Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-10-17
DEMOCRATIC ACCEPTANCES.

We copy from the Enquirer the ietterS ol Noi.
Joseph johnson and Mr.. Willis P. Bocock, ac-
ceptng their respective nominations.
The Colonel is almost Dallas-like in the am
biguous grandeur of his sentences. He plants
himself bravely upon the Resolutions of '98 and
those adopted oy the Baltimore Conventions of 40
IA and '4S, under which John Van Buren, and the
Barnburners of New York have recently agreed
to fight He proposes in this position, to "unfurl
the banner of State rights" but what State rights
are affirmed by those various resolutions he does
not say. On the important question, whether the
resolutions of '96 assert the right of a State to
secede at her will and without responsibility, he
observes profound silence He promises, how
ever, to be guided "by the radiance of those shin
ing lumnares who have preceded him in the Cub
ernatoral Office" but which he thinks the most
brilliant, whether Patrick Henry, the first of all,
who opposed the republican doctrines of '9S; or
Mr.. Monroe who, with his cabinet, first establish
ed a precedent for the right of Congress to pro-
hbit slavery in the Territories; the elder Floyd
who was, we believe Secessionist or Gmer
who was of the srictest sect of the strict Con-
structonists; or Mcdowell, who was rather lattu~
dInarian; or the famous ''Billy Smith" who had no
politics al all except the phrase Democracy; Or
finally the present Governor who is understood to
be of the Chyalry wing and was Gov Johnson's
chief competitor at Staunton-which one of these
gubernatorial lights, with all the hues of the rain
bow, the Democratic nominee means to follow,
he fails to tell the public.
We are glad to find that the Governor-elect-
I
people-means to make Old Virginia "shake her
inyincibe locks" by means of ga 5udicioas svs
TEN of internal improvement" but we fear, that
like Gen. Jackson's "judicious tariff it will turn
out to be no system at all. He would have her
s'rich resources" and the "inexhaustibe treasures
of the Far West" accumulated upon the banks of
the Chesapeake; but unhappy Col. Johnson's
local bearings point to the head of the Chesapeake
rather than its foot, to Baltimore instead of Nor
folk, and it is impossible to tell what he thinks
would be the best mode of reaching those erich
resources" and "inexhaustible treasures" 1t
is said that his friends in the North West are
already urging against Mr.. Summers his advo-
cacy of a central improvement. But we need
not 60 farther in criticism of the Colonel's let
teI. we ouiy ASK tilS Feau6r 10 reaQ II SIDE by
side with that of Mr. Summers, and then decide
between Them and their authors.
Mr.. Bocock's acknowledgment of ths "favour''
of the Saunton committee is only remarkable for
slight and rather unsuccessful attempt at wit
His peculiar political completion naturally sug-
gested to him the subject of Union but. instead
of telling the people what he is on that question.
he centines himself to play upon the word, and
invokes Union of all the Democrats "for the
sake of the Wings. ="
Well this may be very facetous, but we con-
fess we can't see the joke. We might submit that
Mr.. Bocock probably desires this sort of union
rather for the sake oc the Democratic nominees
than Of his Wing friends but we will simply adj
wise him that it would have been wiser to keen
his commiseration until after the eighth of De-
cember. Perhaps he may need all his pity for
himself; tor it may turn out that the nomination,
of which he strangely says that he ''accepts it
frankly" is not the certain "victory" he counts
upon, but mere ashes in his grasp.