Weekly conservative. (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1854-1860, 1855-06-09
Sam's Defeat i'm Virginia.

wv "c hot yen III poSscSSlOl OI Ine entire re-
turns from the Virginia elections. but from what
We nave seen, we doubt not that an. ~, Ia
elected by eight or ten thousand majority. We
are somewhat disappointed in the result, though
we were not sanguinc at any time, of carrying
the State.
The prominent position which Virginia holds
to the rest Of the States, her unfnching zeal
and unwayering faith, in the so called Demo-
cratic party, and the influence which she has
heretofore exercised over other portions of the
Confedcracy, induced us to believe that every
thing would be brought to bear on the part of
the Administration and its supple tools to car
ry the State for Wise. In this we were not mis-
taken. The five thousand Office holders and de-
pendents many of whom rely upon the pub
lie crib alone for their meat and bread were
forced to obey the behest ofparty, or submit to
the vilest of proscrption-that of being turned
out of employment for mere opinions sake. As
evidence Of this assertion, but few days prior
to the election, siXty-four men were turned out
of the Portsmouth navy yard, because they were
unwilling to barter their right at the Ballot
Box.
From the most reliable information we have
been able to obtain, it appears there are about
ten thousand Roman Catholics in the State.
Add to this number the ten thousand foreigners
who are engaged upon works of internal i'm
proycments five thousand of whom itappers
were naturalizcd but short time before the
election for Mr.. Wisc's special benefit and the
result is still more easily accounted for.
In addition to the above causes, remember
the Catholic College in Georgetown, an old and
literally patronized Institution from all parts of
the Union, and from her location and long STAN
ding, commanding as great an amount of inllu-
cnce as any other in the Government; and it will
be seen that She too, has contributed her might
il elevation of Mr. Wise. After the custom of
a regular inquistion, they organised cerrcspon-
ding committees, portion of whose duties re-
quircd them to write to every one who had
ever hcen student there, to forward money
for the purpose of defeating the American par
{ ty. In proof Of this declaration, a highly re-
spectacle gentleman residing in this county,
AKA " araduate of the georgetown College =
letter in his possession begging him 16Tt =
amount of five dollars.
Again, it must not be forgotten that Nr.
Wise made a hundred and forty-eight speeches
in the canvass, and what is remarkable, (werc
1t not that Mr.. Wise made them) did not en-
dorse the Administration of Gen. Pierce in a
single one: hut stood out on his own platform,
adapting himself to all parties that circumstan-
ccs might suggest, and from faithful apprcn-
ticeship in shifting we doubt not he did it well
SO admirably indeed, as to get the National
Intcligenccr Washington Union, New York
Tribune and even the Mississippian all on his
side.
His political antecedents are so complex, and
the stability Of the man so uncertain. that
all parties factions and Gems" had more or
less to expect of him. Having been on Ill sides
of every question, both of State and National
policy, he could with great propriety appeal to
the preiudices of each locality-morc pTticu-
larly as he had no one to answer him. For in
stance, in the west he could ilattcr the people
for having defended them on the White basis
question in the last convention. and with equal
grace he could Ill the people of the East that
)hc had made speeches for them in the same
convention. and on the same issue. In the
West he was at liberty to abuse "Sam" unspar-
ingy: for there, four-ffths Of the population
are either of foreign birth or foreign extract.
and at least nine-tcnths of the entire pop
ulation frcesocrs of the first water To offset
which in the East all he had to do was to adopt
the standard of Virginia Statesman-whichi is
to negative both sides of every question.
Such are few of the many reasons which
might be adduccd in reference to Mr.. Wise's
success. From our personal knowledge of the
general intelligence of the people, and the past
history of the State, we don't hesitate to express
the opinion that such accounts for the defeat
)of the American party, and the election of the
yredoubtable hybrid al,stractionist.