Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-09-10
NUMBER 81.
JUSTICE"

Inc communication which appears in our i1u. ot
to-day, over this signature presents strono
| IN The attempts made by some of our cot.mnoraris
70 defend Mr.. Letcher by means Of unirst ss..,r, S
his competitors and Others 1t is dpnidsd and manly
| aud prepared with undoubted ability. Whil. -.
agree with our correspondent in III, on;,ion ,bs, Il
L.tcbers sincere recantatiou Of his nrsvors y;.rs
on the slavery question. ought to entitl. him n bs
support OF good Democrats, in csss he shall d.
| nominated, we must persist in our opposi,iop +,
the nomination OF that gentleman the Democratic
| candidate Tor Governor OF Virginia We know
how prone men of all parties are to doub, the
sincerity OF any recent change of political opin-
| lon' We know that large number of the lnd-p-n
dent voters Of Virginia did cast their votes a.sinpt
George w Summers, on no other ground than hi.
same doubt. We know. thst if Mr. L-tcher should
oe seected from among lsrge number OF ststesm-n.
h's suPerors IN the consistency of their proslavery
recoro ana his equals in other respects the oppo-
ION party in the State aud other parties out OF the
State. will use the prse1t as to convince many i'm
partial but short sighted listeners of an impuratinn
which has already bssn proclaimed that the Demo
cratic par y in Virginia are really Indifferent .n ,hs
slavery question: and have hitherto employed n opy
for political effect.
We are not at leisure to enter into a criricsi
analysis of the entire communication addressed 10 rs
by Justice" but We must not omit to call attention
to ono instance in which our correspondent does un
Intentional Injustice 10 the people OF Western VIZ
glna. He ssys, "t oannOt bs denied that Il large
part, probably majority OF the people OF Western
Virginia, held the same opinion with Mr. Letch-r in
lSl7.' Now This assertion, doubtless made IN good
tah Ia not the less erroneous On this point W. are
not left to Inference or conjecture. 1t will be
pretended thst the sentiment Of Western Virginia
underwent a radical change between IS47 and 1880.
Nay, sven in 1877, when the basis question VA. d-.
cussed, when Certain Eastern men profes.ed 10 dia
trust The West on the slavery question, representing
emancipation views Ms prevalent in the latter s-con
and that if the West should obtain u majority OF
Legislative representation, by means of n suffrage
basis, the rights of Eastern shareholders would
thereby be endangered when all this was openly
charged, it was answered with a roar ot popular
Indignation from every county in the Vest
Ii was answered. with emphasis which
rendered 1t undeniab!e, that Western Virgins
was to the full extent as reliable and as earnest in il.
maintenance of the institution of slavery as was any
section of the East. In 1885, this matter was fairy
| sifted. Western Men renewed their assertions OF
fidelity to the institution of slavery; These assertions
were heartily endorsed by different leading statesmen
OF the East, and TESTIMONY was piled on assertion
until mixed basis men obliged ~ deser. and dis
avow the unsnabe assumption of the prevalence ot
emancipation views ia Western Virginia, and rsscr.
TO other arguments.
The reiteraton Of the vorn.out accusation by Mr..
Letcher's friends, must prove very unprop.sious 70
nis prospacE fo. tho rcmins;!on. Western men
still lIe- - inr-t.ce o. the charge and the
basis QUE. ~ is sull unseH.ad. Let thArn be
yinced that by voting for Mr.. Letcher's nomination.
they will endorse the assumption II their
soundnsss on the savery question 80 lee ls, :nd
we'll Convinced that lie will not receive The
| vote Of single Western county in the State
| ton.
- . Ga
CoRRECTloH.-BEDFORD DEMOCRAT" Will
PLEASE NOTICE.
We are requested TO call the attention Of the Bel
ford democrat" to the fact that typrographcn!
srror apes in the communication Of Citizen
published ir our issue of the 18th instant We prDted
the following sentence THE next issue, con,ainns
editorial in favor of Mr.. Lstcher, caused me