Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-10-14
For the Emqnirer
POLITICAL DISCUSSION IN PoWHATAN COUNTY.

POLITICAL DISCUSSION IN P0WHATAN COUNTY.
McsSrS Editors - Our Court.Grcen was YES.
tcrtay yni;encd aud enlightened by discus
sion worthy of former days. "Lap3dtor te''-
poriS cc'G' plead guilty 10 the belief that
the old is better, and rejoice in an approxlma-
ton on the part Of our public speakers TO the
intellectual ciol Is Of Randolp and Henry days.
| admit my design 10 place before the public
the proper position Of one of the speakers ot
the day hose claims 10 Intelligence and cquali-
t. with his competitor have been completely
ignored by tyo partiGlarticlcs in Il too partjdi
"PreSS." | shall not follow the fashionable
STYLE OF modern lcttcr-write.s in the use OF
terms. witnessed no "swallowing-up' OF
either party, SAW no demolition, nor anything
to excite emotions Of pity or modification for
either Plainly. then testify as ! saw and
heard. hoping that ] am impartial knowing
that | feel 80; ior, while in the absence of
organized opposition, as between two sound
Dempcrai+. advocate the claims of and shall
vote IN, The one am not inSensibe to the I'M
pas,ioncd aud classical eloquence Of the other
The discussion introduced to the voters OF
Po., iIliaD in large GsScmblage, Roger \. Pryor
ci H. city e! Petersburg, who, for one hour
and = hat, bad 10 cause 10 complain o; al in
aticnt!vc audience. ChaStc il STYLE courteous
in lnaangr. carHc, !, impassioned and peculiarly
attractive IN rr'inciatiOn and delivery, no intel
lcctual a;l'!icncr, however differing from him in
opinion, could fail to 80 with him for his
time Soumd, TOO in the main doctrines of
State Rights Democracy. and 4 boldly honest
man in the expression of his opinions, he vet
sayUrS TOO much oi ailliation with Douglas for
the Democracy Of this county, willie expressly
diSowuing hi!n ~ his choice for the Presidency,
or any .ympathy with his squatter sovereignty
views. His speech was mainly devoted 20 an
assertion O; .S claims, by reason Of the Farm
Vile Convention. and TO consideration Of the
Southern question of interpoating 4 provision
Of protection in the Charleston platform, the
cyycdcacy and p:opriety of which he denies.
lie was la!!owld in the same limit of time
by C0!. i'nomr, T. Goode, Of Mcchlenburg il
- speech. ol mandy force and beauty, and 10 us
agrcein@ VIII. lin. his points, true and ortio-
dUx. wrrr sustained in mastery style o!
yigor. Certainly no public speaker ever had
better rrasp': "a br assured Of the sympathy
md c.,ccn "l az auditory than had Col Goo!c
curing III, w.,o'c speech, if public attention
and hearty manifestation OF applause can give
such assurance. His speech was very able
and produced decided impression III his favor.
III. exponent j; he Of any doctrine which is
manly and conservative, and snch do We hold
to be- "Soulucru Democracy in lis pristine
purity.
Claiming tr be- a. he is. n thorough Demo
c.at. not war::ug against bis party or its uSa.
Ccs; recognizing fully all the principles inYoiS-
ID III IL: convention system and endorsing
them LOW. he yet denies their application TO
IL; g. "a lon,v aSSurcI nf M
position. there crult bc 10 need Of special par
" organization Is convention and argues that
in tins tate Of lhiI,gs the people AZ the polls,
rather tian = :ew active movers in county
meetings, ,Gouid eject the man Of their choice.
Ia the FACE u opposition he was always willing
Ia suhmi: lI> claims in Convention OF his par
" AID t. abide It's issue, but under the crcum-
stances Of this district, hc had from the first
opposed Convention, and having seen no rea-
sGn To charge it, his position was now the same.
and hv j, az Is willing to stand or fall.
.pu 'hc question of Southern rights Col.
GugJc vas very lorcible. lie imprcsscS you As
m c'Hiucnty tac and cOurtly champion of the
South. sa,;oIs!ug the able reply Of Judge
Blacl. ip Tie hcratc manifesto OF Mr. Douglas,
and thoroughly rcpudlating any support oi The
latter N any contingency, contcndlng that his
opinions mu Int IN disguise the open and
avowci hprcsicS (mild termS) OF Seward and
Bate. hc stands ~ .carlcsSly for Southern men
and Southern plinciplcs-ayc, and for dis
tinct enuncation Vi those rights beyond all
chance Of Cavil or miscOnstructlon.
Atcr mutual replies OF half an hour each,
devoted chiefly TO splendid and courteous per-
sonal sparing, each roweling the other on the
score of Inconsistency, and proving 1t by the
documents, these gentlemen retired, leaving n
favorable impression, am sure. upon al who
heard them. They are very evenly matched
eaci, "iocruau' worthy OF the others steel.
In logical debate and cool reasoning power
Col. ,,oodc more than meets the rapid thought
and impassioncd clocution Of Mr. Pryor, while
not At all inferior iO him in spirited style or in
tcreSting "ihline,up." except in rich classical
il!u-tra;Iom - which the latter cXcclS any
popuI,r speaker of his age that we have ever
heard Any constituency might be proud oi
oi;hcr ar IL, representative. And here may
add. in conclusion, that an intellectual discus.
sion like this, between gentlemen who know
and respect each others rights never fails in
advantage and profit the popuace, educating
them 10 an expectation Of better things than
our Gourt.GrccrS usually witness in the way
of act!ous ana selfish personal dispute for ad'
ya',cnIncnt.
io. ',,olc vii, probably, receive a decided
nnloGrry in this county, from present indica-
iOr,>
Through Your columns, do urge upon the
people the propricry OF exercising their cleo.
tive franchise This "masterl" inactivity Of
staying at home, in important elections. Is, IN
reality. Gvcstins themselves of that which OUR
lrtc Convention thought it wise 10 confer upon
them It is worth AZ editorial.