Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-09
For the Vindicator.
Mr.. John +. Harris at MT. Sidney.
Mr.. SIDNEY. APRIL End, 1859.


This being the day Of our militia muster,
Mr.. Harris, according to announcement,
addressed the people Of Mt Sidney, at the
village school house. He commenced his
speech in. glorious appeal to the school
boys Of his youth. IN this very house said
Mr.. Harris, / received the most Of my 1sns.
tied education, in this very house made
my first speech, but in better cause than
] am now addressing you, fellow citizens. -
It rather surprised me to hear him in that
strain. for I had expected he was one Of
those to hold up the standard OF the great
national Democracy, but no, not one word
did he utter about it; he only held up his
standard, and went on to say: Wings,
you must not blame me for being Demo
crat, for there are those who know | could
not help it under the circumstances, for both
my father and mother were Democrats, and
in the cradle Of democracy was 1 rocked Y
as much as to say, if fate had cast me in a
Wing crib, or if I had been 50 fortunate as
to be reared by Wing parents, | would not
be what lam Recollect that Democrats /!
He is Only a Democrat because his father
and mother were before him, and not from
an Unborn love for the great democratic prin-
ciples which we all adhere to and reverence.
It surprisedFme to see that Mr.. 1T did not
encourage and invoke bis party to come up
to the polls and cast their. votes for our no
bic standard bearer, John Letcher, in the
coming State election, but it is fact which
every Democrat ought to know, (and every
Wing too, for is there a Wing in the Dis
trict who would vote and work for man
who basely daFes not speak and work for
the candidate Of the party to which he pro
fesses adherence, for fear Of retarding his
own personal aggrandizement) he does not
warn them Of the danger which is ahead
he does not impress on them the great in
terests which are at stake; he does not in
form them of the superhuman exertions Of
the friends Of Mr.. Goggin, in word be
does not abide to the gubernatorial election
at all, and says by his actions, beat Letch-
| er, but elect me, and will not complain.
He was told that if he wanted to secure the
opposition vote, not to say anything against
Mr.. Goggin, and he meanly, obeys the man
tdate. 80 II 4S%s.s f'fla 1s
Now, Democrats, will you consent to sup.
port man who will run against the nomi
nee Of your convention, and then allow the
| opposition to stop his mouth, because ht
dares not for fear Of losing their votes say
a word for his own or a word against. BIZ
opponents candidate. -
Hoping the democratic party and the PEG
1 ple' at large, will see through the shallow
motives Of Mr. Harris, and let him stay a
fhome, and attend to the duties Of Common
wealth's Attorneyship Of Rockingham, ]
will turn them over to him, and pay my re
spects very briefly to Mr. Bolivar Christian
Of Staunton, who also made a famin,
speech after Mr.. Harris concluded, abou
| the country being bankrupt, and about tn
ranking privilege, and how even that brancl
of government had been shameful1y abuse,
and how Congressman sent bedstea,
home to his wife, and marked on it 'pubh
document. 7"Oh, shame, where is tn,
blush ?" He, then pitched into Mr.. Letch
er, and seemingly filled with holy horror a
such an enormity, attempted to give hin
thunder for having no hair on his head. y
I at first wished that Mr.. Letcher could b
present, but then thought it was not wort
while to load cannon to shoot fly. Nj
| Christian then took his seat, and SO tn
I speaking closed.
I Would that could make every Demo
crat see and feel as do about the comm
! election, and Mr.. Letcher and James H
Skinner would receive every vote in til
State and district.
A DEMOCRAT.