Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-09-15
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DfAe Sese/riai District composed Of tie
CoxntieSf Abemarie, Neisos ard Am
FELk CITIZENS Il is known to YOU,
tb.t y period for which you elected me
i. jud kbout expiring. and during the last
wiz Il. I causcdit 10 be announced to the
n2lrict that ! ives Candidate for re-clec-
I'm. At thar tfAc Convention Of the pco-
die had assembled, to consider the proprie-
~ Of remodcling our constitution. What
would be TIE result OF these deliberations,
none Of " knew. whilst many of us enter
tanned decided opinions OF what wethought
oughtto be done on many subjects. We
did not know that your Senate would be
enlarged and, consequence thereof, a
change of the District made necessary
That Convention has adjourned. and has
proposed 10 the people an amended Con-
lstitution.the merits or dement's ofwhich.it is
no part Of my present object to discuss be-
fore you. except to say that whilst il con-
-taius some things that my Judgment would
have ordered differently, still with its main
features am satisfied and shall vote for it
at the polls. fregard it as compromise,
likely to end local jealousies and conflicts
4orpower and to make us at no distant day.
one pcoplein affection. Regarded in the light
ofa compromise, it needs no defence from
me. And here let me remind you, that the
whole fabric Of human society, from its
lowest to its highest organization. has the
same basis or pedestal. In entering a
state OF civil society. we part with some
rights the better to secure the residue
Compared with the present Constitution,
greatly prefer it. But wander from
the true object Of this address.
The amended Constitution, which all ad
NIT viii be ratified by an overwhelming
vote. enlargcs your Senate 10 fifty Instead OF
thirty two, the present number. and erects
Albcmarle into separate district, and
gives her Senator, whist Amherst, Mel
son, and Buckingham constitute another
district. Having served the present dis
trict for eight years. with what abiiity, is
for my constituents. and not me TO say)
much to the neglect Of my private and
professional pursuits,it would have been no
part of my desire. voluntarily to have en-
gagged in canvass before lin part a; least)
new constituent body. 1t may be asked,
why do continue to be Candidate for
IN Office TO be filed at the October election,
which will be Superseded by the adoption
Of the new Constitution My answer is,
that opposition to my reelection has been
gotten up, opposition too professedly
Whatever II may be in reality from my
own political party. Fellow-citizcns, do
not understand me as complaining of op.
position, in this or any election; far from it
II results from the freedom bestowed by
our wise system of popular elections. leav-
ing all Of us free to vote, or be voted for,
or to tender our services as fancy or judg-
ment may dictate. state il for the reason
only, that opposition from any quarter ne
cessarily brings to the bar of public scru-
tiny and enquiry, the passed public con-
duct Of public servant asking re-elec-
lion. Thus regarding it, | dare not with
out dishonor,) shrink from the canvass and
the ordeal of your judgment. Ny public
course has been before you for eight years.
During tina, period, and a somewhat acti, e
participation in the proceedings of e
body to which you elected me, that have
not on some occasions erred in judgment,
it would be impious in me to profess.
But will say, that all MY errors, what
ever they may have been, were of thehead
and moi Of the heart. have never ceased to
remember. that was the representative Of
the "rcd land district" of old Albenarls
the home of two of your Presidents, and
her daughters Nelson and Amherst. And
whilst neglected early education put il
outofmy power to distinguish my service.
as others before me had done. trust that |
have done her no dishoEor. In the first
address Fellow Citizens. that I directed to
you, inaccepting the nomination for this dis.
trict. more than eight years ago, distinct.
ly condemned the comminglng of party
politics, with State elections. The ground
that then assumed. was, that according
to oursystem, We hadagents to manage our
federal concerns. aud agents to conduct
State affairs, and that to make State cleo
tons turn upon federal politics, was to
degrade the constituent body. and lead to
unwisc selections for State service. NY
opinions are unchanged and unaiterablc,
and | say unhcsitaingly. that now or here
utter. claim the vote Of no Wing, simply
because he is Wing, and myselfa Wing.
Task only the votes Of those. be they Wings
or Democrats, who in their conscienccs be-
Gevc that amongst the candidates, could
best serve the district. Those who think
that my competitor would better serve it,
it is their duty to their country, TO give
him their support. Whilst | depreca,e
all party appeals lie, me notice one single
remark ofmy worthy competitor,
In his card announcing himself candi-
date he declares himsefa Southern Wig;
if he means that he is Wing living in the
South, so am /, for was born within the
district. But if he means that the Wing
party Northor South. are divided as a par
". on any particular subject, l do not be-
heve it: at any rate, l know Of no such divi-
sion. The Whigpar'y,as party, is the same
North and South. do not doubt that a
portion Of both the Wing and Democratic
parties, North, have lent themselves to the
Free Soil and Abolition movements. But
neither party, as party, is responsible for
such errors of individual members. Il is
true. as l believe, that small portion Of
the Wing party of the South are united in
feelngand sympathy with the secessionists,
nulliliicrs and disunionist, and so also with
the Democratic party; bu,in my Judgment.
the parties to which they belong rcspec-
lively. are not responsible for such folly,
and it docs not affect the great dstinc-
tive principles or organizations of the Wing
and Democratic parties.
Opposed to the secessionists, nulli6ers and
disunionisis Of the South and North.
stand the union Wings and Democrats,
and whilst my competitor claims to be a
Southern Wing, l claim to be Union Wig