Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-16
THE GAG.


.iN the ihti-Lccomptonites and AntiHaateI
Men to be "rebulsd." The Politicians O
Hing George decline to "rteognise tie cone
pstency" Of Mr.. Letchrr 10 decide IN re
gord to tie soundae~s cr' candidates on tn
subject ct Siarsry."
The following resolutions were adopted 10y
the late meeting" called in King George
county for the purpose of glorifying Mr.. John
Lctchcr:
Z Resolved, That We view with pain and dlStruS1
the persistent efforts on the part of fraction
of the Democratic party to dSparage the merits
Of its most worthy members, in advance OF the
tribunal to decide Oh their claims to office, and
we believe such u course is calculated rather &c
distract the councils of the party, than to tie
! feat the ends Of justice. But recognizing, as
we fear We DO, in this attack OH Letcher, the
same turbulent spirits who attempted to stir up
a prejudice in the minds Of the people against
their able and irrcproachablc representative III
the L. S. Senate, (R NJ. T. Hunter we trus,
and believe that the people will administer tt
them, on this occasion, u rebuke u signal IL
they did OH that
Resolved. That if we were disposed to take
counsel OF others. in regard To the soundncSS o
candidates on the subject OF slavery and qucS
tonS bearing on il. we would scarcely be cX
pectcd to recognise the competency OF papers
or persons, to give it. who have, III tunes past
advocated emancipation, and more recently
sided against the South and the Administration
upon the Kansas question.
Such is the sort ofStuff which it is attempted
to palm upon us rs the free expression Of the
Democrats of King George. Fortunately. the
counterfeit bears its own detection OH its face,
and will be nailed to the counter wherever It's
issue is attempted. The liberal and tair-mind'
cd Democracy of King George never did and
never can give sanction to such petty dlstll-
lation of hatred and malice ana all uncharita-
bleneSS--nor to such 4 palpable and Sclfcon'
Trajectory distortion of facts. MessieurS, the
cross-road politicians--this is your own work
the work of little knot of you-and very
bungling and cntanglcd work it is.
The people of Virginia must remain quiet,
must they ?-must await in silence the dicta-
ton of that tribunal which is ITO decide
the claims Of ofcandidatcs to Office. What tribu-
nall Why didn't you speak it openly: Why
didn't you assert without flinching, the pro-
position of the absolutism of Convention, and
deny the right Of the people to controlit: This
is your doctrinc-the very doctrine upon
which you are attempting to put anti
Lecompton men to the axe, and this is the
doctrine, which. from first to last, we
have protested against. As men of the
people, and authorized expressly to speak
for hostIof the people-theirs is the only
tribunal to which We appeal. Wepresent fairly
before them the unvarnShcd record Of the man
whom you seek to force upon their choice, and
we RELY upon their action to contravcnc yours,
and to control the action Of the Convention
Gag us, if you can, gentlemen. You will find
it a severe task. Day after day, until the Con-
vention shall assemble, we proclaim the truth
which your own organ refuses to controvert
specifcallv-TIlArY YOUR CANDIDATE HAS SCARCE
LY A PAGE OF HIS RECORD FREE FROM TIIE SuSpI-
croN or rxrAlrHrrLSEss TO THE DEaocRATIc
PARTY AND THE South
You may dig up the buried ghost of I.ecomp-
tonisn, and attempt to pcrpetuatc it as an issue
but it will only sink TO the grave again, carry
ing along with it every disorganizcr who
mouths its name for the purpose Of party dis
cord. You NAV yourselves shout the prctcnce
of party harmony, to shield your own cand-
date from fair exposure Of his record before
the people; but the people will tell you that
they know best how to perpctuate the unity of
the party; and that is by maht"'ning It's M
tegrity
You play your game badly. Your second
resolution condemns. not the men who are op-
posing Mr.. Letcher, jW Mr. Letcher himse!,.
lie it is who advocated emancipation in ls4II,
even until he threatened to aSsai the sovereign
integrity of Tirginia-to divide the State itself,
unless he could otherwise abolitionizc the West
ern section. lie it was who opposed the Kan
sas.Ncbraska Bill, under the Democratic Ad-
minStration of Franklin Pierce and refused to
come to its support, until it was amended by 4
free soil proviso Now, apply your own
words:
"7nat II re rere disposed to take counsel Of
others. in regard TO tie soundne~ cf ca"diiotes
on tie suIject ~ slaeery and questions b,"ring
on it, ace nouM scarcely be erpected to recDgaise
tie competency or papers, or persons, to gtte At,
,eho hare, IN times past, ddcocated emdncipd-
ton, and more recently Sided against the South
and the administration rpm the Kansas q"fs-
lion"
Thus Mr. Ietcher Is condemned, out Of the
mouth of his own friends. as INIT ecen 10 de-
ellie .eih regard 10 Tie souadneSsef candidates
A nice piece of work you've made Of it. in all
the zeal and fervor Of intrigue.
We hear that the authorship Of these reSolu-
tions has furnished the subject Of some con-
tention, having been attributed at different
times to each of two gentlemen from different
counties. The last and most reliable accounts
state, however, that the gentleman from Stat
ford Indignantly denies having any hand in the
matter.
STILL ANoHER LETCHERrTE FRAUD THE DE-
MoCRACY OF HARRISON SOLD
Adviccs from an entirely reliable source have
lust reached us, containing the following state
Of facts:
On Monday last, meeting was held at