Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-08-23
Onnosition Meeting.

yusta, at the Court House, on Monday, the 2Hd
inst on motion of Bolivar Christian, Col. VIM.
A. Bell was appointed Chairman, and l.. Wad-
dell, jr., Secretary.
ON motion of Hon. Alex. H. 81. Stuart, the
Chairman appointed the following Committee TO
prepare resolutions: Messrs. A. Il. ID. Stuart,
Bolivar Christian, VIM. NJ. Tate, John Newton,
Jos. A. Waddell, j. Givens Fulton, and Col.
Geo. g. Robertson, who, after consultation, re-
ported the following:
A portion of the people of Augusta county,
having assembled in public meeting, at their
Court House, to consider the propriety OF send
inc delegates to the Convention proposed to be
held in Richmond, on the 7th of October next,
deem the occasion appropriate for the expression
of their opinions on several matters of public pol
lev. which have attracted the attention, and, to
some extent divided the sentiment of the country.
Experience has demonstrated the incapacity,
or indisposition of the leaders of the democratic
party, to fulfill their fair promises to the people.
Their whole financial policy has proved to be
failure Instead of reducing the expenditures of
the Government, which they charged to be ex-
travagant, they have more than doubled them
Instead of administering the Government In the
true spirit of the Constitution, and carefully OBJ
staining from the exercise of all doubtful powers,
thew have startled the country BY unprecedented
assumptions of authority not granted by the Oon-
sttution, and by the demand for others, OF the
most alarming Character,
Instead of providing revenue adequate to
the wants of the Government economically adj
ministered, they have been content to meet the
increasing expenditures by the issue of Treasury
notes and loans, until the national debt has been
swelled TO an enormous aggregate lnsteao Oh
having q proper regard to the protection OF A.
merican industry, and the promotion OF our ag-
rcultural interests, in the adjustment OF the du-
ties levied upon foreign merchandise, they have
nermitted the great interests of american labor
TO laneuish our factories and furnaces to be clos
ed, and our teeming crops to lie in our granares,
for the want of that encouragement which would
stimulate industry to active eEertiop, and afford
home market for the products of our farms.
Instead of restoring harmony and tranquility
to the confederacy, by q broad, comprehensive,
and national policy, looking to the welfare OF the
whole country, they have originated and advo-
Gated series of mischievous measures which
have tended to ferment jealousies and increase
dissensions between the North and the South,
to such degree, rs TO endanger the stability OF
the Union. Claiming to be the exclusive cham
pions of the South, every movement which they
have made, has been detrimental to Southern IN
terests, and their Kansas Nebraska policy has
been Justly pronounced, by the most sagacous
Southern Senator of their own party, "a deusion
and snare"
For these, and many other reasons not neces
sary to be stated here, we believe that the lead
ers of the Democratic party are no longer enti-
tied to public confidence, and that their contin-
uance in power would be disastrous to the best
interests of the nation.
Y We believe, further, that the present is an
suspicious time for the Inauguration OF popular
movement, in which all conservative Union
loving men, North and South, East and West
will unite, to rebuke the misdeeds of the admin
istration, and put the seal of condemnation alike
on the demagogues of the slaveholding and nom
slave holding States, who have sought to array
one section of the country against the other, and
thereby TO enfeeble the sacred ties by which
we are united together as one people. =
/. ResoIced therefore, That in our opinion the
Democratic Administration has falsi6ed its
pledges to the people of the United States, and
by its wasteful extravaganza in the public ex
penditures, wilful neglect of the substantial In
terests of the people, and mischievous sectional
poicy. has forfeited all claims to the confidence
of the country.
Q. Resolued, That we hold it to be the duty
of the government of the U. S. to provide by law
a revenue adequate to the wants OF an economl.
cal administration, and that this revenue should
| be derived from tax on foreign merchandise
so adjusted as incidentally to afford protection to
| American industry in all it's departments, by en-
couragipg domestic manufactures, stimulating
internal commerce, and securing home market
to the farmer and the planter, and checking the
expectation of gold and silver from the country.
8. Resolued, That the public domain of the u.
States is the common property OF all the states,
and that Congress is the common trustee for all,
and that any disposition of it or lis proceeds,
which is not general in its character and es.
sentially equal, is in violation of the trust and
merits the condemnation of the people.
4. Resoloed, That we are infexibly opposed to
the re.opening of the African Slave Trade, not
only because it would be in violation Of one OF
the compromises entered into by our fathers,
cotemporaneously with the adoption OF the Con
stitution, but also because we believe it would
be opposed to the sentiment of the civilized
world, injurious to the interests OF the South,
and dangerous to the peace and tranquility OF
the Union.
5. ResoEued, That we earnestly depreoate the
further agitation of the irritating questions con-
nected with the institution of slavery. We be-
lieye that those questions have been unnecessa-
rily forced upon the consideration of Congress
and the people, and that their introduction into
the political arena, has been prompted oy no
spirit of patriotism, nor even by sincere regard
for the interests of either section OF The Union,
but that they have been the ingenious devices OF
ambitious men, north and south, to excite sec
tional animosities, and thereby advance their
own selfish and unhallowed purposes.
6. Resolusd, That the Kansas Nebraska policy
and all the measures which were Its accessories
and incidents, were in no wise beneficial to ell
Their section of the Union, and, in our Judgment
were, so far as the south was concerned, "a de-
fusion and a snare"
7. Rssolued, That the contested questions in
regard to the interference by Congress with the
institution of slavery, have ceased to be practlca
questions, and do not now demand consideration
by the national Legislature. We therefore are
content to let the subject stand as 1t now stands,
and adjourn the discussion of all merely specula-
tive topics until they shall assume practical
character.
8. Resogoed, That we cordially approve the
proposition to hold a convention in the city OF
Richmond of all those opposed to the policy OF
the present administration, and we earnestly
hope it may be productive of beneficial results
by suggesting basis on which all the conserv-
alive elements of opposition may cordially unite
for the purpose of rescuing the government from
the hands of those who have proved themselves
faithess or incompetent servants
9. Resolped, That the chairman of this meet.
ing be instructed to appoint six delegates to
represent this county in that Convention, and
that the delegates so appointed be authorized in
case any of their number shall fail to attend, to
supply their places, so as to insure the atten-
dance of full delegation.
10 Rnonlna1 Thnt whila we deem IL inAXna.