Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1855-05-12

6eu---9eCOnC EDITION OF "ClG BuiA1CJl,
with Various other Points.
The fifth Of May has come and gone. A large con-
course Of people representing all shades Of political
opinion" have assembled, and Dispersed. But one
shade of those opinions, however gratifcd by
approving words, coming with honied sweetness from
the lips of the "Retired Statesman and bathed in
the crystalline tear which rolled in profuse abun-
dance down his manly check! Hon. Alexander
Hugh Holmes Stuart has spoken, and his intimate
friend and fellow believer, "Sam," has shouted! =
The 'sRetired' Statesman has endorsed the Know
Nothing PLATFORM and is heneeforth to be consider
ed genuine 'sSon of the Sires of 49," The cloak
of neutrality has been doifed and the identity of
Mr. Stuart with darklanters, untenanted old houses
caves, cuvers, moes, bats, and secret extra Judi
cal oaths fully established. Indeed, Mr.. Stuart did
a terrible day S work last Saturday. He took
the first step in that road political ruin and DEATH
which is designated in the career of Tom Benton
Dr. Benton has lived to see himself dead At an
| advanced age, when the laurels of honor and fame
the spontaneous offering of free and grateful peo-
pie, should cluster in fragrant vendure upon his
brow, to gently him to the tomb, he is forced te
realize the taste of the bitter ashes of consumed
greatness. He has lived to see himself crushed I'M
der the just indignation of the people, and fall the
IepiesS NiCtlii, CuNcIcu pOlltlcal disgrace o.
his own misguided craftsmanship. Mr.. Stuart has
taken the first step towards the uninviting entrance
to the Valley Of the shadow of political death, and
the sepulchre of dead politcians Unlike Curtus o.
old, he has plunged into the yawning abyss to
himself (instead of his country by mirac-
ulous Intervention of the Political God, from an un-
mitigated OBJ security, and has only succeeded in
ablishing his just claim to the forlorn position he
/ H.. L.
rectionist's power! Peace to his manes
Mr.. Stuarts. speech was model of soporifie
craftsmanship. Were it in print, Washington Irv-
ing would give mint to have an exact profile of its
author, that he might glitter in the dadem that be-
decks the reignng House of Sleepy Hollow. Don
Quixotte never met with more brilliant ecat in his
chiyalrous rebuff from the unconcerned wind mill
than did Mr. Stuart in his liliputian thrusts at the
'unterriied Democracy" Truly the mountain
has laborcd, and brought forth mouse. But scom-
parsons are odious." We are aware of it. Yet we
claim the privilege, in this particular instance, OF
unlimited remark We have invariably, in our va
rious notices of Mr.. Stuart, in connection with the
politics eff the day, treated him with the courtesy
and respect due him, and discountenanced anything
like illiberality towards him. We believed he was
desrous of enjoying the sweets of s'retirement" in
the bosom Of his family surrounded by the clegances
of his attractive homestead. We had no idea that
Mr. Stuart desired to expose himself to public criti
cism after his letter to the Richmond Enquirer. But
it seems that he has deemed partizan speech from
him essential in the present contest. Had Mr. Stu
art confined himself to an impartial and statesman
like discussion of the political history of the country
without descending to the tricks of the politician,
and by patriotic effort endeavored to enlighten the
L., - l..
with favor rather than disiayor, by men of all par
ties. He sought by his published letter in reply to
the invitation addre ssed him by men of all parties,
requesting that he divide time with Mr.. Niche, to
discuss the political topics agitating the State
to create the impression that his address would not
partake of apartizan character. lie said in that
letter.
81 take it for granted that there has been some
misapprehension of the nature and purpose of the
address which l have agreed to Make for can
hardly suppose that there is foregone conclusion in
the minds of any portion of my fellow citizens that
any opinions may express must necessarily elicit
opposition, and require reply"
Hero the reader will perceive that Mir. stuart's
language is designed to leave the impression that
he did not intend to deliver partizan address, and
that if the idea had obtained that such would be its
nature, that idea was erroneous We will not de-
bate the questions naturally suggested by Mr.. Stu
srtsspeech, after the above statement from hts
pen. We leave others to decide whether it was
reluctance to encounter the giant intellect of Thos.
j. Michie or resort to party expedient, in avail
ing himself of his apparently dsinterested position,
70 -ah~ unsupported staten,onts that they might be
received true and reliable. To say the very
east, it was unworthy resort FOR party pn-poses.
Mr. Stuart placed himself almost un. eservedly unon
the hnow Nothing platform, and taxed his ingenuity
ana distorted iacts 70 make it appear that the Know
sothiES party was national, and that it wss the
great Fanacea for all our political ills; when the
facts are spread broad east the country, and
are known to every man who reads newspaper,
that it is sectional and abolition at the North
Mr.. Stuart commenced his speech by stating that
he was sick, and had better be in the hands of
physician than the people. Itwould doubtless have
been better for Mr. Stuart had such been the ease,
for venture the assertion that the odum of his
course on Saturday willrest upon him for all future
time, like incubus. He scanned hastily the polit-
zeal commissions of the country, which have utterly
destroyed the Wing organization, and shaken tho
Democratic party. He traced parties from the
formation of Wing and Tory, through their various
changes in America, up to the present time. He
stated that both parties had been dissolved, or be-
eouio ~ VIII us W Secomc
powerless for national purposes, forgetting, we pre-
sumo, that sectional bill has been passed by Con-
gress, but on the contrary, that acts asserting
great national principles have been sanctioned by
our National Legislature. We are aware that the
whi party, such, of the North had become total
ly abotionized. But we deny that such was the
case with the Democratic party. But on the con-
trary assert that it the only national party in
the country, the resolutions of every State Con-
yenton North, amply attest. We admit that the
Democratic party at the North, of itself, was pow
erless for national purposes in opposition to the
bined isms which curse that section But the Know
Nothing party was not gotten up for national pur
poscs-it was originated for the purpose of giving
system and concentration to the powers of fanati-
esm, the chiefest spirit of which is aboonisn, that
energy and power might be directed to the over
throw of the National Democracy. Mr.. Stuart
knew full web when hs made the assertion of the
nationality of Know Nothingism, that it was not so
and doubtless did it, that the h. N claim to nation
aty might go forth with his unquestioned imprima-
tut. lie knew that the party, in truth, had claim
to M onalit y--that it had proved itself the cmbod
incnt Of all the dangerous and helsh doctrines of
the times, the proof of which is thick all around US.
lie knew tia Know Nethngism had succeeded in
electing sect. onal Congress from the North. He
knew that Wilson, Burlingame, Durkee, Trumbul,
Harlan and otbera of like perspasion were some of