Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-03-22
Daily T'ir9inian.
From The Lexington Gazette
Tho Discussion at Lexington.

l'ctchcr aud our own gallant chici,ain, Vim. L.
toggin. We have reason To bo proud Of our stan
'lard bearer. mud if he continues 10 conduct the
canvass elsewhere with the same decided success
that ho did here. ho will not only cheer and en-.
| courage his own party friends and strengthen
their hearts mud hands, but hc will insprit the
timd and dcsponding aud win support from the
ranks oi his opponent. The chosen leader of the
democracy cannot begin to snnd before him. and
whatever MIR. l.ctchcr's prospects may have been
before the canvass opened II hcdnrs not mend his
hold and sustain his cause successlully, his
defeat is inevitable, We take it TINT Mr.. Lctchcr
is now nj his best. while Goggin is but whotting
up for n herccr conflict and when he does open
out in his full power, his opponent will be iayed
alive
Mr. Letchcr led Off in NJ good n speech as could
DO expected from man who was open to attack at
every point not only for his own sins. but also
iorthc dcnqucnccs OF the administration whosend
hctcnt he is. He opened with nm appeal to tho
sympathcS of his aud irnee-thnt he was here u
n,ongst those who had been his plnymatcs in boy
hood his companions in youth aud tho friends Of
his ripper years But rs Mr.. lrtchrr is not in the
hahit of doing up the pathetic, his nnrcnl hardly
caused the sympathetic chord of his honrcrs to Vi
hrntc.
lie then laid dawn the proposition. That IN nd
ministraton ;s responsible ly for such cApend.
tntos o' public money ns that nimlHlsiratio sub
mits aud recommends thro' the estimates of the
head, Of the departments Tint doctrine won't
hold water, for the veto power remains t. the
frcsidcnt, nnd II Congress mnkc injudiciuns np-
preparations. he can vea ,hrn,. nnl not dollar
cnn hc appropriated without bis sanction. Mr.
lrtchcr overlooked that.
Taking the proposition above stated M his text,
hc proceeded in his attempt Ia defend the Buchun-
AN administration from the charge of cxtravnc
md profllgary. ly showing that the expenses Of
the war. navy, and some other depart IN, nts Ind
IA ~ n nd N nboXp " hat thsy Hat
To. II TINT is the lactif tho regular departments
oi the government have not spent more thun they
were fairly and legtimntey entited To. we ask
Mr. lrchcr. whit hns become of the public
money! There were seventeen millions Of surplus
funds in the treasury when this administration
laid its clutches on it. That amount is gone. tho
government is in debt some forty fifty millions.
nnd the annual expenses of the government have
run up 10 eighty millions. How il this What
has become Of NIL this money if tie regulnr do
lartmcnis "i the government have not used it ? 1t
must have been st'acn hY tho administration Off
elnls. Perhaps Congress squandered it in useless
appropriations. II so why did Mr.. Lctchcr nlow
it, and why did not the President ycto NIL such
bills? Mr.. Lctrhcr. in this connection. made u
great oucry about II few thousands which the
Clerk "f former Congress. Mr.. Cullom. had ex.
pended over what he should II he ccnsures Mr..
tullom, with thousand fold more Justice should
be- come down on the startling extravaganza Of the
treasury from every department of tho govern
mcnt He then ma'lc lame apology for the neg
l'ct "i Congress To mnke appropriations for tho
Pos. Office department.
This Mr.. I.cichcrs defence of tho nd
ministration, and the strong part of his speech.
He then sought To defend his vote against tho
pension bill. Ile cxultcd in his voto admitting
Oregon into the Union, although her constitution
establishes the revolving principle of nlicn suf-
frage. lie nssailed Mr.. Goggin for his position
the Texas question in 1873, gloricd in tho Pres
iIents vet" of the Agricultural College hill. pitch.
cd into distribution, nssailed Bolts. Scott and
others. and sat down to receive thunder from Mr.
Goggin. His speech had NJ effect it met with but
feeble applause and uwnkcd no enthusiasm. II
was dodge from the renl issues Of tho canvass,
aud though ingenious, is was dead failure 80
far m its effect upon the audience were concerned
He must do better, or he is coner.
Mr. Goggin roso amid perfect tornado of mp
plauSc. lie greeted his audience, not ns early
companions, not ns associates OF his youth and
mnnhood: hut think God he greeted them as his
brethren as the citizens md sonsoi yet undivid-
ed Communw lie then hastily reviewed
Mr.. Letchcrs defence oi the President, and shut
down the matches On old Buck for his proilignto
ulministrat on. Took Mr.. Lctcher 10 task for his
own sins, told him that his weak attack on Gull
Ions extravaganza ,hsassault on Bolts aud others,
| was but tho kIn1li up of fires in the opposite
part of the field TO draw attention from the real
issues Of this canvass, and for covering up his own
faults. He held him to his own responsibility for
seeking to bring about division of the State and
! for mining to make Western Virginia n trec-soil
! State. Riliculed the idea Of his conversion in
! 1850, when he was candidate for seat in the
F, Convention. Likcned him to the Apostle Paul on
his way to Damascus to persecute the saints, his
| eyes were suddenly opened and great Ii ght shone
about So too with Mr.. Lctcher he was stone
blind in his abolition sins ill he got ON his way
| al,
J yonton, then, when he knew he would be beaten
| if he did not profess conyerson.the scale foil from
| his ewes and he changed his opinions. Mr. Cog
| gin told him that they were not engaged in the
! tla of Mr. Bolts or any other private citizen, and
! tina, he Mr.. H. was the last man who should as
all Bolts, since he H. had supported and voted
| for Martin Van Buren, after he had sought to en-
| graft on the State Constitution Of New York a
clause giving free negroes the right to vote. He
also took him to task for his position in the Ohio
! contested election case, between Campbell, who
| had been returned by the votes of thirteen free
negroes, and Valnndingham. Mr. l.. denied that
| he had voted to give the seat to Campbell and
| showed his vote. But there another vote to
which he did not refer, and that was his vote
that Mr.. Valandingham was not entitled to the
| seat.
Mr.. Goggin defended the expediency and abso.
| lutte necessity of specific duties, and asked Mr..
Letchcr if he endorsed the President in his recon-
| mendation of tariff of this sort.
! He then took up the action Of Congress in in.
creasing the pay Of its members to the amount OF
SO 900 year, while they denied to the old SOL
! was asked forthem. If the pension bill had OBJ
jectionable features, it was Mr.. Lecher's duty as
IL Representative of the people to have had the
| bill SO amended as to render justice to the men
! who had peried life in defence of our country's
honor in 1912. But he made no such effort He
Ill and