Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-26
THE LETcHER PLATFORM.

~ "iNiNh tlS lhSSNNhS
bled, lind the circumstances under winch III
stru1ionS for Mr.. Letchcr. were obtained. W.
did not hesitate TO characterize such proceeding,
a. unjust and unfair 10 the Democracy of th'
county. But this is not the point which W,
propose to discuss at present.
The Harrison resolutions are now before us
and We proceed at once TO the discussion of tn,
significance to be attached to the resolutions
themselves. which were adopted by the meet
ing. on the report made by the following com
mittee: Hon. C.. 5. Lewis, ROBERT JOHNSTON,
c. W. Smith, Col. Eli Marsh and |. NJ. Elb.
The following arc among the resolutions re-
ported and adopted. and it is from these reSolu'
lions that we propose to elucidatc the whole
object and intent of that combination Of politi
clans who have cndcavored, during the last twC
years, to force upon the people Of Virginia the
claims Of ONE NAN, in spite Of his obnoxious
and imperfect political record, in spite Of III,
protests of Democratic meetings, and IN spite
Of the superior claims oi many Competitors:
Sd. Resolved. Ina, We approve The general policy o: ID,
Administration OF James Buchanan, and ,ha; our %coniienc.
IN his administrative capacity and patriotism i undated
and that We have no sympathy With lis foes, North or South,
10 Richmond or Chicago, without: regard 10 III. tile the:
may give themselves In the nomenclature O. politicians. Or
heir position. social or political.
Mh. Resolved, Tha, we have seen with pain and regret. 90.
several years pas; a growing disposition On the par; OF certaN Al
Eastern politicians, whenever II Western man i named fo=
ANY pubuc trust. TO seek 10 cast suspicion upon his ic,l,y 20
The South. Such u course l. uIlus:. and calculated 10 excite
a ,,c,;onal feeling within our Commonwealth aud eny.nh..
ll-wIn among friends and Undue. the erroneous belief abroad
:ha; Virginia IS not u unit on the question OF slavery.
Western Virginia, though i; naay not he 2,SGe.drdy In
$1,000 L.. a.. .a..,f,ur -.t..Ef.. 80 ~. .xt.,t stus
Eastern Virginia Is. We; the IVES; il now, and ever hs, b-,n
devoted 10 principle, anu challenges comparison Of I'll. re-
cords.
9th. Resolved. Tha, the Hon. John ir:Chcr, Q: gocS-
bridge, deserves our wsrnes: thanks for his bold ard man
Is course in the late State Reform Convention; tor H.. e.
:eeuve and long continued adrocaey. with his pen. on The
stump, and 10 the halls Q! both our STATE and National LIZ
sts!siures, Of the measures and principles O: tn Democrat
e party; for his viglani ~a,chtulucss during Il long period
Of useful service IN the halls OF Congress OF the coi,> OF
:he National Treasury, and for HI, Stern integrity a. u ct..
Zen and representative Of all questions OF public concern.
His public life gives ASSURANCE OF in .g-;y aud economy.
and OF fealty 10 the Democratic parry aGd 20. south, 1A.r
.s private lie Is without, rrprosc!.
1h. Resolved. That the delegates ard all,rnates appoint
ed by this meeting be Instructed 20 cas-; their 'Vte- IN .a.d
Convention for John Lr;cher. and ,hS; they continue 70 %
SO whichever his name Is before the Convention.
shh. Resolved, That while sc are in favor OF : judicicu,
system OF internal improvement: BY TIE STAT. which dos
40, favor one section o! the Commonwealth exclusively
over another, or eonstruc, rival works TO compete with each
other, we think our works o. Improvement; should Lc' be
urged during The present financial pressure 20 :ne i.rn.~'
arn: detriment OF the interests and ered!t Of the Cc,nu''f'
wealth The disappointed proa.'rs thai 'i.ac.nf bnv-,
heretofore constructed a.: great cost 20 Tue STATE, "9aiL ne
reEunerat!ve, admonshee Us 10 e- Canton, III rntNiHS ~
sure appropriations; but, In the meantime. We in:i-: upon
he right Of a people 10 construct 4 nor. wi:h theis owa
leans. upon their own land, for their own Al! n: public
rI.s, without, let O. ~L.adrance from eng 4uac;rr.
