The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-30
BALTIMORE.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 80, 1859.

The State of Virginia has not witnessed for |
many wears so exciting canvass, as that which Is
now being carried on between JOHN LETcHER, the |
Democratic candidate for Governor, and WILLIAM
T. GoGGIN the candidate of the opposition. In the |
annals of party warfare we have rarely seen re-
corded such cruelties as have been praciced-imag
the gentlemen we have named, upon |
each other If Mr.. LETCHER's friends are to be be-
Ieved, ohonest JoHN' is cruel Ogre of the most
onnroved nursery-tale pattern, with similar pro-
pensities for human fesh and equal powers of di-
oestion. Mr.. GoGGIN on the other hand, if we are |
TO credit his partisans, is what Senator THOMPSON
would call a ''bloody old bruiser," whose only de-
light is to pummel the aforesaid Ogre, 'honest
JOHN LETcHER" hesufferings of botl-on paper
have been painful in the extreme; but thus
far Mr. GoGGIN is reported 10 have had the
worst of it. In fact, the crueltles to which,
it is ALLEGED, he has been subjected by his
rival Mr.. LETCHER, may be truly said to be with
out parallel. Forty times during the canvass
in Western Virginia. various Democratic journals
have solemnly assured their readers that
tsIETcHER has swallowed GoGGN whole"
cautious in his statements, simply declares
that "GoGGIN has been perfectly used up"
But another, who processes to have been an
eyewitness of the feat, asserts that the wretched
GoGGM 'Fwas swept fore and aft by canister,
''grape and small shot, was fayed, pounded,
''lhrashed, lacerated and pummelled to jelly;
''was ground TO pieces, chopped into mince meat,
'sand then-swallowed whole" Incredible as it
may appear, it is nevertheless true that during the
time the unhappy GoGGN was undergoing this
horrible treatment Norfolk paper was adding to
his fortunes by exclaiming:
Who opposed the annexation of TexasP
WM. L. GOGGIN
Who voted against admitting Slave State into the
Unionp
Who voted to make army retreat in Mexico?
WIN. l.. GOGGIN.
Who gave laid and comfort to the enemy in the Next
War by his votes and speech
WIN. l.. GOGGIN.
Who received ss24 for services rendered Con-
VIM. L. GoGGIN
Who voted to tax tea and coffee'
WIN. L. GOGGIN.
That gentleman, who, on one occasion, had been
''mildly devoured;" on a second, 'catawompous-
sly chawed up" on third "massacred;" and
who, finally had been ''ground to pieces and
SWALLOWED whole" should not only have sur
vved these several processes, but should be in
condition to retaliate upon his chief adversary, is
one of those marvels which it would puzzle
philosopher to explain. Yet, if we may credit
the assertions of his friends, the same Mr.. GoGGN,
who was confidently reported as having disap-
peared down the throat of the rival candidate,
was seen soon afterwards "dealing his blows
''thick and fast on the unlucky head of JOHN
FLETCHER every one of which went home with
t'telling effect" Who JOHN LETCHER is, it is very
probable that most of our readers already know;
but it may be interesting to them to learn that,
with regard to personal appearance, he ''is the
"personifcation of one of the first families of Vr
"ginia-dresses fne-wears large gold spectacles
Glow down on his nose-has a red head and a fair
'skin''-all of which we take for granted are dis
tinguishing characteristics of the F. F. VS.. But
il sounds little queer to those who have certain
fixed ideas relative to time and space to learn,
that while Mr.. GoGGTN was thus furnishing Mr..
