Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-09-17
CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS,

CANDIDATE FOR CoyGREssI
"A liAle innocent suggestion of ours, as to
the propriety of contesting the ground with
the anti-compromise Locofoco party of this
Congressional District, seems to be regard
ed by the Rockingham Register as most
unparalleled piece of presumption. These
gentlemen fthe Tenth Legion have rejoic-
ed so long III undisputed sway, that sim
PIE hint of opposition is magnifed into start
ling intelligence. The Register appears to
be down in the mouth. Having inclined to
the beliefthat it was conceded on "allhands
that no Wig could truly and honorably re-
fleet the wishes of the vast majority of the
people" an intimation on our part, of a
contrary opinion, strikes the Register with
profound surprise, and leads "to the opinion
that Convention may be necessary TO pre-
serve the harmony and insure the success
of the Democratic party in this Congress
sional District"
Now this is precisely the point to which
we wish to bring the Locofoco party. We
are well enough acquainted with their dis
cipline to know that ninety-nine candidates
would be summarily disposed Of and the
hundredth left, if Wing candidate should
be announced In order then, to save
trouble, and not, as the Register states, SIN
view of the fact that there might be
more than one Democratic candidate, we
modestly suggested the propriety of bring
ing a Union and Compromise Wing into the
field. Let them select their man and show
their hands, and we can then decide wheth-
er the great interests of the Country, in
volyed in the harmony Of the States and in
tegrity of the Union, can be safely entrust-
cd to any member of their party. A worthy
successor Of JAMES MCDowELL, must occu-
py the position he sustained so manfully IN
behalf of the Union and the Compromise.
For none other can friend of the Union,
be he Wing or Locofoco, consistently vote.
Let them in solemn Convention assembled
take their position on the Compromise. If
they have an original friend and supporter
of those measures in their ranks let them
show their devotion to the Union by giving
him the nomination. If, on the contrary,
a rampant fre-eater, an acknowledged Sc
,cessionist and Nulli6er, or one of your cal
aculating acquiescing submissionists is bro't
forward under the auspices Of that grave
body, we are for fight, We want candi-
date around whom the friends of the Union,
of all parties may rally, and if the domi-
sant party in this District cannot furnish
such man, surely we viii not be cSnsar-
ed for looking elsewhere. ..-.., ~.
The action ofthe proposed District Con-
sventioh will determine beyond doubt the
position of the party in regard to the Com
promise. The nomination of candidate
will be an authoritative announcement of
their platform. If, as they profess, they are
true friends of the Compromise and the u
Mon, they cannot, without the grossest in
consistency nominate, much less support
ian open opponent of the one, and conse-
-quently the worst enemy of the other. Let
US then await patiently until they speak out
and say, ''under which King"
We apprehend. however, that the men,
bers of that solemn assemblage convened
for the purpose of blasting the hopes of some
dozen of their number, who aspire to be the
humble servants of their country in this in
teresting crisis, will experience single IA
tai difficulty. We are inclined to think
Gov. McDowELL was the best and among
the last of the Unionists, in the true intent
and meaning of the word. The ''local hab-
itation9 of another, we think, cannot be
readily found within the broad and boasted
limits of Tenth Legion Democracy. There
are now an unusual number of gentlemen
mentioned in connection with the nomina-
ton If the heads of all but one of these
anxious aspirants must roll beneath the gull !
lotine, surely the most substantial Union |
and Compromise man will be spared. Let
us see who he is. If he is not tainted with
some objectionable heresy we will acknowl-
edge that he is ''worthy" candidate. If
the nominee is not pure and spotless, we
may cast our vote at a venture for some
struggling Wing, with the certainty that he
is loyal and true to the Union.
&C., The Spectator says, our object IN re-
ferring to the opinion of the Senior in 1882,
was misrepresentation and not Justice. The