1t is obvious that Mr.. Rober, Johnston, the
present member OF the House OF Delegates
from Harrison, has taken q leading part in the
preparation and in securing the adoption of
these resolutions.
In so far as the third resolution offers 4 cor.
dial and unhesitatins support 10 the Admins
tration of James Buchanan. it meets oar tho
rough endorsement. From first to last. we have
stood by the Administration; and we join
hands with Mr.. Johnston on thi, poin; with q
cordiality which We would gladly sec equalled
BY many among the warmest supporters Of
John Letchel's nomination.
But what does Mr.. Johnston mean 10y the
prescription Of Democrats in Richmond "
Chicago This language will tc interpreted,
everywhere, to apply most especially to Henry
A. Wise and Stephen y. Douglas. Can Mr..
Johnston pretend that he is himself a better
Buchanan man than Governor Wise: In 1872
Mr. Wise kept the vote Of Virginia 4 unit in
the Baltimore Convention, through thirtv.tour
successive ballots, in favor Of James Buchanan.
In 1856, Governor Wise spared no cxertlcn IN
the same direction. Yes, at the time when the
nomination of Mr.. Buchanan was opposed with
unexampled bitterness; after the nomination,
when protested Democrats in Virginia unju>tly
accused Mr.. Buchanan Of projections" here
sizes. and openly avowed a preference for Ere
mont's election; after the election, and after the
inauguration, when q body Of Virginia politi.
clans organized a profc>scdly Democratic oppo.
sition to the Administration. through good and
evil report, Henry \. Wise has rallied the De
mocracy of Virginia to the support oi James
Buchanan.
Did Mr.. Johnston stand by his side in
these conflicts: or was nc not ardcntly CO.
operating, through the whole period. with the
committeeman at Cincinnati, who proposed to
divide the vote of Virginia, and 10 throw the
whole vote of New York into the hands Of the
..Sofs," solely for the purpose Of defeating the
nomination Of James Buchanan, and who has
since opposed the Administration. even on
issues where it commanded the unwilling sup
port of many Of its worst enemies:
Does Mr.. Johnston evoke the ghost ri
buried Lccompton, and conjurc from its lips
the evidence of hostility towards the Admin
~istration on the part Of Governor Wise: The
attempt is vain. The same Tammany letter
which warned the Democracy to beware how
they should attempt to prescribe Stephen y.
Douglas, exhortcd them to stand forward with
undated zeal in support Of the Administration
Of James Buchanan, with whom Governor
Wise felt obliged to differ on 4 single point o.
governmental policy. That this difference was
an honest difference. is abundantly evidence,
BY the fact that the great Senator from Souil
Carolina, who was regarded as the buiwarh o
Lecomptonism, has since pronounced AN 40
neration of its doctrines, and recognised it a
injurious to the interests Of the south. Tha
Governor Wise's policy was the true policy O
the Democratic party, is evidenced by the fac
that Lecomptonism has since defeated the part,
in New York and Pennsylvania, and anti-Lc
comptonism has saved it in the North West.
Mr.. Johnston avows himself sound on tn
principle Of slavery-and challenges compar'
son between the records Of the East and tn
West in this particular. Let him remcinbe
that it is the same body Of Eastern politician
who now support Mr. Letchcr's nomination
who, from first to last, have impusned the log
,lty of the West, and who now come forwar,
to plead that, because Of this supposcddisaiIrc
ton in the West, John Letchcr should bc nom
mated, by reason of his anti-slavery course, t.
oonciliate Western Democrats. Does Mr.