Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-04-23
The Discussion.

|
ter. Mr.. Irving answered him in a speech of a.
bout the same length; and Mr.. Bocock followed
III abrief reply.
| We took no notes of the speeches of these gen.
tlemen, nor even of the points touched upon
Mr.. Bocock has many Of the qualities Of an eff
fectiye popular speaker and bis address was a.
dIoit and plausible and, at the same time, we
think, exceedingly vulnerable. On the slavery
question, he said the people Of the South, Wings
and Democrats, were all sound. lie recognised
no distinction and claimed no superior zeal for
his party in the cause of Southern rights. The
people were all of one mind and heart-all uni
ted. This, though strictly true, seemed 10 Us an
admission strangely at variance with the Ian
guage held by the Locoloco journals of Virginia
and the South on this point They have been
endeavoring, for months, to inf.se suspicion at
home and create the impression abroad that ev-
cry Whig was quasi Abolitonist-an ally of
Northern fanaticS-and traitor to Southern in
terestS. The Wings Of the South can we'll afford
to deSpise the malice and talSehood of these ale
cations, so far as they affect them at home But
the injury inflicted by these libels is ola reflex
character and affects the whole South. The
\ North is deceived and tanaticSm encouraged TO
persist in assaults upon rights by the false re-
ports prOpagated, for party cirCt,by the LocotOCo
press, that one-hllf, or more, Of our people sym
L Ilttlll>t WIN every dnl-SldNpFy iONtHltuti dlld
are, virtually, traitors to the South. What would
be thought of the patriotism ofthose citizens ola
/ beSiegcd town. who communicated to the enemy
intelligence Of discussion among the garrison I
What punishment would they deserve, who in
Spired the courage of the Ieaguering army by
false reports OF treachery and dsSension within !:
Mr. Bocock, 50 far as bis testimony goes, has
disposed Of tLiS ridiculous SANDER tie, howev
err, charged upon some Southern Whig members
OF Congress, that party zeal led them to adopt a
course I'M Wious to the cause Of the South. lie
did not accuse them Of want Of fealtv to the
South, Of reasonable practices, &c.-:AIr. Do-
cock studiouSly avoided all harShnesS and de-
nunciaiion. The worst thing he alleged against
them was error IF judrment and mistaken policy.
Here aTain his language was in strong contrast
with that of the Southern Locoloco press 1t is
a Characteristic ofthc clique to which Mr. Dococl;
belongs, to fancy, il all that concerns the slave
~ question and the duly of Tie Sonth their
judgment is unetrinr, and that dissent Fl ON
their opIHlon is heterodoXy, deserving Of pains
ana penalties. They claim more than Papa in
alH5ty. Mr.. Bocock, as We have Said, admit
ted, in the broadost manner the Soundncss Of the
whole Southern people, Iand confined his cen
sures 70 some Of their Representatives in Con-
gress. It would be a. We'll for him 10 await IN
til the constituents Of those Representatives ex-
press dissatisfaction with their course. One gen.
tieman, on whose conduct, in defeating the Clay
ton Compromise, he commented with SEVERITY
has since that event been reelected bv a very
large majority. Now, according to Mr. Bocock'>
position, if sound upon this question: Mr.. Ste
Phens's constituents must be very ignorant OF
what i conducive 10 their true interests. They
are either false to themselves, or grossly stupid
Ia our own State too, large slavc-hoIding dis
trIct will On Thursday next, re-eect, BY great
majority, MIR. PcndIelon, who voted with Mr.
stephens for the previous question, on laying up
on the table Nh Flayton's bill
Mr.. Bococ< touched lightly upon the Con-
vention Of Southern members, and did not claim
any particular credit for afiixing his signature 10
Mr.. Calhoun's address. He admitted that par
agraph roprobatlng the passage, and signature hv
the President Of the Oregon Bill, which recor-
Missed the power Of Congress over The question OF
slavery IN the Territories, had.been stricken out,
as also another clause stating a historical fact
Viz that Colts resolution had been passed by
the votes of members Of both parties He denied
that this striking out affected by his agency.
or priyitv-he was in no way responsible Yet.
while thus pleading not gully, he entered into 4
justification Of the measure. The inconsistency
Of these pleas was handled BY Mr. Irving with
great effect and but feebly defended by Mr. 30
cock in his reply. The allegation that union
was the great object to which all non essentials
ought to be Sacrificed and that Southern Wings
and Democrats, who had voted for the Oregon
bill, would not sign a manifesto which condemn
ed their course, answered bv the fact that the
striking out did not win the signature Of a single
one OF those who thus voted. Mr.. Irving show
cd cOncluSlve Y, that it was to screen Mr.. Polk
the paragraph vas discarded. Still more unsat-
i>factory was Mr. Bocock's vilfdicalon ofthe sup
preston OF the other paragraph. We heard no.
Ting, beyond party eXpedlency, alleged, which
aSpTed to the dignity Of all argument against the
retention. Mr.. Irving was strong on this point.
Tie showed that the ma Orlty Of Southern Dem
ocrats were thinking more Of party success than
Of the vlndication OF Southern rights. Mr. Bo-
cock, IN his reply, virtually admitted he could
not defend the striking out by the playful char
acter OF his remarks. On the whole Mr.. Bocock
1t seemed to Us did not attach anv special in.
portance TO Mr. CalhOun'S address, and certainly
did not attempt to set up subscription to il as !
test Of loyalty 10 the South. Such course would
have been entirely inconsistent with the eIoquen
and cordial eulogium he poured forth upon the
talents, exalted patriotism. and true Southern
feeling of that GLORIOUS Wing" as he STYLED
him-John Macpherson Berrien.
MIR. BOcock'S attempt to arraign Mr.. Irvinc'
course IN the Legislature upon the Resolution,
was an entire failure. Mr.. Irvings vindicatior
OF his conduct must have been satisfactory to eve
: ~ man present. We imagine all must have
been persuaded that Mr. Irving Il lust as sounr
or even ultra on the question Of slavery a,
Mr.. Bococt. Mr.. Bocock deprecated anv an
peal to the Wing party by Mr.. Irving He talk
cd very softly about party. It was strange 10 heal
such dulcpt tones from = nn,.;,r Y,,..a4