Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-19
Hen. John Letchcr and the People Of the
Tenth Legion.

The nomination of VIM. L. Goggin by
ths opposition convention, which met in
Richmond, presents the question Of who
shall be their next Governor, practically
and definitely to the minds Of the people Of
Virginia. It is now for them to say wheth-
Or they will ignore tried and trusted public
servant, who has done great and valued SER
vice to the State, and who has long borne,
and what is more extraordinary in these
times Of degenerate politicians, deserved the
sognomen of "honest." And for whom p
for a man, who in himself, presents no
claims to transcendent worth and ability -
for the nominee Of party whose name in
dicates its fundamental and sole principle
Of opposition to everything which exists,
whether good or bad-whose only aim is
70 undermine and snatch from us our pres
EFT system of politics and government,
without q thought of substituting anything
IN its place, whether good, bad or indiAer-
ent. Edmund Burke, with austere irony
described the French Revolutionists as
magnificent architects Of ruin" The
sneer well applies to the platform Of the
Know Nothing party.
Scan the records of its members, read
the platform laid down by its convention,
and say does not everything portend ruin
and anarchy, and is there anything which
promises reconstruction Of the scattered
elements of Government
But it is the people Of the Tenth Legion
70 whom we especially appeal, to rally
around their long trusted and favorite
statesman. What is the issue, the only
issue, which will be made against Mr..
Letcher in this canvass It is that he was
in 1847 Of the opinion that slavary was
political evil in Western Virginia, that is
that slave labor did not pay. Now we bold
" ask the people of Western Virginia, did
not large majority Of you think with him
at that time and now are you willing to
confess yourselves unsound on that vital
question, by tacitly asserting by your votes
his unftness for the post of Governor of
slave-holding Virginia, because of his ex-
pressed opinion then which opinion was
sanctioned and approved by you? We re-
peat. will the people Of Western Virginia so
stultify and convict themselves? Is it not
apparent to them into what an awkward
and embarrassing position the opposition
wish them to place themselves?
Again, has not his soundncss on this
question, been over and over again confess
cd by the people of the Tenth Legion, of
al parties, by his repeated election to Con-
gress? Have not the democracy invariably
voted for him en- masse, and a majority Of
the wings endorsed him, even when one of
their own party was in the field? Now, if
Mr.. Letcher is sound enough for Congress,
is he not sound enough for Governor p
Will you, Wings and Americans, so stultify
yourselves as to say to the country, 1--WE
have repeatedly endorsed this mans politi-
cal anticedents, we have repeatedly aided
by our votes, to send him to Congress even
when one from among us was his opponent,
but believing he is unsound on the most vi
tai questions of the day, we are unwilling
that he should be our chief magistrate p
In other words, are you willing to confess
that you have been voting for an abolition
iA for Congress, for fifteen years? We
shall see.