Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-05-26
DIR. Saunders Of Lyuchbur-.

VI. saunders Of Lynchbury.
we lind in the Lynchburg Republican
OF Thursday, the subjoined communica- |
nonin defence Of DR.. Saunders course on
the basis question. 1t is certainly not our
purpose to take part in the discussion be- |
tween that gentleman's friends and the
Bedford Sentinel, but as we are requested
to copy the defence without having pub.
lished the charge to which i, purports to
be a reply; and more especially as we
canrotassent to the deductions ofthe writer.
we shall be held excused for prefacing the
publication Of his essay with few remarks
Of our own.
live understand the graramem of the
Sennnel's charge, it is that. DR.. Saunders
has misreprescn,cd the views of his consti-
tuents by failing to sustain what they I'M
derstood him to mean. when he pledged
himself to "the Mixed Basis" We have
expressed a similar opinion; and to some
extent therefore, we suppose we come in
Tor share Of "Campbell's" condemna-
ton Now the questions to be decided in
this issue are these: was DR.. Saunders
committed to the Mixed Basis, and if so
TO what Mixed Basis! and has he used his
iniiuent e to secure its adoption
Campbell himself docs not pretend to
deny the first proposition, bu, attempts 10
weaken the force of the charge against the
Doc'or'hy sort ofspccial pleading,which
we humbly submit. is altogether unworthy
OF the question. DIR. Saunders. ouotb bc
~as pledged to support the Mixed Basis,
but no specific form Of it, much less the
proposition of Mr.. Scott, of which Camp.
bell and no body else had then heard
Now this Is sheer triiling. What did the
Doctor mean when he avowed before his
constituents that. he had not only aban.
doned the position which he took twenty
years ago in favour of the White Basis.
but that he had abandoned il from a con
victlon that, the Mixed was "both riob,
and proper and that he should be
decided advocate" for its adoptop
In the new Constitution, which he was
asking the people TO delegate him to
frame. lie was thus committed, then,
to the Mixed Basis, in the most solemn
manner. He came before the District with
his mind freed from those prejudices a.
gainst the White Basis, which might be as
sumcd to give colouring to the opinions
OF those who had been reared in that doc
tnne. OF his own voluntary will. he con
fessed the change in his views, renowned
his former opinions as erroneous, and de.
clarcd himsclf"a decided advocate for the
Mixed Basis as both right and proper
Could there be a more uncquivocal nnd
unqualified committal to that measure, il
all its breadth aud scope, and that too by
an impartial judge, than this committal o
DR.. Saunders
But, says Campbell" he did not un
dertake to sustain s'the substitute Of Mr.
Scott, and that he has redeemed his plcdg,
by introducing a proposition recognising
the Mixed Basis principle! Now, we re
peat this is mere quibblng. DR.. Saunders
we have seen, was Internationally com
united to "the Mixed Basis," as he himself
callsit n genus Of which he tells us ther,
are many species. But what Mixed Basi,
did he mean and which did the pcople
pie understand him to mean, when he was
soliciting their votes? Was there any 9th
err Mixed Basis spoken of, did any body
think Of any other, than that which was
then in existence! And would the East
have been satisfied with any other "Mix.
ed Basis" than that which gave them the
control of the Government their money
had established and upbeld2 Certainly
not "A candidate who avowed himself,
without qualification, as ga decided advo.
cate Of HE Mixed basis as both right and
proper" could be understood to mean
nothing more nor lcss,t han "thc Mixed Ba.
SIS which was thenin the minds ofthe peo-
and which was then the subject of debate
in heated canvass II DR.. Saunders did
not refer TO the Basis that was then pre-.
sent to the minds of the people, it was his
duty, as a fair and candid man who
sought no concealment Of his views, who
spoke his sentiments with 10 mental re-
scrva,ion, and who desired a full and cx-
plieit declaration of lis views, to those
whose suffrages he courted, to state what
sort of a Mixed Basis he did mean. 1t is
our misfortune to have no personal ac-
quaintancc with that gentleman, but from
what we know of him by reputation, we
cheerfully accord to him all those high
qualities for honor, and fair dealing which
Campbell" claims for him; but this very
concession, II seems to us, renders it any
thing else than probable that, Dr.. S. could
have mealt, by "Me Mixed Basis" of
which he was then speaking in his address,
anything else than the plan then in cxs-
tence. But we repeat fhe did not mean
it, he ought to have said SO, and to have
told what he did mean.
The plea then that he las redeemed his
picugcc Nv /, going against Tie y Lite basis and
fora mixed one, is utterly unavaiins. The
Doctor himself admits there nrc many
sorts Of Mixed Bases, and according to his
own showing there might be one SO arrang-
cd as to give the West an overwhelming
majority, to control the East at will. But,
no body will say that was the plan he