Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-12-04

OF Ricemond, last Friday night, between
Messrs. Bocock and Leake, Of the one side,
and Henry p. Irving. Esq, of the other.
Notwithstanding, the great odds in favor
of the opposite party. we infer from the re-
ports Of the various city papers, that the
Wing ticket was most successfully defen-
ded against the joint assaults, o.: Messrs. Bo-
cock and Leake. Even the Enquirer ad-
mits, while deprecating the doctrines main
tanned by Mr.. Irving, that "hs was one of
the most ingenious and able Wing address
ses," that it has recently heard, being
stronger than the much boosted address
of Mr.. Summers, from the same tribunal"
Speaking Of Mr.. Bocock the Wing says,
he "icll far below all expectation. Thin
of reasoning, small Of wit, rambling and
unconnccted as it was weak, his argument
gave pitiable idea OF his competency for
the grave, solid and learned Office which
he aspires to FIJI. Were he wi,ty--and he
can hardly be styled sprightly-a merely
witty Attorney General would be public
mischance: were he eloquent instead OF
simply GLIB a great law officer who was
very eloquent, would be oalumny TO JUS
tic. But if wit and cloquence, and logic
and law, are all to be extinct under the
New Constitution, Mr. Bocock is just the
man for Attorney General"
Mr.. Leake occupied the earlier portion,
of his address in an attempt to magnify
Little Joe" to have succeeded in which,
the IVAig thinks. would have required that
he should play the bard and not the bio
grapher, "ior bards must invent; biograph-
crs must stick to facts"
"When, however, continues the TVhigs
Mr.. Lcakc, from The barren waste of Col
JOS exploits, emerged into the verdani
field of his mistakes. the thing grew more
copious. The task of the culogist had
been small; that OF the apologist was huge
and heavy and hard. Mr.. Leakc tried to
defend the Colonies votes in Congress 70,
excluding slavery from the territory ofOr-
egon; against the Irish Relief Bill; in the
State Convention. against the Central Rail
road. All this, Mr.. Leake in'erlarded with
stories, upon the principle Of "a streak of
lean and a streak of fat" Or as one buffers
dry bread to make it go down. His Jokes.
however, were of character the opposite
to that of his facts: the jokes, every body
had often heard; the facts, no man present
had ever b fore heard Of He wound UP
with much TRADE about Mr.. Summerss be-
ing no-party candidate. and the Wing
party's being party that has no princi
pies"
Mr.. Irving's reply seems to have placed
both gentlemen in several very awkward
and uncomfortable positions; as for exam
pie. in reply TO a question of Mr.. Bocock,
as TO how Mr. Baxter voted on the new
Constitution, Mr.. Irving answered that he
was absent from the city and could not
vote at all, But how did Mr. Bocock him
self vote2 AS a member Of the Convention
he voted against the Constitution. Mr.
Bocock "under much visible excitement"
explained that he so voted because it "was
the wish of his constituents" Whereupon
Mr.Irving showed That a large majority of
Mr.. Bocock's constituents voted far the
Constitution.
Turning then TO Mr.. Lcake. Mr.. r.
wing begged TO ask how that gentleman
could defend Mr.. 10 Johnson's vote in
Congress on the Oregon bill, when he him
seIfhad there poted, on Mat same question,
eractly tie other aeay; at the same time de-
nouncing the bill as tie uork IF A5o7ition-
ism, more fatal, and meant to be tatal TO
the South? Certainly, DIR. l.. was at lib
erty to sacrifice himself, in his zeal to acouit
Mr.. j" Johnson: but the one or the other Of
them must have betrayed the South"