Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-04-05

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come this new Weekly to our exchange list,
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Prom the Wytheville Telegraph
MEssRs. CLAY AND sANDIDGE.
PROUD Tributes TO joins LETcHER-
Last Wednesday, the 10th March. was a
day which the Democracy of Wvthe will not
soon forget. Most heartily do we wish that
erery Democrat in Virginia could have been
present to enjoy the rich treat spread before
us-to have been stirred up to q doubling Of
his diligence in the good cause, and to have
listened to n triumphant vindication Of our
principles and our candidate.
On the evening of the 18th instant, Hon.
| Clement c. Clay, Jr.. Senator in Congress
from .Alabaml. and Hon. j. NJ. Sandidgc. en-
member of Congress from Louisiana, arrived
at the Wytheville Depot. on their way home.
accompanied by their families. Mrs. Sandige
had been seized with sudden illness on the
cars. and her friends felt called upon to halt
and allow her the benefit Of a days repose.
Such an occasion, to be sure, of the visit Of
these distinguished gentlemen, was much to
have been regretted vet, the fair lady having
! quite recovered before leaving. we may be Al.
lowed to mingle with our regrc; on her account
our congratulations in view Of the event on
our own.
As soon. on Wednesday morning, as il WAS
known that these gentlemen were iE orr town,
! a number Of citizens determined to call them
| out in relation to political matters. and proper
steps were taken to that end. The County
! Court, then in session. agreed TO adjourn at a
convenient hour, so as to allow the courthouse
to be occupied; and there, after dinner, Assem-
hlcd a large and intelligent audience no small
portion of which consisted Of the fair danes
and sweet damselS Of onr village and neishhor.
hood. Few OF our friends from the country,
except the grand jury. were prcsent-owing IL
the shortness Of time allowed to give motive.
Senator Clay first addressed the audience
He has held, we believe, the post OF Judge-
and We were struck by the calm, judicial style
in which he addressed himself To his work.
His effort was wholly eXtemporancous and I'M
studied-there had been no time for prepare
tion-yet all was compact, logical, chaste, AMI
| cogcnt; and at times he broke into efforts oi
, oratorical power and beauty that were mos,
striking and effective. We have not time or
ability to follow him through the details Of his
address. Suffice it to say that his topics were
we'll chosen, and handled in a mastery manner
that his whole effort was n powerful and con.
elusive defence of Democratic principles. inca.
sures, and men. Senator Clay is too well
known to the country and to our party to need
culogium from us.
But there were two topics Of especial inter
est on which Judge Clay dwelt with fervent
earncstness, and which must he particularly
mentioned. lie has served six years in Con.
gress with John Letcher, during two of them
lived in the same mess. He is Senator from 4
great Southern State, whose destiny is depen.
dent upon the maintenance Of Southern rights
and the preservation Of Southern institutions.
In regard to slavery, he is a Pharisee of the
st~raitest sect-none can doubt his fidelity
fool only could imagine him to he wavering, or
inclined to tolerate an unsound man-yct, he
said, John Letcher Is a sownd enough South
ern man for me-" II have" said Senator
Claw. sheen called a fire-cater, a secessionist, 4
disunionist-I will not stop now to speak Of
all that repeat that | know John Letcher
we'll, have watched his course. heard his
speeches, noted his votes, and that for six
wears; and he IS GOOD ENOUGH SorTnEHH MAN
FOR ME-" Again he broke forth in n strain OF
mingled power and beauty: God bless Nir.
ginia; her delegation in Congress have been,
since I knew them, patriotic and %vigilant, and
true and unSclfsh; but among the most devoted
of the patriotic, the mos, vieilant of the watch
full. the most unselfsh of the pure. and the
most answering Of the friends Of the South,
has been Honest John Lctchcr.' There i,
not a man sounder on the slavery question
than John Lecther-to impeach him on that
question is a calumny and a shame SO said
the Alabama Senator.
Mr.. Clay dwelt with great force on the i'm
p~ortance Of the coming election in Virginia.
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 of Virginia were successful,
he believed all would be well. He said that
not only was the contest eagerly watched in
the South, but that it would have a vast Intiu'
ence in the coming elections even in such a
State as Ohio; and that he believed the re-elec'
ton of the gallant PuGh depended on the re-
suit Of the Virginia election. lie especially
warned the Opposition party Of Virginia that
they did not possess the sympathy OF the
South; and that their success could only re-
dound to the benefit Of Black Republicanism.
When Judge Clay concluded, a call was
made upon Hon. John N. Santhdse. which
compelled him to rise, though he had not in
tended so to do-for h. was both sick and ia
tigued. His address was short, but 1t was
powerful and impressive-at times almost over
whelming in the fiery vchemcnce with which
he denounced the misdeeds Of the "opposi
ton party. and the DANCE. to which they
were rccklessly exposing the South and IT.
institutions. Judging from the specimen
which we heard, this gentleman must be
powerful and influential debater: and w.
cannot wonder that he came within a single
vote Of unscating Mr.. Benjamin ut the reccn
Senatorial election in Louisiana. lie. too, pair
the highest tribute to the character and cours'
Of Mr.. Letchcr. He treated with the lndi:
nation it deserves. the miserable effort To cas-
a doubt on John Ictcher's soundness OF
the slavery question. He served four year
with Mr.. L.etcher. had even belonged TO tn
same mess with him, and, said Mr.. Sandidge
"If John Letcher is unsound upon the question
of slavery. then | am unsound also, and there
no sound man."
We have attempted hut n rneagre sketch q
what was said by both gentlemen; but we icl
it due to the Democracy Of Virginia and theI
standard-bcarer, that such testimony as thl
should be made known. The evidence Of sucI
men as Sandidge and Clay outweighs the twad
die of a myriad Of pot-housc babblers am
Ruffner pamphlet smatterers.
Our distinguished friends left on the evenin
train for their homes in the sunny South, cal
rying with them the cordial thanks and goo
wishes of all who had been delighted and in
structcd and encouraged by their clo!uence.
-
CEssIoN or FEEIEE ISLANDS TO GREAT BIZ
rAIS.--On the 18th Of September last, a forma
deed Of ~cession of the Fecjeen Archipelago t.
her Britannia Majesty, was executed by tho u
niralu Of Bsu. claiming supremacy. as Tui Vii