The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-24
VIRGINIA POLITICS.

The current electioneering campaign in Vir
gina is bringing out some rich developments in
the history of politicians of both parties. There
seems to be general unsoundness" among
the leading men of that ancient Commonwealth;
and we cannot doubt that the elimination and
recrimination which are going on will rebound
to the advancement of truth, and the formation
of a more liberal and tolerant public sentiment
Thus far the results of the campaign may be
racy have put in nomination for Governor q
a man who was so ardent an emancipationist
in lS47, that to secure that bene6cent end to
his own section, he was willing to see the State
divided. These liberal sentiments he seems to
have maintained up to the time of his becoming
that the Ajax Of the opposition, Hon. John
NJ. Bolts, uttered Anti-Slavery sentiments in
1850, in speech at Powhatan Court House,
which he has still the courage and intrepidity
to stand by. Had Mr.. Bolts been brought be-
fore the people as the opposition candidate for
Governor, standing on this platform, he would
have had our warmest sympathies. But the
Opposition " in that State have no sympathy
with Mr.. Botts's enlightened views and, al
though confessedly the ablest man of the party.
he was set aside in order to make way for an
inferior man, whose " soundness on the Slavery
question cannot be questioned They have
thus, by placing themselves one round in the
ladder below the Democracy, forfeited all claim
to Republican sympathy.
The following article, from the Richmond
Enquirer of the 18th instant, places Mr. Bolts
on the old Henry Clay platform. He admits
that Slavery is "a great calamity" and would
" look upon that man as the first and greatest
be''etactor Of his country, sc1iose aoisdom could
point ont to MS some practical and satistactoyv
means by achich zoe could, through our o,on an
strpmentatty, and aoithout interference from,
oar neighbors, proride for the ultimate enamel
patton and lremoral Of all slaUes from the Com
mon'oealh.' We call particular attention to the
fact stated in the article from the Enquirer,
that the speech from which this extract is ia
ken was furnished to the editor of that paper
by Mr.. Bolts, accompanied by this emphatic
endorsement; No garbling. Ihope the read
ersIc the Enquirer ,oiU be informed that Ihare
supplied the document called for. j. NJ b."
This is manly and characteristic.
From the Richmond Enquirer of March I7h
Has KEPT HIS WORD.-Mr. Bolts has been
true to his promise, and furnished us with a
clean, free from dust, Unrateaten copy of his
speech at Powhatan Court House, Va, June
18th, 1850, pencil-marked as follows NO
garbling. / hope the readers of the ENQUIRER
will be informed that have supplied the docu-
ment called for. j. M. b. OF all of which our
readers are requested and required to take due
notice. As we are at present collecting pamphlets
to bind, and as Mr.. Bolts may desire to have. as
noe certainly do, all his speeches carefully pre-
served for future convenient reference, we shall
be glad to receive copies of each and all his
speeches.
Like all other speeches of Mr.. Bolts that
we have seen, this POwhatan speech has gems
of Anti Slavery rich and rare.' We shall, at
convenient season, show the utter hollowness
of the objections now made to the Ruffner
Pamphlet by the supporters of Mr.. Bolts and
MIR. Goggin, endorsing they do Mr.. Bolts,
who three years after the Ruffner Pamphlet was
published, in his Powhatan speech ayowed-.I
am one OF those who think Slavery, in the abb
stract, is much to be deprecated and whilst I
think that, as at present organized in the South
ern States, it is a humanizing, ciyilizinp. and
chrstianlzing institution, as all must agree who
will take the pains to compare the present con.
dition of our slaves with the original African
race; yet regard 1t as a great calamity that
it ever should have been entailed upon us /: and
| should look upon that man as the first and
greatest benefactor of his country, whose wis
dom could point out to us some practical and
satisfactory means by which we could, through
our own fundamentally, and without interfer-
ence from our neighbors, provide for the ulti-
mate emancipation and removal of all slaves in
the country. | speak of this as desirable
thing, especially to the owners of slaves, who,
think, are the chief sufferers, but, at the same
time, tear 1t is perfectly Utopian to attempt
it; but have seen too much difference between
the enterprise, the industry, and the prosperity
of the free and the slave States, to doubt the adj
vantage we would derive from it if it could be
accomplished -
would not Mr.. Ruffner have been the hest
candidate for the Opposition, who now so heart
| lily endorse MIR. Bolts as he was and as he Il
What objection can the Richmond Wing urge