Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-12
WHO SHALL BE NEXT GOVERNORS


WHO SHALL BE NEXT GOVERNORS
Mcssrs Editors-Ccrtain politicians have.
for some time past, been engaged in settling this
question without reference to any conSldera.
tons. but their own purposes Since the time
and place for holding the Convention have been
. fixed, the people are becoming Interested
am amazed. when reflect upon the game that
/ is going on, and the issues involved, that in
Eastern Virginia there should appear to be in
any county a preference for one who. 50 recent
! ly, has been an avowed cmancipationist Mr.
! Letchcr admits. in his late letter. in which he
explains his damning connection with Ruiiner-
/ ism, that as late as l347 he believed slavery
to be a social and political evil; and, under.
stand, he was in favor Of emancipation in West
ern Virginia have never seen the RuiTner
speech insist it should be published. that the
"ncgro-ocracy" las Letcher. in his scorn. called
them may see what doctrines these politicians
are committing them TO, by resolutions express
ing preference for this new convert to slavery
institutions. wish you would give notice. that
the reading of that document will be required in
the Convention, before the Negro ocracy" will
nominate Letcher by acclamation What mean
the resolutions in Stafford &c. fear very
much the only explanation is. that it results
from divisions in our party. growing out of ri
valry between the Houses Of Essex and .tcco-
mac. The Valley claims the candidate Mr..
Letcher, as the representative of the Tenth
Legion, is naturally presented. His recent and
fragrant infidelity to Southern institutions he
ing exposed, the Enquirer very naturally
denounced it. You would have been false to
duty, had you done otherwise The Essex
men, regarding Lctchcr, with his Tenth L.
gion, as a Power in the State. caught at the
chance for all issue, took his interests under
their especial care, and engaged TO defend him
from the fierce assaults of the organ Of !tcco-
mac. The capital to be made, being the gain
Of the favor Of the Tenth Legion. and the
prestige of an easy victory over Accomac Was
not the reasoning Of this sort: | may be
wrong II is the only theory which explains
the phenomena-and phenomena they are
Why, when became the Democracy Of Stafford
apologists for Rutinerism. The resolutions of
their late meeting are enough TO wake poor Con-
way from his honored grave. Wha, but proXim.
ity to Lloyds. hltched SpotSylvana to the car of
this quondam emancipationiSt: rhi, is the work
of politicians. The people wish not this war
of factions to 90 ont ought not, it must not
continue The people of Eastern Virginia do
no, prefer, and they will not have for their
Governor. any man. who has not a'rans been
abors MqspiciOn. Were we honest in passing
the Conway resolutions, and in denouncing
Summers, and shall we stultiiy ourselves by vo-
ting for Lctchcr. with the opinions he coniesses
he held at the very time those resolutions were
passed? 1t is idle to say Mr. Letcher never
thought slavery sin or moral evil. but only a
social and political evil; for if it he the latter,
it is absurd TO deny the other How can dis
charge my duty to tod. and be free from sin
while am continuing that which believe 10
he an evil to the society. Of which am a mem-
Der and to the State Of which | am 4 citizen
But grant, for argument sake that he has been
converted since lS4T. ] insist no man is fit for
Governor. who had so little information on
this subject in 1871. and whose faith has only
the strength of 50 few years growth. who even
now has so little sense rs to suppose. that sla-
very can be social and political evil, without
being sin. Apart from all this. why should
Letcher be made Governor. Who is he what
has he ever done. and what does he propose to
do that We should pass by so many men, every
way his superior, who are above suspicion and
without rcproach: What obligations is the
State under to him more than to others in every
county,
This is the worst possible time to lower our
standard of Southern fidelity. The battle of
1860 is about to be fought. Why should not
Bolts be President, if Lctcher is good enough
for Governor: Seward may be next President;
and will it do for a rcmonstrance from Virginia
to be answered by his saying, he is merely re-
moving what our Executive 4 few short years
ago declared was social and political evil
Shall our Governors proclamation be answered
by the Rutfner speech: What if, ut the crisis
Of our fate. re-reading Of that argument
should convert him over again? Tha; hour
will try all and many will be tempted to their
fall 10 endure it, will require men who feed
on strong meat not babes who suck milk how
ever sincere. | protest therefore, against the
nomination Of John Lctcher. The fact is. sirs,
a nomination will not secure him the vote of
the party. The party-lash has lost its sting;
party tics are very weak. Parties are dislnte-
grating, and reforming upon the question OF
savery-thc living question. for and against 1t.
This is the issue. II we nominate Letcher,
and the Wings nominate States Rights, ultra
proslaverv man. for which will the Negro
ocracv" vote: About the time Letcher was
encouraging Rutfncrism and voting for Wing
Emancipatlonist, an eminent Wing from this
section was opposing, in the Legislature, the Con
wav Resolutions upon mere abstract techni.
cal question of constitutionalLa Lau The people
of this then strong Wing county, although they
knew him to be pro-slavcry man, good and
true, would not tolerate his holding erroneous
opinions upon these abstract questions of law ;
and. by way of reprimanding him, dropped
him for the Legislature, he being tho hndmost
candidate If this was the conduct Of the peo
pic then. towards so popular and so able man,
: is it not worse than idle to suppose they will
vote for Lctcher now?
There is Valley man. however, whom this
county, this district and all this section OF
country, will unanimously and cordially sup
port say unanimously, for there would be
no opposition to him by the other party. while
they will certainly oppose Letcher. ! say
cordially" because We honor. esteem ana
love him. mean Attorney General Tucker;
\ correspondent, some time since, proposed
that the Convention should nominate ueneral
Iarmony-John Randolph Tucker is that man
He has every qualification. lie Is valley
man. and comes from the section entitled to the
candidate He is an especial favorlte with the
Tenth Legion He has nothing to do with this
war Of factions He is alike the friend of Hun
Ter and Wise. His devotion to States Rights
and Southern Institutions, is pure, earnest, and
above suspicion. His talents are confesscdly
Of very high order his character high-toned
and honorable, and in him is such combina-
ton of qualities, as gives us assurance that he
is the man" In 1855 he rendered the State
more service than any other man. save only
Wise himself Let him be his successor.
put him in nomination, sirs. and call upon his
friends to rally to his support
The only difficulty will be his modesty. He
,or- bol5c tho off;cn of Attorney General and