Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-04-07
MUNICIPAL ELECTION in RICHMOND,
VIRGINIA.

found regret. Defeat under any circumstances
is not a pleasant thing; but defeat, when ricto-
ry should have been ours, is cause of poignant
sorrow. We see from our contemporary, the
Enquirer, that the cause of this overwhelming
triumph of the Wings and Know-nothings was
an overweening confidence in the success Of our
enemies; that "apare Of the poaoer of their
opponents 10 carry ererything betorethen hun
dreds Of Democrats did not deem ii necessary
10 cote" Is this Virginia chivalry? This the
wonted pluck Of the "Spartan band'lof Rich
mond that in other days was dauntless against
even far more fearful odds? And yet, with the
Enquirer, we can only believe it has arisen
from this cause. Do you, then, Democrats of
Richmond, yield your long cherished, valiantly
defended principles, without q struggle? Do
you, in supine lethargy, submit to the lifetime
enemy of those principles without blow?
Are you willing to see the power of our party
tamely pass from us without resistance? Too
many Of MemP Where would have been the
British yoke, if the same shrinking and un-
worthy spirit had animated the hearts of the
gallant but halfstarved army of our Anne
rican independence Were the British too
many for Mem3 Do numbers only constitute
an omnipotent foe? Where would have been
the brilliant victories in Mexico had our armies
under the spiritstirring lead of their gallant
Captains, Scott and Taylor, quailed before the
shock Of numbersa A combat for principle is
the same, whether in the field or at the ballot
box. And for ourselves we had rather have
announced this Notifying defeat, as the re-
suit of our actual Ueakness, than to have been
compelled to record the monstrous fact that
fire hundred Democrats had been afraid to face
the enemy We speak frankly on this sub
ject-we do SO because we feel Disappointed
we feel that you have put stick into the
hands of your enemy to break your own
heads-we feel that an impetus has been given
to him-that confidence, which will pervade
every section of Virginia, will inspire his move
ments. Desertion from our opn, and con-
scious power in his ranks, must be the conse-
quence. What do you mean? Is this to be
your established political chivalry? Do you
mean to give back before imagined superior
numbers in May next? Do you mean to
sacrifice your worthy, honest, efficient repre-
sentative, John S. Caskie, to a like miserable
and contemplate pusilanimity-a represen-
tative, who, without meaning to be invi
dious, has doue more for your city, and
for her interests, than any other you have
honored with the trust? Because there are too
many Wings and Know-nothings, do you in
tend to let him be thrust aside, it may be, for
an untried and inefficient man2 Poverty,
even, is no crime and debt no disgrace, if they
are met with clear hearts and honest Efforts
made no struggle to extricate himself but
folded his arms in criminal ease and indiffer-
ence to the just demands upon his best exer-
tons and his time? Look at your adversaries,
ing with them, any distraction in their forces 2
On the contrary, they carry their points with
the rarest unanimity. Their candidates run
together. You are shown the force and power
of their compact action, in the fact, that the
votes of all their candidates are about the
same, notwithstanding it is believed they have
polled their full strength.
We hope we will be pardoned for our inter-
ference, as some may think it. We do not so
regard it. We would as soon affect disregard
for our warmest natural affections as not to
feel most sensibly the liveliest interest in our
early home. Pardon, then, our freedom Of
speech. 1t is more in sorrow than in anger we
done with apparent unkindness we beg it may
be overlooked in the sincerity Of our motive to
point out the evil consequences Of such con-
tinued state Of things, and with the hope that a
new spirit shall be infused into our friends, and
that when the polls are opened for the great
State contest SO close at hand, every Democrat
shall be at his post Of duty, and that neither his
hopes Of victory, nor fear Of defeat, shall find
him callous or responding. He does nell,
,cho does has best"
Election OF City Onicers.
The result Of the election in this city, yester.
day, for municipal officers, will be seen below.
Nearly the entire Wing and Know-nothing vote,
it is believed, was polled, while hundreds Of
Democrats aware Of the power Of their oppo-
nents lin this Gibraltar Of Whiggery"5 to
carry everything before them," did not deem it
necessary TO vote. There were but 7l5 Demo
cratic votes poled, while it is well known that
they can land probably will in May poll 200,