LETCHER in Western Virginia, Mr. J. R. CRENsHAw
was pounding away at the same Mr.. LETcHER, in
Richmond. "CRENsHAw," says the Richmond
Wing, Shit poor LETCHER many hard lick, and
''wincing under them with our own eyes" After
this ocular demonstration of the fact, who would
dare to doubt that persons who are pummelled
vigorously must suffer terribly? But besides
direct assaults upon each other, both Gubernational
candidates are subjected to indirect blows which
are ostensby aimed at their particular friends and
partisans. Mr.. GOGGIN is made to suffer for the
sins of the Hon. JOHN NJ. Boris, and Mr.. LETC1iER
for those of DR.. RUFFNER. The Wings and
Americans of Virginia, while assembled in Conven-
ton, passed a resolution endorsing the nomination
ofGoGGIN, and expressing 'their delight and salts
''faction at the able and conclusive address
delivered before the Convention by the Hon
JOHN NJ. Boris. Upon this text the
Warrenton Flag thus magniloquently discourses
" Delight and Smisfactionr What an intense
thug for the Immortal How the language
''caresses and embraces him as with belly-band
GLOW lovingly the unanimous Convention folds
''his swelling proportions within its Briarean
EARNS. Dearest of all the bisons that roam those
''distant praries of the West, whose wide expanst
"seems to reach the fecked horizon Martyr O
''martyrs Peerless patriot Oh /! great batter
cling ram (f thou wilt be called Rdm vouch
"sate to us repose upon thy shaggy locks; food
''from thy COrnUcopia of vast wisdom and illimit.
Gable patriotism; seat upon thy lofty teryum for
''our dear Bones recarnfed and revivifed, and
''above all the liberty of hanging to the first OF
call caudal appendages- Shine OWE magnificent
"TALE." There's eloquence Mr.. LETCHER, how
ever, fares no better, and the very impartiality
with which these castigatons are dealt out, and
the philosophical indifference with which they arc
submitted to by the respective aspirans for guber-
material honors, render the narrative Of the con-
test much more amusing than it would be other
wise. The chief thorn in Mr.. LETCHER's side i:
the RuFFNER pamphlet-a brochure in favor of tn,
gradual extinction of slavery in Virginia. Tt
this policy Mr.. LETCHER was, many years ago
rather decidedly inclined. He subsequently re
canted but the odium of favorng it still cings t.
him. In the eyes of the people of Eastern Vr
ginia he had committed an objectionable sin. l
is his vulnerable point, and the opposition ar
making the most of it. A writer in the Richmond
Wing, in reviewing RUFFNER's pamphlet, take
particular pains tospread himself. He has ransacke
thedictionary orevery possible epthet he could hea
upon the head of the devoted LETCHER. He denie
tnS pOlllCtl vi HoneSI JohNj Hc eNTl
impeaches his sanity. He calls him "a phrenzie
''seer''-a ''man of Bedlam''-a 'sworse than Gin
Observation-Disclosures thrice dyed in the WOOL" an
finally he closes communication of four column
in length with appeal which, to US, appears to as
simulate very closely to what some persons woul'
call the phrenetical strain. To the argument tina
Mr. LETCHER had recanted his old heretical opn
ions, the writer replies: ''Treason for day, i
''treason for whole eternity. 'Recantation,' no
tthe waters of the ocean, cannot wipe it away
sIt is there, in its hdeous embodiment forever
"JUDAs IsCARIoT betrayed his master-he repente
would have recanted-and hung himself
'Better for Virginia that JOHN LETcHER should hav
chung himself, than that Virginia should not onl,
'pardon a treason unpardonable, but reward tn
'treason with her highest honors" After thi
follows the grand finale. 'sYoung men of Vir
'ginia-patriotic We are brave and chiva, on
"-tarnish not your escutcheon by listening to tn
'tspoilsmen Virginia expects every man to d
'his duty; and this glorious UNION looks upon yo
awith pride and hope You battle for Virgini
''and the UNION Let the loud peals of you
''bugle blasts sweep over the hills and valleys {
'Virginia-and, with armor buckled on, an
'tyour flag unfurled from the outer wall, rally t
'the rescue; and swear upon the consecrated altar
''of holy patriotism, that Virginia shall be dc
'1vered from the plunderers and spoilsmen, re