Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-03-29
MADISON


CuNBERLAND, March goth. 1856.
Gentlemen On Monday the 9lth instant. ut Cumber.
land {. H., ii being Court day, Charles Irving, Eco. OF
Lynchburg, the Democratic Elector for this District
opened the Presidential Canvass.
You have heard Mr.. Irving upon the stump, I suppose.
aud know that he II all accomplished Speaker; but on
Monday he made the ~happiest effort | ever heard from
him.
lie handled his subject with ability. and his argument
would have been conclusive, il his premises had been true.
but, unhapPily for him, he had to plant himself upon a
rotten foundation. lie was listened to with great a,ten.
ton 10y all parties, and the pleased expression upon the
faces oi the boss Democrats, testified how well he had
met their expectations. /. is a pity so gallant a gentle.
man should lend his fine powers to so poor a cause. n.
gratihed his Democratic frieEds by ~avi>hing unmeaSured
abuse upon the Philadelphia Convention, and the Ameri-
can party generaly-but his exaggerated praise of his owl
party sounded very like irony and sarcasm to "outsi-
derS He made four points, First, that the Country is ia
a real and dangerous crisis. Second, that the Democratic
Party alone can be relied on TO save the Union and guard
the South from degradation. Third. that the American
Party, l. irer-Soil aud abolition. Fourth. that Fillmore i
a tiuhd ahohuouist. and Donelsou a silly renegade. The
Orator, however, did not afraign Mr.. Ellmore's administers.
ton, beyond reading a few editorials from the Union. while
il sss edited by Maj. Donel>on. His most ungcnerous
act Was his assault upon Mai. Donelson, and he looked AS
It his conscience gave him a twitch tor il, and it did, il
the face is an index of the emotions of the mind.
His assault upon Fillmore was adroit, wary and circum.
Spect. He seemed aware that no party would tolerate We.
:! gruSs denunciation OF so upright a man, and 50 well
tiled and faithful a statesman.
Nj. Richard V. Watkins, by invitation, replied to Mr.
INls' anu, NhAc ne Is not so pracuceu a speaker rs Mr.
Irving, he made a strong speech, ana carried the war
right gallanuy into Africs. lie showed up the unsonnd.
ness OF the Northern wing Of the Democracy, and the IA.
ciity with which they fuse with ireesol and abolition for
the division OF the spoils, and drew from Mr.. Irving a
strong denuuciation OF the Pierce Organ 1.-THE Union and
made him vince under the raoy disclosures of the senate
Organ (the sentinel OF the gross infdelity OF Gen1 Pierce
aud his Cabinet.
1t is a little singular that Mr.. Irving, one OF the ahlcst
men and best debaters of all the democratic electors. had
to ignore Gen. Pietce'S administration, aud not daring 10
Indicate tie leading men of his party, had to leap back
more than a quarter oi a century tOhnd a theme for praise
in the administrations of Jefferson, Madison aud Monroe
though lac Was a prominent member of the Stauntoi, Con.
yention that endorsed Pierce's administration out aud out.
Every body must be surprised at the readiness. with which
the democratic party slope from Pierce, rs il ne had
been elected by the Devil or Tom Walker aud not at all by
them. They tern from him with scorn and hold him to be-
a bad egg They have the grsce, too Tor impui.uc, 4
To blush at Wise, and his SavOry letters and "iundum" out
rage.
Poor Wise! ere his term OF office ends none will be 80
poor n to do him reverence" and he will be hereafter a.
quietly imbedded at "Only" rs his dumb confreres are in
the "fundum' of the Salt Sea.
Sisyphu' had an easy task TO the task OF Wise-and his
pnngs were plcasuIablc emotions compared with the wear
uiug' Ji hatiOrSakcn vic i'm Ut mhndlcd ambition. Time
hears no wall 80 sad as the heart song of the fallen a-pi.
rant TO worldly applause and popular favor.
%, It - piutul, 'wondrOus pitiuI' TO see one Of these
discarded demi-solons playing second fiddle to men of
genius, and officiating a dumb walters at concerts aud
public lectures. Stricken with a moral and political ia.
ralysl- they drag their trembling limbs ungraccfIly 10 the
grave, and their lives take end as they humble out the i'm.
modest story OF their past triumphs Won by courses so du-
biou- that shame Shout awe theu into SILENCE.
We have hne weather, and the farmers and planters are
pressing their hbors, and are about A. forward as usual
tho they are always s%rumbing about dry weather ar wet.
high winds Or no winds, and their mcrcurs is never at the
night degree diary Of one days complaints OF all the
tribe would bc rich.
NotNith.t1nding their complaining l think they would
carry 'Old Virsuy' ahead, ike a steamboat if they could
got lid ofjoint worms, chinch bug. aud democrats.
Your ob't serv't, &c.