Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-04-26
THE CANVASS IN VIRGINIA.
I. kittors Of Ns E"gnr'r::

- ~ Adt' y 49,
PErEnsrrgc, Va, April 24th, 1853.
1t will be. in a few days. that the people Of
this undivided old Dominion will express their
choice OF the candidates for Governor, who
have been 80 busily and laboriouSlv engaged,
already for four weeks, in canvaSSing the State.
That sentence contains two topics that de-
,cr-c distinct notice. II suggests the c"nSldc-
ration Of the fact that it i expected BY the
people, that they who seek their SuiiragcS for
that hish Office, shall traverse the State in all
lis great extent. 10 address them from the hus-
tiny>. Isl not too vast a labor. and at too much
expense of time and money: Would not such
addresses bv the candidates, in this age Of un-
prccedented facilities for transmitting and i'm
parting Intelligence with ~ much accuracy as
rapidi,y. delivered at SAY half dozen points in
the State, and reported. or written out, for the
press. both >upcrccdc the necessity for the Ia
Dor and expense Of travelling and speaking, on
the par; of the candidates, and afford 4 better
opportunity for understanding their views Of
public policy, on the part Of the people: 1t is
proposed that nominating conventions shall
hereafter adopt this plan. By resolution. cX-
~elnptin. their nominees from that greater labor,
and indicating the points from which their
views shall 90 out to the whole State.
The other topic deserving to be distinctly no.
,icci which that first sentence Of this letter
contains. is. that of al the charges brought
against Mr.. L.etchcr. the gravcst Is, that he
once INDUCED the idea Of s~evcring the old State.
II is on the Young that this charge. founded in
fact, has had effect OF most fearful extent against
Mr.. Lctcher's success. The idea is no less of.
fcnsivc 70 tho old. At this time, than TO the
young; but the difference Is, the young men OF
the old State do not. so well as their elders, rcmcm.
Der how seriously and freely the division was
spoken Of and urged, in arguments having their
spring in interest, at the time and twenty years
before Mr.. L.etchcr expressed his willingness OF
desire (which ever it wasj to divide the State.
Scarcely anythin. could have prevented the
division in lS29-'30, except the presence Of
Madison and Marshall and some others of
scarcely less vcncrabilitv in that Convention.
Leigh said To .JDhHson, the East is constantly
callcluponto respect the feelings Of the West"
Wills, no body from the West seemed "t0 care
whether the Constitution was acceptable to the
Eas; or not" For like causes. about the time Of
the last Convention which formed our exist
ing Constitution. the idea was INDUCED of sepa-
rating. which no other one man did 50 much as
Wise then to prevent. But this time, as in the
former Convention. good men and patriots, in
the struggle for power on behalf Of their con.
stituents. did but too freely indulge the idea
of separation, "asa r.iagc .Tr"m greatcr etik."
And lust so it is in this day Of ours on the part
Of not a few, in respect to this great conicde.
racv of States. They talk of disunion as if
there would be n greater i'll. AS We are now free
from the excitement Of interest or other cause,
which at those two periods stimulated the idea Of
separation, to such free and frequent express
sion by such men. so, it is believed, that they
who are to come after us will be freed from the
influence ot the baleful causes which ut this
day stimulate (as ifbyth intoxication of liquor
this other idea of separating the Union, to free
and frequent expression. But fruitful Of
thoughts proper to be expressed, as this theme
is. these two topics must be dismissed. In
di,rnissing the last and the vastly more impor-
tant one, | beg to say, that although good men
and patriots, in times of high excitement, have
talked OF separating this State, no such dire
ills would have cnsued that event, deprecated
by them Is it always is when the excitement
is overpaSt,) as would ensure a dissolution Of
the mon oil which good men and patriots talk
under excitement. n il. were the crisis upon
them and they were towards, enough to talk
of it uncxcitcd and in earnest, "the smallest
thread that spider ever twisted from her
womb" would not las they may dreamy be
strong enough to strange them. Ii is alone,
and vet abundant,y. in the fact that Il separation
of the State which Mr.. I.etchcr gave into at
ono time, was spoken Of aS acceptable by as
p,lrc ~patriotS as have adorned her history, at
two recent periods, that he can be excused.
and h oucht to be excused. when, now, instead
of desiring a separation he is seeking to be the
representative Governor no less OF The East
than Of the West. lie would now 'kindlc n
flame CAS- Mr.. Baldwin said in the Convention
OF 30 which should find an altar in every
heart. : and throw upon our path
Of duty " strong and steady light, directing US
forward to the permanent welfare, safety and
honor oil Virginia" Time fails me to write
the length intended PrpLIrs.
Over five millions of dollars worth of new
buildings are now in course of erection in New
York.
Adam Orebaugh, postmaster at Jacksonville,
Ohio, has been arrested on the charge Of ritling