Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-02
Far tie Enquirer
:" UT ''1'
rrR aupEaNAroRIAL CONVENTION.

rocy Warned not to -N"mi""te HIN, d".
Messrs. EditorS:-As an humble Democrat,
and one. too. who has ever been and intends
to he true to the principles of his party :" long
as it exists, I must confess 10 your readers,
that this last buncumbc demonstration that
has been made in favor Of John Lctchcr. beats
ANYTHING of the kind We have ever heard OF;
and rs you very properly state III your edito-
rial of the 26th ult, i'll reply to the Examiner
on this subject, in regard to the shameful course
his advocates are pursuing: They. 1t Is, who
have initiated uniricndly contests. by attempts
to brow-bcat and suppress the open and fair dis.
c~ussion Of the respective merits and dement's OF
the several candidates for the Gubcrnatorial
nomination. Determined to push their own
candidate on the choice of the party, they have
not allowed the harmony of the party to stand
between the effort and the object. Rule or
ruin has been their watchword from the start"
This is Enthusiastically true, every word of il,
and YOU cannot deal too severely with this
man and his followers, in bringing to view and
exposing his political course; for they haze
shown no disposition whatever to examine into
and scrutiniSc his past history, whilst holding
him UP for Governor. And why have they not
done il. Simply because they were afraid he
would exhibit Il record so foul As to condemn
him forever in the eyes of all honest slavchold-
ers, particularly in Eastern Virginia. That is
the secret, and | call on the party not to suffer
themselves to be betrayed with 4 kiss of that
kind. Let us have his rccord--out with IT.
In the Enquirer of the Goth You alludcdae
%"snccr." as being cast by Mr.. lctchcr on East
ern Virginia, in the Reform Convention OF 1881.
You quote him as having used the word Nc
gro-ology." in that Convention. You arc Ger
tainly right, for have the documents before me,
and will not fail to make this point good to the
satisfaction of all. Mr.. Timothy Rivcs of
Prince George, who is known all over the State
aS the war-horsc Of Democracy, was one OF
the Delegates to that Convention from the Pc
terSburg District, and made a speech on the
Basis Question, and seeing that an allusion had
been made in your columns to MIR. L%.ctclcrS
''slur" OH Eastern Virginia, | was somewhat
inclined TO the belief that this SAME John
L.etchcr experienced a very severe rebukc at
the hands of this same war-horSc Of Dclnocra-
cy just named, for his act Of injustice TO the
shareholders Of Eastern Virginia, expecting at
the time no did it that it would 20 unnoticcd.
But his desire was not gratified in the least,
for this same defender Of the rights of his pco-
pie would not permit any such snccrS to be
made in the Convention. and cast upon those
whom he, in part, represented. without repel-
ling the gross insult; no, by no means. When
ever any such game a. that is attempted to he
played upon his constituents, and he Is cogni-
zant of it, this keen horse of Democracy. who
is always on the alert, is, As certain As fate, to
meet the danger, and, as it were, trample his
heavy feet upon their very Utmost frames.
if possible, in order to have justice and salts
faction rendered.; and il the leaders OF the De-
mocracy. generally, would initiate him. the
party would act more tremendously together
than they do at present.
Upon an examination of Mr.. Rlves speech,
[ find | am not mistaken. Mr.. Lctchcr did do
an act Of injustice I" the Shareholders OF last
crn Virginia, in charging upon them that they
were a .negro-ocracv;' and cannot see how
they can possibly support him at this time for
Governor. This charge was repealed ny Mr..
RiyeS. as | have stated, who even told Mr..
| Letchcr to his very face that such an insimla-
ton did not become a Nirginian; that such lee
lures Us he was wont to preach, would not be-
gin to do in Eastern Virginia; they would not
stand any such charges, and he must, there
fore. mind his points. will here introduce an
extract from Mr.. RiveS' speech in reply to Mr..
L.etcher.
Mr.. Riyes said: MY friend from Rockhriisc,
mfr. Lctcher.) said We had but one idca-that
of 'negro-ocracy.' Laughter Now, | do not
understand that term 'negro-oclacv. do not
wish to understand it and, if ! did, | should
expect to get my information from another
source, not him. | should rather look to John
Z. Hale. of New Hampshire, or TO VIM. H.. Sc
ward, Of New York, than to any friend from
Rockbridgc. Virginia. But, the gentleman did
make the declaration, in the face of this Con-
%vention. that We had but one idea, although ]
have no doubt he made it expecting it would
20 unanswered; that it would he taken for
granted that, rs the declaration was made broad
cast, it would remain unnoticcd. | heard him
through. Keen in dc~batc-sly upon the dan
gerous parts-hc displayed a skill in tactics
which would have done Napoleon honor in his
best days. Laughter. But he failed in one
point. | will tell him, when he comes to lee
ture the people Of Eastern Virginia, one thing.
and that is. when he sets up his pins he should
not knock them down himself. Great laugh
teri Whenever he takes a position, and as
sumcs it to be true, he should not furnish the
evidence to defeat that proposition. What did
he tell you? That there was hut one idea, and
that was negro ocracy.' Then he got up with
an old musty documcnt-thc proceedings of a
! Convention in lS24-'25-and arraigncd my
| friend from the city of Richmond, tMr. Scott
and made him out to be u white basis man.
There is another idea, then, if its an idea; and
if it is not an idea, then his white basis is
nothing. laughter. He not only arraign-
ed the gentleman from Richmond. MI Scott,)
but went over to the Cockadc town,
which | have the honor in part to repre-.
sent, and showed that in 1916, in the
..... &C Dnt.rs1N,rn fbnrn 1I.u q mpptInr nj
which Robert Birchctt, Esq, presided, and
proceeded to show that that meeting was in
favor of the white basis. There was another
idea; he had already had one before. Laugh
ter. And not only that, but he had but to
open his eyes and look at my worthy friend
from Patrick CIR. Stuart or at my friends from
Loudoun, (Mcssrs. Carter and White who arc
white basis mcn-hc had only to look at
my friend. the gentleman from Accoinac.
the Ajax Tclcmon, who, Saul like, stands a
head and shoulders above any of his tribe,
great laughter, to sec that there Is q dlilcr-
cnce Of opinion even in the extreme East
And vet, We arc told that We have but one idea
among us. Why, if we were to take that posi-,
ton even among our school boys, they would
say, that fellows green" Laughter. lie
has said We have but one idea, and yet nc has
proved himself We have a dozen. IL the white
basis is an idea, then his position is wrong;
and, if We have but one idea, then the white
basis is not an idea. Laughter. Take 1t
either way, and the gentleman has cstoppei
him; and | say to him, mind your points
You are not among school boys, you are here
among gentlemen who will defend the interests
of personal liberty as well as property"
Now, Democrats of Virginia. here are the
{ facts in the case here is Mr.. LetcherS true
record-and you cannot fail to see that this
charge is sustained. He did tell the people OF
Eastern Virginia they were a "Negro-ocracy,"
Yes, it would have been better for Mr..
Ietchcr not to have made this charge;
and, as Mr.. Rives told him, very properly,
If he wanted a definition for that term.