Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-09-24
PROCEEDINGS IN ROCKINGHAM.

political parties OF that county, at their Sep
TENDER Court, on Monday the 18th. The
Wings held meeting to appoint delegates
to the Charlottesville Convention, and, a.
mong other resolutions, adopted one deolar-
ing it inexpedient for the Wings of this dis
trict to run candidate for Congress. In
reference to the propriety of adopting the
resolution there was diversity of opinion,
and it gave rise to some discussion.
1t was then, says The Republican, submitted to
the meeting and the chairman decided that it was
carried in The affirmative but we feel confident in
the opinion that if it had been advisable under the
circumstances, to have continued the discussion,
large majority Of the meeting would have voted
against It's passage, upon the ground, that it was
not proper for the wings of this county, who con-
slitue small minority Of the party in the district,
to express any opinion in relation the proposition
involved in The third resolution, because il might
have tendency to embarrass the wings In The
other counties Of the district who constitute large
msjorily Of the party. This single consideration,
had it been urged, TO say nothing OF other potent
reasons that might have been used, would have
been snfficien, To have demonstrated very clearly,
we think that il was not polite, at least, TO pass
such resolution. But enough Of this.
The meeting of the "so-called Democrats"
was held for the purpose Of authorizing their
delegates to the Staunton Convention, to
unite with other delegates from the various
counties of the district, and hold a Conven-
ton to nominate candidate for Congress.
After this business was duly attended to,
several Congressional aspirants announced
themselves. The Republican says
Charles Douglass Gray Esq, was fret to mount,
the rosrum and in his speech, which we thought
was cut short from some cause, announcing him
self as candidate for Congress, he declared him :
self to be thorough Union man upon the prihci-
pies of thu Compromise Of the last Congress, which
WAS intended by The authors as final adjustment
of all the questions embraced in it, That Com
promise he regarded as right and proper, v hen the
circumstances with which it was connected were
taken into consideration, and he paid mered
tribute to the memory of James Mcdowell, the late
representative Of this district 10 Congress, on &C
count Of his advocacy Of that Compromise, and be-
cause Of his high opinion of him as patriot, States
man and Christian. MIR. Gray announced himself
candidate for Congress without regard TO the &C
lion of the meeting, Of what the proposed district
Convention might do as TO nomination of a candi-
date, and as we and many others thought, was an
independent candidate. He declared himself 10 be
a devulee to the great principles OF The democratic
party, that he had always acted with that party,
that he was 50 saturated with democracy as TO be
incapable of being any Thing else, and that if elect
ed he should endeavUr, honestly, 10 carry out The
leading principles OF his party.
After Mr.. Gray closed what he had to say upon
the subject Of the approaching canvass, Senator
Deneale took, the stand and IN his own peculiar
manner, and with as much apparent gravity, sim
cerily and soemni,y as had ever been exhibited by
the mos, devout christian when mploIing the for
qiveness of his God for all the sins, both Of omis-
Siun aud commission, Of misspent life, proceeded
to saw, that from the earliest dawn of his political
existence he had espoused The cause of the democ'
racy of Rockinghain,a land that through evil and
through good report, he had never swerved one
ioa from its principles, but that he had, with all
the energy Of his nature cherished and upheld 1t,
and that 50 long as his generous and conhdlng con-
stuency should think proper TO continue him in
office, he would never abandon its cause.
He said that though he did not question the gen.
uine democracy of other gentlemen, or dis,rust
their fidelity, yet, without egosleth, he could say,
that in the bitter conflicts with which Inc dem0c'
racy had been forced to contend, he had borne The
heat and burden Of the conflict, and by this, we
supposed he intended it TO be understood by his
hearers, as saying, that in the selection Of candi-
date to fill the place Of Mcdowell, he ought not to
be overlooked.
The Convention will Of course nominate MIR.
Deneale-lhere being 70 other man OF the party
who has done so much for il as he. Aher Deneale
had concluded what he had to say, Col. Kenney
rose and explained the position he occupied, and
how he came to occupy it, but he came to the con-
cluson, as we understood him, that Deneale was
right and that he too would take the same position
which Deneale had taken. Gray also took the
same, 8, there is no candidate before The people,
and will be none, we suppose till the Convention
shall speak. II any ocotuco should dare to oppose
Deneaie and they should be eas;ly diven as Ken
ney and Gray were on Monday he will have an
easy triumph.
THE RICHMOND DISTRIcT.--We regret