Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-10-02
[BY REQUEsr.1
From the Richmond Enquirer.
The T,iNutAnant G0vnrunreb;u

tlct between the peculiar partizans of prom
inent aspirants for the first officer under
consideration, it too often happens that the
secondary position, Immediately attached to
and inseperable from it, is either apparently
disregarded altogether in the canvass be-
fore Convention, OR is only carelessly con-
sidered by a few Of the personal friends of
this or that gentleman, whom they may,
perhaps, compliment with passing para
graph in the newspapers. This reprehen-
sible, and it may be, dangerous dereliction
of duty to the people, on the part of the pol
ltlcians, who profess to instruct and enlig ht-
en- the public mind, on all questions per-
tanning to the claims and qualifications of
the candidates for high offices of State, has
been more or less characteristic of every
period of our political history Immediately
preceding Presidential nomination, since
the writer's earliest observance of public
events. And it is not inappositely exem-
plltied in Virginia just now. Of the half
dozen or more gentlemen who have been
suggested for the first office, there is per-
haps, not one whose friends have abated
their ardor, or their exertions, in his cause.
Of the half dozen or more who have been
suggested for the second office, is there a
man whose name is not already forgotten
in that connection, by nine-tenths of those
who originally read it in the newspapers :?
The Gouernorshlp attracts every eye, enlists
every ear, and commands the exclusive at
top Of the politicians and of the people
The Lieutenant Governorship seems to
arouse less interest in the State than is in
evitably excited in every constable's dis
trict at the time of the election of the func-
tionary to fill that humble office. In all
earnestness and sincerity, let us ask, why
is this so? Why is it that the claims of
candidates for the first Office are so carefully
and anxiously and critically canvassed,
while the pretensions of gentlemen, who
may be proposed for the second office. are
either altogether overlooked or passed by
with degree of Indifference which would
seem to imply that the position is. in itself,
Immediately invested neither with influence
nor trust; or that there can be no contin-
gency in the unforeseen future which may
attach to the Lieutenant Governor all the
grave responsibility, and devolve upon him
all the arduous and difficult duties of the
Governor?
That such contingencies are possible if
not probable, is simply attested without
looking farther than the political history of
our own State and although it may be
urged that no Lieutenant Governor of Vir-
ginia succeeded from the second Office to
the first, has ever given cause of complaint
to the people, or disappointment to'his par
ty, it by no means follows that it will al
ways be so; and hence there is no necess-
ty for very careful selection of the candi-
date for that post. The destiny of a nation
has often turned upon single act of an in
dividual. The rights and interests, the
honor and the sovereignty Of Virginia are
all represented and impersonated in her
Governor. That Governor may resign or
may die, as other Governors have resigned
or died before him. Surely q simple refer
ence to this emergency Of the probability
Of which all are aware, but few sufficiently
think, ought in itself to be enough to ava
ken higher degree Of interest in the i'm
pending nomination Of Virginia's next Sc
cond officer of State.
The successor of VIM. L. jackson, should
be as he is, a gentleman by nature, a man
of refined and exalted sense of honor, too
sterling in his virtues to be accessible to
low intrigue, and too stern in his purposes
to be allured by Establishment or deferred
by menace. He should be a man of intel
lect, of intelligence and nerve, true to the
Union ard true to the South. but holding
the rights Of Virginia higher than his al
legiance to any other earthly power AS
such man the writer would respectfully
propose DR.. G. r. Harris, Of Cu]peper.
His name is not unknown to any section
of the State While Senator from Angus
ia he was prominent and popular. As a
leading Democrat in that portion Of Virgin
ia, he has been distinguished for several
years, not less by the zeal and ability with
which he has always entered the list, than
by his signal success in achieving victories
over the enemies of the Democracy. At
the Staunton Convention in 1855, he re-
ceived tremendous vote on the first ballot
for Lieutenant Governor, and would proba-
bly, have secured the nomination on the Sc
cond ballot but for his withdrawal of his
name, in consideration of the apprehension
that his seat III tnS CCndlo WOuIu " cuIlCu UV i
a disciple Of SAM. Doctor Harris was
Western man then, by adoption. He is an
Eastern man by birth, and is again a resi-
dent of the East. He was born and reared
in the Albemarle district. He has resided
in Augusta and now, as Ihave stated, he
is citizen of Culpepper. The West can
surely have no prejudice against an Eas-
tern man who has labored earnestly and &C.
lively as one Of her representatives in the
State Senate And the East, [ trust, has
too much magnanmity, and too much conf
dence in her native sons to refuse to espouse
the cause of one Of whom she has such good
reason to be proud, and to whom the De-
mocracy of the whole State are indebted for
bis services in reducing the banks Of tie
opposition in one OF the strongest of the
Of their strongholds in Virginia.
Let the Lieutenant Goverrorship be con-
sidered in all its importances. Let the
claims of the candidates be laid before the
people, Let the politicians do their duty. t
Let them remember that we are to have a
nomination for Lieutenant Governor, as
we'll as for Governor. And let the East
unite with the West in echoing again and
again, till the Convention meet, for Harris,
Of Culpeper.
A VOICE FROM THE SEABoARD.