Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-09-19

$50, go. s. NV. fauss ana corrup;ipn sustain final
The health OF Robert Ridgway the thsselicr BAY
ard OF The Wing party Of Virginia"
After the applause with which this NJ M ,r..
edhad subsided Mr. Rdgway rose and spoke as follow
Nm. RipawAyS srKrcp
To havc>becn selected BY YOU rentemcp-, ,,or,;o,
OF inc small bnt jealous and indomtablc band of the
wings OF Lunenburg-as the object of eomplimentar,
demonstration so unmeritcd and so generous could no,
but awaken emotions OF gratitude and pride-
the festive board and parake of your hospitahty w,s
actuated, L assure you, by no petty promptinps OF
personal vanity and no desire for personal snl,v
, other invitations oil similar character, from my
wing brethren IN other sections of the State had pr
vousy declined because they sprang mainly though,
from the too warm partiAity OF personal friendship and
esteem But the with which you had IN. kin,ne.-
to honor me, felt embarrassment or iecacy In -
cepting, inasmuch rs personally stranger %
nearly all of you, and as construed it. not as r,rs
personal compliment TO myself, but as a tribute prnc
paly, the political faith that Is in me- aud in Won .nd
in those other seventy odd thousand noble aud lero;c
spirits who in the late election rallied around the stand
ard OF tue gallant Goggn-a man whose name shall hc
& memory DEAR inasmuch rs he accented th. ia,
chp OF the scattered Wing clans of Virginia at mos,
critical uncture, and faced and fought the common enc.
my with zeal perseverance, and all inrepidity unsur.
passed in political and When hundreds and
ands OF others stood coldly and timidly aocf doubling
and trembling, with no somachs for the fray and with
cheering and sustaining faith in the ultimate rumph of
| uu and patriotism. All honor then tn Vim T. 1;o,
gin, the dauntles leader OF forlorn hope-the rusty
champion of downirodden, but ever-halowed cause
| IN
the wife of his bosom and his BARNS the sunshine of
unhrOken happiness and peace
repeat gentlemen, that interpret the present de-
nonStration testimony YOUR mart TO the truth md
vitality Of great and comnoa cause the final sue
cess Of which true whig should ever permit himself
TO doubt In 20 far, however, as it may be intended as
personal TO myself the conductor of the leading whr
Journal OF the State, sincerely and heartily thank YOU
for it. coupled with the that shall hold the
kindness thus manifested towards BY my Wing friends
o: Luneuburg in grateful and perpetual rcmembranre
he hone hat
come among you personally ''unknowng and unknown
the present. occasion may be the beginning of attach
mcnts formed and fri, udships established between us
which shall knoSto te Close neither variableness nor
| shadow OF turning
Not for the purpose gentlemen of making an clabo-
rate let speech, do appear before YOU on the ysent
occasion. am here simply mingle and commune with
you in unrcseryed and social way and not assur,
yon, TO intict upon you tedious political harancue |
shall rejoice, however, should bc able say ANYTHING
for our mutual encouragement in that mighty warfare in
which We have been long engaged aud wL;c Is men
and patriots, bound wage INCREASINGLY untyic.
tory has crowned efforts an thc government been
wrested from the hands OF tue deccverS and the opprs
sors OF the people Take it all in all gentlemen no par.
~ has ever existed in any age country, actuaed by
| Purer motives aiming higher, more patriotic and
more unsesh ends, than that Of which the evcrlorious
aud immortal Statesman of the West the founder
she leader, the very ombodment-than that of which we
here to-day proud 20 call ourselves members and the
principles OF which, 10y the help OF Heaven we are re-
solved to cling and uphold through good and through
evil report-ihrough sunshine ana through storn-in
! prosperity and in adversely.
Never, gentlemen, do feel myself more of A Wing
and more determined TO remain Whig unchanged aud
Interchangeable than in the trying hour of defeat and dis
aSterwhen timd friends desert and false friends betry
aud victorious enemy exus and SCOTS and the future
may be appears all gloom and darkness That i the hour
for testing the faith the patriotism the metal of men
and fortunate is ne whom in that hour the devil of De-
mocracy temps not TO his fall and his ruin For unlike
the Tempter of old the Democracy possess power and
hold in their hands offices emouments and rev ards
and these the agencies they employ for the seduction
lsst a unO-
love sPous more than principle, and for whom conse-
quently minority party has no attractions. We have
hal in our ranks, gentlemen, many morally weak
and pitiAbie Whgs hke these-men who have deserted
20 the Democracy because the Democracys eXchequer
was full and ours Was empty-men who had nothing OF
the martyr the patriot the their compositions
hut all ANIMAL with p'eHty of stomach, and soul -
but thank God the hg party of Virgiua and the Union
is at last purged Of all this vicious and demoraizng stuff
and stands forth to-day the embodiment and the emblem
OF political disIntetesedness and purity which you Will
IN vain search for in any other existing political organa-
ton and which constitutes indeed the best and surest hope
Strike ont of existence at Ibis Rog H e We Sf laee
national truly progressive Opposition party of the Union
and you annihla;e that without which honestly be.
