Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-06-27
CON MINIjhTED.

! HiNia s>thtllitl, under udtt vi tH' ioth u'i'
18th oi June. more than three columns ARE
devoted to review Of Mr. SCOTS Liberty
Hall speech" That speech wa made on
the 18th If May, Just preceding the election,
upon the request Of certain of his political
friends, that he would reply t" the address
of Mr. Pryor delivered in the same Hall two
evenings before. A. matter u course the
topics discussed by Mr.. Pryor furnished the
chief staple Of hi. leply, and t" these, MIR.
Scott devoted his extended speech" HIS
auditors were citizens of Alexandra, com
posed chiefly of the opposition, and no report
was made of what he said.
The speech, therefore, could, by poSsibilI-
tv, exert no more than d local influence, and
with the election of the hcyt day passed oil
the occasion f its utteran2e. That it EXERT
ell NJ injurious effect upon the party to
which the Sentinel belongs, is sufficiently
proved by the election 0i Mr.. Latcher and
the success Of Mr.. Smith, the relative "t Its
leading editor, over his competitors In this
. district: besides We have the authority II
this editor that its effects were damaging to
the opposition. Mir. Scott, moreover, has,
for many years, heen much withdrawn from
the arena If politics and Is known t" reru-
diate all desire for political place. In the
structures upon his speech reference Ii made
to his laie letter declining to he presented a.
IL candidate for the seat in Congres, to which
Mr.. Smith was elected.
nder these circumstances, ii IL difhcult
! t. perceive what other motive than the graf
lfication Of a special personal, on party, Ill
WILL moved the eltJf OF the Sentinel, alter
/ the excitement aud heat Of the election have
so long passed away, t. devote 80 much Tune
and space to the Liberty Hall speech -
/ That his senslhillties were somewhat excited
by some of Mr.. SCOTS remarks IL pelhap.
but natural, but then he ought to bear III
mind the occasion which drew them forth
Mr.. Pryor quoted Mr. Scott from memory,
and in doing 80, turncd and appealed direct
" to him; had he sat silent he would have
been understood as acquiescing in the accu-
racy o. the quotation, but not ucquiescing
in the speakers accuracy. he said, ''y"u do
not quote me correctly" Therrupon, Mr..
Pryor said, he had the speech before, him
and would speak from the record; but when
he turned to his papers. he WAS unable 10
find the passag". Then 10 relieve his friend
from the dilemma, the leading editor ui the
Sentinel advanced tn the ionr-lshts and took
part in the performance. Now, WHEN Mr..
Scott came, two evenings afterwards. Ia no
tre this part of Mr.. Pryor's address, hr
could not well pass the leading editor unm"-
ticed. lie certainly said nothing Of him
personally offensive, nor did he trespass ut
all beyond the limits of fair discussion.
The Sentinel says, I'VE propose 10 gene.
raj review of this extended speech, but only
design to notice a point or two. For the
statement of these we shall have to rely on
the information of others, as We did not near
these portions Of his remarks; but We doubt
not We state him correctly The editor
then. We are to infer. did hear other portions
of the speech those unl Y which had II per
sonal connection with the speaker he had To
/ take upon the report of others.
lie heard what WAS said touching those
topics of MIR. Pryur's address, that concern
ed the general relation of parties to each
other, the tendency and effect of their lead
ing measures, and the particular antece-
dents of certain Of the candidates then be
fore the people. He heard too, what was
said On the imputed extrayasances, fraud,
and corruptions OF the present adminlstr:.-
ton, and the necessity tor reformation. lie
saw MIR. Pryor shrink from the defence OF II
Democratic administration, end attempt to
cover his retreat by allegations OF extrava-
gance and corruption against the admins
tration Of Mr.. Fillmore. Two evenings at
forwards, he heard those allegations tri-
umphuuty reiuted. He SAW Mr. Pryor
brought to the witness stand and speaking
through the columns OF the States, made
to testify in the c,ise Of the present admins
tration to acts of the most waStpinl rXtrava-
gance and daring corruptI"ns. MIR. Pryor
had been active among those who assaulted
Mr.. Summers III 1880, because of the Opln-
ions expressed by him in the Legislative de-
bates in 1882. and yet he was mainly nstru-
mental in procuring from the Petersburg
convention the nomination of Mr.. Letchrr.
with full knowledge Of his connexon with
the address of DR.. Rutfner The editor of
the Sentinel heard Mr.. Pryor's attempt ut II
defence against the Inconsistency alleged on
this scnre how he stated that Mr.. SUM
mers had never recanted until he was put
under the exigency of an election, whereas
! Mr. Letcher had made lis rccantatiun prior
to taking his seat in the reform Convention,
and how he had little faith in a recautation
made under the pressure of such exlgences.
The same editor heard Mr.. SCOTS reply:
how he corrected Mr.. Pryor as TO the ques-
ton of fact and appealed to the full and
unconditional recantations of the obnoxious
sentiments made by Mr.. Summers in the
reform Convention, when Mr. Ridley Of
Southampton referred to and quoted them
in his speech upon the basis Of representa-
ton; how he contrastcd MIR. Letcher's course
in the convention with his alleged previous
recantation of his Rufnerism, at some re-
mote election precinct in the county OF Au-
gusta; his votes on the propositions to insert
in the constitution guaranty against ex-
cessive taxation of slaves; 10 exempt from
taxation those under twelve years Of age: to
subject all alike To an dd rdiorem tax: how
he was opposed to making provision BY law
to compensate owners for slaves executed
under criminal process how OF all the mem
bers of he body, he was the onty one who
made offensive speeches on the question OF
slavery, denouncing it not only as Il social
and political but a DtnIat evil in the body
polite; because in no other sense could he
be taken when commenting on the degree Of
ignorance alleged by him to be then exist
ing in the county Of Greensyille, in connex-
ion with its large colored population, and
the statistics Of the penitentiary, which he
elegantly called the public boarding house, -
! shaving huW many more .'buarirrs' had