Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-04-07
CoMMoDoRE sToCKTON.


n United States Senator, the Commodore
is quite a prominent Democratic aspirant
for the Presidency, and the chances of his
nomination at Baltimore have been thought
good enough to hang hope upon. The
Richmond Enquirer says, he was univer-
sal favorite with the party in Virginia, and
that every section would have gladly taken
him as a second choice, to reconcile the
"dissenSion which had begun to be threat
ening in respect to other names" Messrs.
WISE and PATTON eulogized him highly in
their late Convention, the former speaking
of him with enthusiasm as one Of the he
roes fthe party-"the Paladln the Seas"
True, the Democracy were not fully &C
quainted with his political sentiments, but
says the Enquirer, they "would haze taken
HIM on trust, to heal dissension and to Sc
cure the defeat of Whiggery." That's the
idea-no matter what q mans principles
are so he does not divulge them, and calls
himself Democrat-in word, so he can
be used to secure the spoils for the party.
But the Commodore has blasted all his
bright prospects-he has had the indlscre.
ton to speak his sentiments with candor.
If he had only kept his mouth shut he
might have been passed off as genuine
Democratic Republican" square up to the
most approved platform of "9S and 49,"
He has seen fit, however, not to do so and
the game is up so far as he is concerned
the Virginia Democracy, at least, cannot
in any event. give him their support.
The speech of Commodore STOCKTON
which has caused all this hubbub, was de-
livered at Trenton, week before last, on the
occasion of the reception of DANIEL WEB
sTER by the New Jersey Legislature. Mr..
WEBSTER was in Trenton in attendance on
the United States Court, as counsel in the
great "India Rubber case )" what the CON-
modore was doing there, does not appear
but the Enquirer thinks the conjunction
very "ominous." He was not only in Tren-
ton, however, but he was at the reception,
and he was not only at the reception, but
he made grand speech there, in the course
of which he paid the following rather full
some tribute to the distinguished guest:
"Wheneyer contemplate Mr.. Webster, my
heart goes up in devou aspiration to Heaven, that
1t has endowed one of our species with such virtue
and intellect. II is moi simply for his manly form,
that noble brow which seems placed there as a
crown by the Almighty; but the virtue of the man.
haze known him for thirty years; have seen
him sitting among the wise ard good in the coun-
ellis of the nation; | have sat as boy, and heard
the words Of wisdom falling from those lips, which
deemed inspired. And say il before this assem-.
oily. and before the world that if there is patriot
lc heart in any man. that heart is in the body of
Daniel Webster. have heard him at various
times discourse Of public affairs in private, and
have never heard word that might be construed
against his country or her interests, or that
should not emanae from great and pure man."
This, surely, is bad enough for Demo
crat, but the Commodore goes further
He comes out in favor of protective tariff,
and asserts thatit has always been "Dem-
ocratic measure in New Jersey" notwith-
standing the Convention lately in session
IN Richmond have most solemnly declared
it is not so in Virginia. He says
"The question of a protective tariff was always
democratic measure 10 New jersey. The first
resolution on this subject was introduced by Mr.
Wilson. No one will doubt that he was Demo
cra,-a man Of eminence ami of wurth-lhe leader
OF The Democracy in New jersey. But soon after
that the party split One side went of carrying
the thunder with them. and il was all the thunder
they had, land they would no; let he matter be set
lied, and ii became party question.
with an annual expenditure of S50,000,000
staring US in the face, is there anything more ri
dlcuous than 10 talk about the vagaries OF free
lradel To raise this amount it would require SO,
per cent on all our imports, and when we all know
that this sum has been raised it is folly to talk a.
bout free trade
"My politics DENT hang very heavy on my should.
ers, and when the interests Of my country are at
stake. can very easily get rid of them. | have
passed the grand clinlactaric of e and can at the
best have but few years TO live, and live but in
my children. If were TO consult my own feelings
only, and wanted 10 have good time, | would
kick up q row, and would he more certain in The
confusion 10 get into the White House than am
now"
And now we have passage which we
would recommend 10 the special attention
of our neighbors ofthe Tenth Legion. The
term "Federallst" has been used as sort
of ''raw head and bloody bones" to fright
en- the honest yeomanry of that region into
the ranks Of ''the Democracy" and they
are now inspired with such wholesome
terror of the bug-bear, that the leaders have
only to deuounce any me asure as "Fed-
eral" or any man as a "Federalist,' to
cause them to shrink back with horror and
disgust from the one or the other. They
will doubtless be interested to see what
brother Democrat, whom they would have
voted for as President. thinks about the
matter-The Commodore goes on to say
"These may seem queer sentiments coming from
me, if did not belong TO the young and progress
sive school. was brought up at the feet of CANA
liel-l was bruught up n the sraitest secis ofFed-
eraliSm. My father was Federalist. was one.
He was the compeer of Washington and of Ham.
ilon, and other great men of those times. He loved
them when they lived, and loved their memory
when dead, and it was his religion TO follow in the
footsteps of Washington where ever they led. II
| had lived in those days, should have done as
they did, A purer band Of patriots and more hon
est men never lived. Perennial flowers shall ever
bossom on their graves. Those are The men whose
principles are my principles"
No wonder the En0Mirer winds up with