Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-09
THE OPENING OF THE CANVASS IN
VIRGINIA
Reported for The Erenmg Star.l

OF a large crowd, VINO manifested much enthu-
siasm.
Mr.. Letcher said he appeared to render an ac-
count of his stewardship. He had heard of no
disapprobation among his constituents, vet as his
opponents had attacked his Congressional career
he must vindicate himself from their aspersions
He had been condemned for opposing the passage
of the act pensioning the soldiers of the war of
1872, popularity called the % Old SOLDIER BILL
So much did his action in that particular meet the
approval of his conscience that even were the loss
of the Gubernatorial office involved, he would
maintain the iniquity of the act in the face of the
nation The soldiers of the war of 1872 had rallied
nobly to the defence of their country The paw
ment which had been agreed upon for their ser
vices was promptly made at the close of the war
In 1850. Congress, in addition, gave a free
bounty $50 acres Of land to all who had served
more than fourteen DAYS in that war.
To meet all the liabilities assumed by the Gov
eminent in this bill, according to report of Geo.
&. Whiting, Commissioner of Pensions, the Gov
eminent would be committed to an expense during
the next session of about 500. 760, 7l6, I'd an an
nual sum thereafter averaging s. ,S0a,t 90 for ten
years. The aggregate sum necessary to xtinguish
all claims that may be preferred under this bill
will not be less than SOB 600. 600 besides an in
creased expenditure in the Pension Office amount
Ing to 1855 100 per annum. In this bill there was
no provision against frauds The manner in which
frauds are perpetrated under the pension and
bounty land laws, might. said the speaker be ex-
emplifed by the claims of parties who Were called
out on account of the battle of Plattsburg Five
or six thousand were in the battle and thirteen or
fourteen thousand on their way to it, Strange to
tell, If the bounty land rolls correct not one of
these nineteen Thousand soldiers has died during
the half century that has interviewed; but still
more wonderful their number has almost doubled
In these cases the Department has no remedy The
law prescribes the proof, and upon the presenta-
ton of it the certificate must issue He reoiced
that on this issue he bad appealed to the peo Die.
The Government had already paid for pensions of
all kinds the gross amount of $50 1916 OS7 Sc Have
not he continued, done my duty in resist ng
this law [Cries of :. You have" :. Yes"l
He had been attacked for opposing another
scheme for depicting the public Treasury--the bill
donating lands to the States for the establishment
of agricultural colleges. This would take twenty
six millions of acres of the public land and so d
vide il that Virginia. being compelled to
scrip while Iowa took the lands themselves, would
be robbed of her just proportion. This bill was
Constitution to the States. The President had
done his duty in this matter. and deserved the ap-
probation of every patriot in the land. 1t was
passing strange that while the Opposition were ac-
cusing the Democrats of waste in the public
vice. that on the 10Th of April, 1853. they should
vote to squander the peoples means by this bill.
The vote in the House Of Representatives stood:
Yeas-DemOcrats, 10; South Americans, g; Black
Republicans, &c. Nays-Democrats, 90; South
Americans, g. Black Republicans, Z. "a voice
Where were you, Uncle John y
Mr.. Letcher. ! was among the nays, with sc
Democrats out of sc.
The Democratic party were not responsible for
the extravagant expenditures which had been
made. Congress alone was responsible for the in
has thrown away no money. In his administration
of the War Department. he has done his duty to
himself, to the Administration. and to the people
The large expenditures recently made by the De
partment were the necessary consequences of the
Mormon war; and that grew out of the indiscreton
OF Mr.. Fillmore in appointing Brigham Young
Goung's denial of the authority of the United
States, rendered assertion of that power by force
measure of duty which no President could resist
The expedition TO Paraguay had swollen the ex-
pendltures OF the Navy Department to large
amount; yet no amount was too large that
ceSSary to the vindcation of national honor The
President had done his duty in regard to these ex-
penditures. The Administration was responsible
for the estimates alone. If they were extravaganza
why did the House of Representatives add TO the
estimates made by the Department,
He (Letcher) had in Congress opposed with all
his might, the large appropriation il the Gus
tom to make for Post Offices and Custom Houses
One located at Raleigh n c., the entire customs
revenue for which for five years and half had
been but SSi2, had S5OUOO as the first installnent
on Custom House. 1894 600 had been appro-
priated for a Custom House in Louisville. Other
appropriations were mentioned The whole thing
was wrong. There was a large expenditure for
Custom House at Richmond. why not at
Woodstock! GLaughter.l
The expenses of the House of Representatives.
when under the Opposition rule were largely in
the excess Of the expenses under the Democratic
regime. Mr.. Cullom, in twenty-five months
Clerkship of the House of Representatives,
pended 81 600 900; while Mr.. Allen his successor
although he had to meet many extraordinary ex-
penses, including investigating committees, &c ,
expended half million less than his predecessor
The Opposition. in order to stop the supplies de-
rived from the sales OF public lands and thus rem
der necessary an increase of the tariff passed the
homestead bill. This increase in the tart he had
ALWAYS opposed. He thought that the tariff Of 1857
should have fair trial before it was nterfered
with. If proper eXertiOns were made with the
lands in California; the mines sold before they
were robbed the mineral lands in California and
at Pixies Peake brought into market. means aux
from LAM md
toms. sufficient 70 meet the current expenses of the
Government, might be raised. He commented
with severity upon the features of Mr.. Morrills
tariff bill, said that high tariff would be upset in
twelve months after its passage and would bank
rupt the manufactures that under it Protective
legislation was necessarily class legislation What
protection did the farmer have for his wheat and
why should one class of community be protected
against the operations of the law supply and de
nland more than another! He had now TO surren-
der his congressional trust, and lie laid it down
with deep sense of obligation for confidence
bestowed, and grateful to constituency he had
served to the best of his ability.
Mr.. Eetcher then expressed his regret at the alb
sence of his competitor, eypla ncd the correspond
encc that Ind passed between them in reference 10
the appointments for discussions and avoNyed his
determination, after fulfilling the appointments he
had made, to-meet Mr. Goggin at his own appoint
mcnts, closing up at Bedford and boarding the
lion in his den.
Until the meeting If the Opposition Convention
many Of tue Wing papers had sustained him. The
III.
cembcr that il deemed it not improbable that the
W higs, in many instances, would lay aside their
political scruples, and vote for the Democratic
nominees. And yet the same paper d few days
since, opened its batteries against those same nom
inees, even going to the extent of declaring that il
would be dangerous to the life of Mr. Goguin to
come to Shenandoah for the purpose of discussion.
IL attacked him opening the canvass i'm his own
district, when, unfortunately for the poor editor
MIR. Goggin had taken precisely the same course
and opened the canvass in Bedford
The same paper insinuatcd that he along with
the people of the Tenth Legion, was unsound upon
the question Of slavery, and the members of the
Wing convention had echoed the charge Wood
stock was rs sound upon the subject as Norfolk;
and in all the State none could be found to bear
aloft tic flag of the State with more pride, or de-
fend II with more ardor cloud applause) Who
was 1t that made these charges of unsoundncss!
the president of the convention, who had himself
declared that there legal right to hold
slaves or was ii John NJ Bolts ready to unite with
the free negroes 10 put down the Democracy and
even now arranging for a fusion with the Black
Republicans in 1850? or was r.. T. Scott with his
ilmotWoviso proclivities or the Wings Of Rich
mond, that had received Winter Davis to their
embrace, and sustained Fillmore that set free the
kidnappers of seventy-two slaves, Such PARTIES
could effect nothing against him. In 1855 he had
declared that IL the South could remain in the
Union on terms of equality she must and would
90 Of IL