Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-04-19

john LErcuEx TO Dr.. RupfNER.
.Scaroely page Of Nr. Leteher's record IS free
frow Tie suspicion Of safaid. tuiness TO TIC demo
cratic parry aud the South"
We beg our Democratic friends, who may read
the above, not to dismiss il with the usual stereo-
typed answer that il is "Whig lie" 1t is so far
from being Wing lie that it is Democratic
frnfk. Il 10 an extract from the Richmond Enqui-
rer of last fall, before the Convection met which
nominated Mr.. Letcher for Governor
That the Democratic party should have selected
a. its candidate the very man, Of all others, whose
record upon the subject Of slavery was more OBJ
noxioas than that Of any other politician in the
State must forever remain an incomprehensible
mystery. II can only be accounted for, If at all,
upon the supposition that Mr. Lc,ehcr was regar-
ded As the representative and exponent of tho
Hunter interest in Virginia. and that his nomna-
ton was intended as a rebuke to the friends Of
Gov. Wise. We know Of no other possible expla
nation Of this curious and fatal procedure.
1t is scarcely necessary for us to tell the reader
that the Democratic party has always claimed to
be the champion, par excellence. of the institution
Of slavery. They professcd themselves the exclu-
sive and especial friends Of the South and OF South
srn institutions generally. 1t was rare net of
grace ON their part to admit that n Wing could.
by any possibility, be Sound" upon this question.
No matter il. like Gen. Taylor he owned five hun
dred alsyes it was a suspicious circumstance If
anybody outside Of the Democratic organization,
protested to believe that the institution Of slavery
was good thing
They knew how sensitive the Southern people
were on this question-and we have always be.
lieved that their professions of peculiar concern
for the "rights' of the institution were made
with the sole view of strengthening their party
in the South. In this they have succeeded. They
now have the control Of every Southern State but
one. But, how far their professions were real or
pretended, is at once revealed by this nomination
of Mr.. Letcher. That single act outwcighs the
effect that would be produced in whole century
Of professions and protestatons.
And vet complaint is made when the Opposition
adduce the record in proof Of Mr.. Letcher's he
rstical opinions. According to the Democratic
code of morals. it was oil right to elect Mr.
Mcdowell Governor of Virginia and to endorse
Mr. Faulkner h. repeated elections to Congress
but Mr. Summers was denounced MS an "Aboli-
ZIONIST" because he was found in the same COM
pany! What was unobjectonable in Democrats,
became highly censurable and criminal in Wings.
Democrat may have been an Abolitiouist, and
vet receive free absolution. A Wing can never
recover, by years of penitential sorrow, from the
consequences of n single false step. Can it DO
possible that the people will not perceive thegros
injustice Of this mode Of warfaref
Mr.. Letcher is the representative Of the Demo-
cratic party. The Richmond Enquirer now sup
ports him because he occupies this position-not
because he is John Letcher. We oppose him for
the same reason. We oppose n party which. after
winning the South by extravagant professions of
concern for, and fidelity to. Southern institutions,
90 far betrays its real aaimus, as to nominate for
the highest Office in the State the most recent I'D
vocate Of emancipation in Western Virginia, and
the division Of the Commonwealth in two distinct
sections, with dissimilar institutions. We oppose
. party which can 30 far permit personal pques
and the rivalries of tho friends of prominent poll
ticans, to interfere with its policy a. to cause
nomination to be made in the interest Of men,
while ct the same time such nomination over
.
Such party we conceive to be unworthy Of pop
ular support.
If Mr.. Letcher were nominated for this reason,
We do not sec how the friends of Gov Wise can
accord him their support, Independent of oil
personal reasons, they are not agreed upon prin-
cipls. Mr.. Letoher by his own confession "sus-
tains' the Administration, while the friends of
Gov. Wise repudiste the measures of the Admin
istrason - ANTI Democratic. We know OF nothing
In common between the two except the empty
name of Democrat"
In bringing up Mr. Letcher's former in6delity
to Southern institutions, we are only commencing
to the Democracy the same chalice that was pre-
scented to our own lips when Mr.. Summers was
the candidate of the Wings. We protested against
it thsn--but 1t was forced upon us. We cannot
permit party which employed such means in
1851, 10 claim exemption now from attack upon a
much more vulnerable point. Admit, for the
sake Of Argument, that Mr. Letcher is sincere iu
his present protestations Of fidelity to the South
itisno more than what Mr.. Summers did when he
was candidate. Yet the Democracy did not
cease to pursue him to the bitter end. Had the
Democracy OF that day generously credited Mr..
SUMMER recantstion, We should, for ourselves be
amongthe iastto complain Of the friends Of Mr..
Letcher now--although the case Is much stronger
than sainst Judge Summers. We believe in the lea
saiss4 n csttain extent, and we are free to con.
teas thata feeling Of resentment against the out
Sa6eoO ~ypag Asns Ms. Summers is not among
~ lSa4 II - assisss which innpel us 70 opposl
N. Ala % this she eject upon publ,
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