Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-10-06

The VINO STATE CONVENTION, at Char
lotiesville, has, since our last intelligence
Of its doings, finished its work, with the
greatest Judgment and harmony of pur
pose and of opinions the happiest and most
auspicious. Ii adjourned, on Friday after
noon, in such spirits as will easily, wher-
ever its members or the news of their pro-
ceedings pass, communicate themselves to
all Virginia Wings who stayed at home.
Nor viii the cheerful confidence inspired
by their acts and their feelings be without
large augmentation from the contrary
condition Of things among their adverse.
rcis For not only have the Democratic
Convention at Staunton pitched upon NOM
inees of far less public reputation and mer-
it; but they have added bitter dissentions
TO their bad choice.
The Wing nominees are worthy Of their
great cause.-the cause Of Union and State
Regeneration The Democratic do not
less beGt theirs-thc cause of Secession and
State nothingness. They are going, if
South Carolina scccdcs, TO sustain the for
nIcr; the latter,hey have always sustained.
And as they have FILTERED this great State
away while they governed it, SO will they
let the Union itself now GO to nauSht, If to
them be left the care of dciendingit.
The people of Virginia have the ad
verse candidates before them and know
them, so far as they have respectively re-
puta,ion. In that particular, there can be
very little comparison between the rival
nominees.
George w. Summers certainly stands,
at this moment, in well won public favor,
among the first, if not the very first, Of the
men Of the State. He shines in his most
honorable profession, distinguished law
yer. For his time Of life, he has attained
the highest honors of the Bar: none Of its
suppose, reproaches have ever reached
him He has kept his advocates gown
as unstaned as il it had been the judicial
erinine. In the yet more public life of
politics, whether State or Federal, he has
earned still more eminent and as unmix
cd praise His abilities have been always
conspicuous; no single i'll exertion of them
can be laid to his charge. Not even his
advcrsares can attribute to him any pub
lie fault beyond that Of being, If strenuous
~, yet honestly and fairly Wing. The
strength of his political convictions has
never hurried him into any of the extremes
of doctrine: his party affections have never
made him forget either the higher duty to
his country or the lower one of liberation
and kindness to all his fellow citizens. In
public business and those Legislative de-
tails which Tor every thing Ike their shap-
ing to a wise effect depend upon faithful
ness Of labor and attention, Mr.. Summers
has never made himself felt as a man to do
the humber, though more solid duties which
tell much in public usefulness, but little in
persona reputation; as one who tho he
could shine, was content to serve. In the
very hearts of party, the very furies, con-
stantly exceeding what is wise and ever
pushing good measures to an extreme, SO
that they were ike 10 hurt the country in
order that they might damage the oppo-
nent, he was ever a man not to lose his
mcderstion that wise and good cast OF his
mind, which always kept him right and
made him safe. In all these qualities, the
exercise of which we ourselves had much
occasion personally to witness, he greatly
and honorably resembles the man whom
Fortune in part, kind to US for once has
raised TO the summit of power: Miilard
Fillmore. The country knew not when
it lifted him TO the Vice Presidency, how
great were his merits; how sure and firm
were his sense, his integrity, his courage
and his selfabnegation for public duty
They sought popular man: they got,
without knowing it, a true, manly and a
good one. We understood him, valued
him, praised him, from our first knowledge
OF him, len years ago, as one of our few
models OF the fit public servantin Congress.
Mr. Summers is another Of that small mum
Der; another Of that few figuring in public
affairs, who would always, when directing,
keep them, safe, and do better for either
party than it often knows how TO do for IT.
self Such is he, not in mere talent, but
in something far higher and more steadlast
--public worth and sense. Talent we
have in abundance. 1t is not that W hch
the country needs but the moral qualities
which make it capable, because solicitous
of nothing else, of achieving the public
good. But mere intentions, however wor-
thy, are almost fruilcss, unless they be
matched not only with solid abilities, but
with the powers which adorn them for the
public eve and make them seen and felt
Mr. Summers unites with tile will and the
power to serve his country, the faculty of
pleasing it. There are few better public
speakers, few ADLER debaters, in the land.
He is the orator as well as the statesman,
as prudent to act as he is skillful 10 dis
course, and not merely subtle for the thco-
ry ofpubfc affairs, but sagaciousa and strong
in their practice. Uuder such chief mag
istrate alone is it fit that Virginia, now or
ganizing herself anew for a nobier career
and better era of policy, should proceed
to re-constitutc herself. Under a mere
shadow Of the executive dignity and in
fluence, an empty image Of tho Governor
ship, poor party phantom, set up IN
mockery of her present need, she cannot
do it.
We know Mr.. Summers thoroughly,
and, indeed, never speak thus ofmen whom
we have not had the opportunity to study
minutely. We have not In one title cx-
ceedcd his legitimate praises. No fair man
will, we are sure, venture to say that we
have done so. We have only to add that
his private life is as amiable and correct as
his public is admirable.
OF his opponent, we do not wish to say
much: for tho we have seen him in Con-
gress. it was as member too obscure and
merely commonplace for us to waste any
particular attention on him. We certain
" do him no injustice, when we declare
that he is most ordinary man Abilities
of any sort, high qualities of any class, we
have never heard attributed to him, even
since his being nominated to dignity
which implies at least the pre,ence Of some
thing superior. Not even party claims