eNe, there can be no redemption for this miSCuverned
and distracted land. Ii Is the Heaven which is to
he dilasrd through all other party organizations
which ia 10 save the Constitution from dissertation
and the mon from overthToN-which il 10 open
up for a and brighter future-which l. 10
restore purity the Government, honesty to politics
and peace and prosperity TO the country. If the
described, then indeed will our condition be n meancho-
" onc-for with without the power other party
has the deposition undertake the great and indspen-
sable work of political reform. To you Wings of Lu-
ncnburg in conjunction with your Wing brethren
throughout Virginia and the Union belongs the high and
enviAble duty OF reducing chaos order, renovatng
the politics OF the country, nauguratng pure and wise
administration Of Government State and Federal and
preserving unimPared the noble free institutions be-
qnclthed by the venerated fathers OF the Repub-
lie. And though tempess psy and demons howl meet
| WI
courage with indomi;able purpose 70 triumph over
I'll difficulties, and yet with uufalterng trust in
Providence and the people, and you shall yet lift your
bleeding country from the DUST and place it on an en-
inence Cf power aud glory, aud happiness without
ample in the history of the ages that lie behind
No only party Of pare motives and patriotic objects
but the Wing party Virginia particularly has been the
prosecuted and oppressed party that ever existed
certainly, in this free and independent Republic and
but for it. patient and awabidug disposition revolution
and civil would long since perhaps have done their
appointed work amongst Forone, gentlemen ney-
er think OF that outrageous and infamous Gerrymander
which put upon us by an arrogant and despotic
Democratic Legislature eight years ago that
do not feel the very blood bubble and boil within me
That wa act Oi unequalcd party arociy which al.
nit OF no defense Tahiton excuse. II was an act
openly and hagrauty and dcsignedy yolatiye of the
very spirit and letter Of the Constitution which de.
c'ares that the Congressional districts shall be laid
oil cmHydchV, and shall b. composed Of configu.
o'' counties. Did that Democratic Legislature in
experiencing the state, obey, seek 10 obey. thi'
plain, positive and uncquvOca command of the Constitu.
Alouf rake the AlDeuGrie district, Tor example. and
who will say that that is compact district that the
counties Of Bedford and Greene contgno, TO each
ohery And, Of every other district in the State
there il not Of them but formed in utter and
contemplation disregard Of the binding obligations Of the
Constitution, your among the number. That Gerry
minder, therefore, odiOus of usurplton tyr
amy and pros crp:on totally without precedent in free
and popular Governments. BY il seventy thousand Yr
gnil voters and taxpayers practically disfanchs
ed and denied the right Of representation in Congress
and taxation without representation Is that the very
essence and quutessence Of despOc rule aud
against such an alarming and dangerous assumption
power that the men Of &c took up armsy Such being
the nature Of the Gerrymauder act and such the anmu
Of it, Democrats trainers who could have blamed th,
Wings Of the state If tey had siorny and indignant,
refused submission to IL, and appealed % the 10
. -ic Of the cartrdge-box to vindcate their right
aud privileges, guaranteed by the Constitution
, aud consecraied by the sacrifices aud the bloc,
Of their aihers2 As Tor myself have often declared
publicly and privately, and here to-day boldly eerat.
the declaration tlatf had then been the conductor
lcadnE public journal, should have clamored for re-
s'iance and revolution day 10 and day out and shout.
never have ceased camorng until the dominant party had
ughiei this gricyor aTOng, and restored the Whigs oil
me state 70 ioOn. Of perfect political equality with
tlcueIves. speak plainly and pointedy gentlemen
hut only give Efterluye To- tie deep, earnest and do,
hbcr1te convictions Of my mild aud heart and by thes,
CONVICTIONS expect 20 live aud die For 20 far a, in
justice aud tyranny concerned that liuc tax upor
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