Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-09
From the Wytheville Telegraph.
MessrS. Clay and Sandidge.
PROUD fKIbuTRs To JOHN LErcnER

Last Wednesday, the 10th March, was
day which the Democracy Of W ythe will not
soon forget. Most heartily do we wish that
e0e'y Democrat in Virginia could have
been present to enjoy the rich treat spread
before us to have been .'stirred up to a
doubling of his diligence" in the good cause,
and to have listened to triumphant vindi-
cation Of our principles and our candidate
There were two topics of especial interest
on which Judge Clay dwelt with fervent
earnestness, and which must be particularly
mentioned. He has served six years in Con-
gress with John Letcher, and during two of
them lived in the same mess. He is Senator
from great Southern State, whose destiny
is dependent upon the maintenance ofSouth-
ern rights and the preservation of Southern
institutions. In, regard to slavery, he is a
Pharisee Of the straitest sect-none can
doubt his fidelity --a fool only could imagine
him to be wavering.4 or inclined to tolerate
an unsound man-yet he said, ssJohn Le tcher
Is q sound enough Southern n,ass for nse' p
Il have" said Senator Clay, s.been called
fre-eater, secessionist disunionist-
will not stop now to speak-of all that re-
peat that !. know John Letcher well. have
watched his course, heard his speeches, no.
ted his votes, and that for six years: and
HE IS GOOD ENOUGH soUTHEAN NAN FOR ME ?
Again he broke forth ina strain oil. mingled
power .aDd beauty: "God bless Virginia;
her delegation in Congress have been, since
I knew them, patriotic and vigilant, and
true and unsel6sh; but among the most
devoted of the patriotic, the most vigilant,
of the watchful, the most unselfsh Of the
pure, and the most answering of the friends
of the South, has been Honest John Letch-
err" There is not man sounder on the
slavery question than. John Letcher---t to inn
peach him on that question is a calumny and
shame" So said the Alabama Senator
Mr.. Clay dwelt with great force on the
importance of the coming election in Vir-
GINA. He declared it to, be the turning
point in the great contest which is to be
finished in 1860; that if Letcher should be
beaten, the party would be broken down in
the South and West, and the election of a
Black Republican made certain in the next
national contest; but that if the Democracy
tof Virginia were successful, he believed all
would be we'll He said that not only was
the contest eagerly watched in the South
but that il would have vast Influence in
4 the coming elections even in such State
as Ohio; and that he believed the re-elee.
ton Of the gallant Pugh depended on thu
result of"the Virginia election. He espe
Fcially warned the Opposition party Of Viz.
! ginia that they did not possess the sympathy
Of the South; and that thor success coult
only rebound to the benefit Of Black Re
publicanism.
When Judge Clay concluded, call wa
made upon Hon. John NJ. Sandidge, which
compelled him to rise though he had not in
tended SO to do-for he was both sick and ia
tigued. His address was short, but it wa
powerful and impressive-at times almos
I overwhelming il the fiery vehemence wit
!. which he denounced the misdeeds Of tn
4 Composition" party, and the danger to whic
they were recklcssly exposing the South an
t its institutions. Judging from the speci
men which we. heard, this gentleman mus
be. a powerful and influential debater; an
), we cannot wonder that he came within
single vote Of unseating Mr.. Benjamin a
the recent Senatorial election in Louisiana
} He too, paid the highest tribute to tho .charac
ter and course Of Mr.. Letcher. He treate
: with the Indignation it deserves the. miser
, bic effort to cast doubt on John Letcher'
soundness on the slavery question, II
, served four years with Mr.. Letcher, ha
even belonged to the same mess with him
and, said Mr.. Sandidge, IF John Letche
is unsound upon the question Of slavery
then | am unsound also, and there is n
sound man -