspondence, certain letter.
which Mr. Cllngman declared existed, were with.
held suppressed.
MIR. Cilngman was notsatisfed, and charged tina
sundry letters, having an important bearing, hac
been withheld, for an object.
MIR. Henley vehementy denied the charge He
knew all about it. The Secretary of War had fur
nished him with copies of all the letters which had
been held back. They were only two or three
and not at all material 10 the matter sought to be
brought before the public!
Mr.. McLane, too, advanced to the rescue OF his
friend Henley, and also to the aid of the Secretary
Of War. lie seemed to sneak hv the naicioI cnrI