Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-10-25
POLITICAL DISCUSSION

Monday, being Court-day, it was unexpec,e div
announced, IN the morning, that tho Hon. JAMES
Mcdowell, the Representative of this District in
Congress, would address the people on the subject
Of the approaching Presidential election. 1t was
at once determined by cur Wing friends that the
orator should have respondent, and Col. JOHN b.
BALDWIN VINO Is OF the Trough and Ready
SCHOOL, consented to take the stand against him
III was arranged that each of the speakers should
have two hours-Mr. Mcdowell taking the lead.
-Wo regret to say that the health of that pen,le
man is very delicate, and that he was barely able
10 occupy the time allotted to him.-He said. in
deed, that if he had not been called upon by his
party friends, in his public character, he would
have declined the duty altogether His speech
was chiefly taken up in showing the fact that par
ties, and party organizations, ere incident to our
Tree stitutons, and necessary to their healthfl
operaion-but that as a matter Of course thew
must be based upon some definite and plainly de-
clared principles. Brought TO this test, he claimed
great credit for his own party, while he condemn
cd the Y" hgs, as guilty of fraudulent conceal
ment OF their Prnciples.-They had constructed
no Platform" at Philadelphia, and nothing had
been given, even by their candidate, beyond few
scraps of letters.
Col. BALpwIS, in his reply, contended that the
W higs did not need any new confession of faith
and as TO Gen. Taylor, the "scraps'' to which the
gentleman referred gave every thing the Wings
desired to Know OF him in regard to the duties Of
me Executive oftlce.-Hc rcpudated the whole
scheme OF platforms" and ''pledges" which has
been adopted by the so.called DeInocracy-lhe
mere dicta Of irresponsible cabals,-as dangerous
innovations, ard utterly subversve of our Repre-
sentative system. He then went into an exami
nation OF the gent!eman's much-lau Baltimore
ria''orm taking 1t up plank by plank-and
shewed most conclusvely that it was an artfully
cor s'ructed piece of patch work, intended TO con-
ceai the differences, rather than avow the doc
trines, Of the unharmonious and discordant Demo-
cracy.-it was combination of tru;sms and vapue
goneralliies which excluded nome and birds every
'eather were found conserving upon it gregarous-
~. III was so on the momentous and greatly ex-
citing Slavery question lit was so on the Tariff,
and so 1t was also on the Internal Improvement
quesiion,-on not one of which, perhaps, does Mr..
Mcdowell agree with the great body of the North
crn Democracy, or his own candidate. Gen. CAss !
line TACT IS, ne was appealed to directly by Col
b. to say whether he agreed with Gen. Cass on
the Slavery question, and had TO admit that he did
not that he (Mr. M'Dowell,) adheres to the
Virginia Platform, while Gen Cass (he conceded
with all hankness, holds t,e opinion Hatkhe Deople
IF the territories hare crctsivc Jurisdiction oper
The subject Of slorcry ,oittin Lsr limits, and that
an This respect there is Il conflict bet,ceen Gen.
Cas- and The puginia PiaJoym What will our
ALI THE SANE" Democracy sly now -?
But we have not time or spacs TO notice this
discussion more fully.-It was an unexpected treat
to us and all parties, we hope, were satisfied with
the result.