Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-11-26
MIR. Summers "a: stas,nton.

the w ing Executive. Commillee oiu Quiet !
citizens of this County, he would visit Staun-
ton and address the people of Augusta on
Tuesday. 1t was thought best that the no.
tice should be given for Monday, which
was accordingly done, and Mr.. SUMMERS
was written to at Winchester to inform him
Of the change OF arrangement. By travel
ing forty-fve miles on Monday morning, he
was able to reach here between twelve and
one o'clock ofthat day. AT two o'clock, he
appeared in the Courthouse, before
crowded assembly, all eager to hear him.
Circumstances utterly prevent our giving
even sketch of the speech-would that
every man in the County had been present
on the occasion Those who were not,
whatever their partialities or prejudices may
be, have lost treat for which no substitute
can be offered. We had read the sketches
of Mr.. SUMMERS speeches at other places,
and thought we were familiar with every
thing he could say-we had read the enthu-
siastic eulogy of the editor of the Freder-
icksburg .Nrws, who says that while listen.
ing to Mr.. sUMMEs he felt like 1.-The leafet
tossed high up in the mountain crevice"-
we had read in the Lynchhmg Virginian an
account of the Improcsion produced by MIR.
SUMMERS at Lynchburg and Campbell Court
House, at which latter place, he was declared
equal as an orator to PATRICK HENRy-we
had read all these, and with expectations
excited accordingly, we listened to MIR.
SUMMERS on Monday. To say that we
were not disappointed, would seem to be
enough, But it is not enough, for Our ex-
pectations were more than realised. At
times during the delivery of the speech, we
ceased to be our own master, and felt like
the creature of the gifted orator, to be guild
ed at his Will and pleasure. Never have
we seen an audience so completely under
the control Of speaker.
.'Hs words seemed oracles
And gaze nth wonder on his neighbours f,ce
That with the like dumb wonder answered him."
In the first part of his speech, MIR. SUM
MERs alluded hastily to the various charges
which have been made against him by his
political adversaries. He remarked that be-
fore he left home, he though lie had char
acter which his children would not blush to
contemplate, but he now doubted if his own
wife would recognise him when he return
ed. Some, who, while he was in the Con-
vention, could not say too much in his praise,
were now busy IN the work of defamation.
He specified all the charges in order-one of
which was that he was mired basis man IS
triumphanty vindicated himself from them.
Two Of the charges, of recent date, we will
allude to particularly.
1t is said that he voted in the Legislature,
against the right of instruction. The facts
Of the case are these. During the proceed
ings in reference to the famous "eXpunging
resolutions" resolution was offered, de-
claring, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., the broad doc
trine that the representative should obey the
instructions of his constituents. A substi-
tute was offered by the late Judge STANARD,
to tae effect that the representative should
obey instructions unless in so doing he uio-
lated the Constitution or performed an act q
moral lurpiiude. This was the Republican
doctrine established in 1911. Mr.. SUM
MERs had always held This doctrine, and he
voted for the substitute accordingly, in OPP
position to the original resolution which
sought to introduce new doctrine into the
Republican creed.
The other charge is, that he voted IN ia
vor OF the right Of Congress TO abolish sla-
very in the District of Columbia. In refer
ence to this matter, he was prepared to go
as far as any man in resisting the exercise
of the power under existing circumstances.
He thought if Congress attempted it, the
South should resist to the last extremity
But in the events that slavery was abolish
ed in Virginia and Maryland, and the peo-
pie of the District wished to get rid of the
institution, he could not say that Con-
gress, as the local Legislature, had not
the power to carry out their wishes
by passing the necessary laws. This was
his position on that question, and it did
not differ materially from that occupied by
Mr.. CALHOUN himself.
The chief and favorite theme of Mr.. SUM
MERs' discourse was Virginia. Tears start
ed in many an eye as he dwelt upon the
past glories of the Old Dominion, pictured
her present PROSTATE condition, and appeal
ed to the people in strain of impassioned
eloqucnce to arouse themselves for the work
of her regeneration. We had lived long E.
nough, he said, on the glory of other days-the
'marrowess bones of the Resolutions $3.50
had been shaking long enough. 1t was now
time to turn to something practical and use
full. He cherished the principles Of those
resolutions as expounded by their immortal
author, but they had never made a mile o:
railroad or taught poor child to read
But we cannot 60 further in our account of
the speech.