New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-05

pIodchIDS Prctioenuh etecteu wouio 70 tao s''u%
I'D inc whole management Of it to them, and allow
ing them to select the candidates, aud to dictate
the platform. The triumph Of Goeein wsuld IN
deed, be q serious blow to the Shsm Democracy, IN
casting some shadow Of doubt over the Presidential
vote of State on which, hitherto, that party has
confidently counted, alike in adverse as in prosper
gu. times But the only possible good If would do
tie Republicans, would be in the prospect it might
offer, and that not very brilliant one, OF drawing
OF 4 few Southern electoral votes for third can
didate, whose nomination, however, might be quite
as troublesome to tie Republicans in the North, as
TO the Sham Democrats in the South.
TIE canvass, however, in Virginia is not by any
means confined to questions of national policy. At
the bottom of it lies that old jealousy, conflict of
interests and struggle for power between the east
ern and western sections of the State, which hiss
played conspicuous part in Virginia politics for
the last thirty years Previous to tina. period, In
tie times of the frat aud even of the second Ad-
ans, the Western section Of the State was content
to be used pretty much as mere convenience by
the politicians Of the Eastern section, who called
themselves Republicans, and aflerward Democrats
Had the struggle been exclusively confined to the
district est Of the Blue Ridge the party headed In
the last century by Marshall, the Lees and others
of ths. stamp, and with whom Washington aud
Patrick Henry sided, also the party made up TO q
large extent of the same material its then equiv
slept which thirty years afterward rallied around
tie standard Of Henry Clay, might have stood a
very good chance OF obtaining, or at least sharing
the control OF the State But both in the one case
ard the other they we're totally routed BY the vote
of the Western section, which came up almost In
cold column to the support first of Jefferson aud
af.erward of Jackson.
Meanwhile the gradual increase ia the populs-
ton of Western Virgni. having brought that sec.
ton nearly to an equality in number OF voters with
the eastern section, the people Of Western Vir-
Rinis began to think that, instead of leaving to
their Eastern brethren complete preponderance
in the Legislature (Which under the frat Constitu-
ton Of Virginia concentrated in itself the whole
control Of the State GOyerument), they ought at
last to come in themselves for some fruits OF those
Democratic principles of which, on behalf OF other
people, they had been, for 30 many years, such
strenuous supporters Tnis led, thirty years ago,
TO the calling of Convention to frame a new Con-
sti.utiop, under which, however, the Eastern sec
ton mansaed still to retain its prepondersnce in
the Legislature and by consequence its control of
the State government. That section was accused
of abusing this power, especially in the matter OF
State expenditures for internal Improvements,
which were oLfoed almost entirely to the country
east of the Blue Ridge The qusrrel grew so warm
that in 1917 the Western section began to agitsts
for division of tho State. This edt new consti-
tutiopal Convention and to the present Constitution
BY which the Western section gained the triumph
of an election Of the Governor, not by the Legs
lature, but by the people, and of House OF hep
resentatives based on the white population-the
Eastern section retaining only the Senate the ap-
portionment for which is based on taxation or, in
other words, on the number of slaves.
In the present canvass, Mr.. Goggiu, who be.
lores to the Eastern section, counts considerably
on the support to be derived from the local East
ern feeling While the selection Of Mr.. Letcher
by the Sh,m Democratic party m their candidate
was mainly brought about by the circumstance
that, being Western man, the local Western
feeling might be counted upon as likely to operate
in his favor.
As yet, the canvass of the candidates has been
mainly confined to the Valley Of Virginia, which,
though reckoned a part of the West, yet, from
the considerable number Of its slaves, has
a certain degree of sympathy with the East
ard may be- considered a sort of neutral
ground. The charge which Goggin brings
ssainst bis opponent, of having been con-
cerned in 1ai7 in the projects then on foot for
dividing the State Lst:ber is able to parry BY
showing that in l9i7 the counties of the Valley
took pretty generally the same view. When the
discussion is transferred, as il is about to be, to
the east eide of the Blue Ridge, Goggin will no
doubt press this point with more energy and more
{ fleet, while the reply which Letcher makes to it
in the Valley will not on the other side of the
mountains answer by any means so well.
Closely connected with this charge against Letch-
err of seeking to divide the State, is another ofwans
of orthodoxy on the Slavery question. One argu-
ment IN favor of the division was that the West
which was Substantially freelabor country, might
as separate State, easily get rid of the evils Of
SlAvery-evls which were described with conside
rs5le energy in pa implicit, by the Rev. DIR. Ruff
ner, published about that time, and to the circula
ton Of which Mr.. Letcher is accused Of having
contributed. He, Of course, totally disavows any
present sympathy with any of tie ideas or opinions
Of that pamphlet. He is IS much an adnirer OF
Slavery ard as Thoroughly devoted to its perpetus.
ton ard extension as Mr. Gosgin bimseh and he
in turn carries the war into the camp of the enemy