Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-08-25
Discussion ON Monday.

Lieutenant Governor LEAKE being present on
Monday last for the purpose of addressing the peo-
pie of Augusta, and Mr.. MAuPIN, the Assistant
Whig Elector for this District happening to be in
Staunton also, proposition for discussion was
rendered by the Wings. Having advertised that
Mr.. LEAKE would address the people, his friends
claimed the privilege of prescribing the terms of
discussion. Rather than permit Mr.. LEAKE to
have every thing to himself they were allowed to
do so, and the following arrangement was finally
acceded to by the Whigs-Mr. MAuPIN to open
in speech of an hour and a quarter, Mr.. LEAKE
to follow in a speech of the same length, Mr. MAU-
PIN to have threequarers of an hour to reoin, and
Mr. LEAKE to close the discussion in half an
hour This arrangement, it will be perceived,
gave Mr.. LEAKE the advantage of an hour and
three-q quarters reply to Mr.. MAUPlN's three-quar-
ter's of an hour--altogether one-sided Well gen.
tlemen, we give fair notice that the Wings will
have an advocate, or advocates of their cause in
Stanton, on the first day of the September Court,
and will then dictate the terms upon which you
may enter the lists.
But with all his advantages the willy and astute
Lieutenant Governor was unable to manage the
gallant and invincible Wing champion from the
Tenth Legion. Mr.. LEAXE is certainly his su-
peror at wit and repartee, but in the argument he
was, in our very humble opinion, completely rout-
ed. Instead of an answer to the positions taken by
Mr. MAuPIN, his opponent eluded every issue and
entertained the audience with funny anecdotes,
pointed sarcasm and ungencrous attempts at personal
ridicule NJ. MAuPIN made most crushing re-
oinder, in the brief period of time allowed him for
reply, which elected from his party friends the
warmest applause. On the whole, MAUpIN sus-
tanned himself and his cause to the entire satstac-
ton of his party, and we must be allowed to say
that the boasted stump-orator of Virginia gained
nothing by the contest.
In his concluding remarks Mr.. LEAKE undertook
to prove Mr.. MAUPIN an abolitionist, and in order
to do so, COMPOUNDED all distinctions between the
varied and conflicting forms in which the anti-sa-
very sentiment of the country has been presented.
The man who does not perceive the difference be-
tween State actionin regard to the institution of
slavery which has due reference to the welfare of
both classes of the community, and the impudent
and ncendiary interference Of foreign fanatics or
on the other hand has not the candor to admit the
distinction, cannot expect his assertions or argu-
ments in debate to exert much influence upon the
public mind.
BY the by, is Richmond the seat of Government
now? Can the Whg inform u.s. That paper,
which has devoted 50 much of its ammunition upon
JosEPu ought now to take this brother of his in
hand 1t strikes us as reprehensible, that in the
absence of the Governor his Lieutenant, instead
of remaining at home to transact the business en-
trusted to him by the people, should be traversing
the country in the capacity of an itinerant stump
speaker Lay on McDufr!"