Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-03-01
For Mf Enqni.rtr.
TUT '"t IHY"WtI.
Governor Wise-Mr Huutsr-Th. Presidency. &C.

FpT "t IhY"rtF.
Governor Wise-Mr. Huntsr--Th. Presidency. &.
The people, not politicians. are casting thci
eyes over the South for the available man fo
the next nominee of the great Democratic Re
publican party which willsasse,nb!c IN convcn
tion at Charleston in 1860
The writer is no mans mln, but 4 Dcmocro,
who believes that the pcrrnancncy Of thi.
Union, the rights and sovereignty Of the State,
and the liberties of the people rest upon tho
continued asccndancy Of the ONLY national par
" now in our country.
The true and tried men OF our pariy ar,
firmly Of the opinion that no other Southern
Democrat, but Henry \. Wise, cafSbc elected
and that it will be useless to place the name Of
K. VI, /. Hunter o. any other Southern lie.
compton Democrat before the people We he.
lieve that by-goncs should be by-eoncs. but !,
!, an undeniahlc truth, that no nan. South or
North, East Or West, can carry the free States
which have heretofore voted with the Denocra.
cr, who sustained the Lcc'mpton policy Of Mr..
Buchanans administration.
The time is here when We mast look III facts
a> they are. We have 10 defeat the combined
cohorts of ahollioniSln in it, varied plla>c>.-
We must defeat the Opposition or the Uron oi
these States cannot exist. The people. nine
out OF lcn, will tell you That Wise and Douglas.
are the only men who can rally the united De-
mOtratic strength. fron North 10 South, from
East 10 West.
The South is certainly entitled to the nomi.
nation by every principle of alienation; the
North furnishing the two last Democratic Pres.
iicnts. The writer will cordially and cheer
fully sustain Mr.. Hunter. should he receive the
Nomination al Charleston; but his defeat would
be Just aS certain as the SUR rises in the East
and sets in the West. Mr. Hunter. though I
sound statesman. has M points 0f attraction.
He ha, ncvCr.builctcd the storm Always quiet,
cool, calm and collected hc has been waiting
Tor his turn In CONC round, with his little
squad Of about one thousand Democrat, out
Of ninety thousand in virginia. movn. Ilca.
ven and earth TO fix up things Tor him, and vino
are not only Jealous in his behalf, but equally
Jealous in their efforts To Kill off every man in
Virginia who will not unite with them and 10
their bidding. 1t is true, under the cuphoni.
"lS appcatlon Of the chiyalry. they have in
duced many Southern men To believe at one
time that they were pr .tc,N,a!--thc cml,odi.
incnt oi all that was sound in the great doc.
trinc Of Southern Rights; hut the game thcv
WI Ib'lllIi'ti tuf>S'DbdTI II. ltt.TS-
burg has opened the eyes Of thousands Of cool
sound State ri shts men in Virginia and al
over the South. Now the writer his no dc.
sire To quarrel with these pinks Of consistency,
these chivalrous sons Of State rights for thr
support Of John I.ctchcr, i"r We supported him
ourselves, voted for him at Petersburg an
will vote for hin at the polls, although
sorcly rcgrcttins that hi, cscutchcon was tar
nshed with Rutliacrism Bat his record since
being good, and upon the principle erected by
Mr.. Pryor, when he raised the cross and in
scribed upon ii the principles Of the atoncment
on the stand in Phunix Hail, Petersburg. We
forgive Mr.. Lctchcr. who has rcpcnicd. who
has changed his opinions. and the Democracy
Of the whole Stale have confidence in him. r.
they will attest ut the polls.
But let us look at the Consistency Of this
So-callcd chIvary party, protesting 10 he par
excellent, the peculiar champions Of slavery
and the rights oithe States, who went for Lctc!l.
er, not that they cared groat for Lctchcr, but
the whole move was to add to their strength
the old line Democracy lwhom they hate as
cordially as the Devil does holy watcr) in the
great Valley of virgini? ia. r: 70 ,hcir ranks for
the Presidential fight in 1860 Yes, they could
hurrah for Lctcher. who had entertained at one
time opinions, which. if held by 4 political OPP
poncnt, they would never have forgiven, and
in their oppositlon would have worked them
selves into perfect dclirium Of excitement at
the danger 10 the 'pecuiiar institution. -
Who docs not remember how these riL'y
friend, Of Southern chivalry ponncctl upon
Gov johnson for his pardon of Jorlon Hatcher?
How they disembowelei and ripped it into
George W. Thompson for lst Auditor
because he, in his carly youth, entertained OPT. /
Mons adverse to slavery :-up"n both OF
which occasions they turned up their noses at
the noble Democracy of the Northwest, and
charged this whole section Of Virginia with .
Now look at Me.e chirah~ps
souls. when. 10 advance the interest Of their
favoritc, Mr. Hunter, (who is a statesman, yet .
4 timid sort of politician. afraid Of his own .
shadow they can forgive any political or So
cl errors and transgrcSsion>. and FULLY endorse
the doctrine Of repentance and pronounce ab .
solution for all offences against their peculiar
hobby. They are willing to forgive and forge; .
all past offences, and to receive Mr. Letchcr
whom they will strike down too, whenever he
is in the way of their favorite,) INTO the ranks
of this glorious sell.stylcI chivalry. Mr.. Hun
ter has but little strength with the masses. yet
his small body-guard of friends, who are al
WAYS on the alert, always a>tuie and active,
have hitherto controlled, in n large degree the
policy Of the Democratic party in Virginia.
How long this little minority party !, t" con.
.inuc 10 control the Democracy Of this stale.
rest, with the large majority VINO i'a'" quietly
,cqtiicsced in their rule.
The writer has travelled over several com
lir, in Virginia recently. and tell y"n, Me,srS. !
Editors the eyes OF the workin. aud true men
Of our party are being openei Ia the gytff tr.-
sjs which is Just upon us. Wise "r Douglas. !
tbcv all admit. is the man to rally the friends (
Of equal rights and constitutional liberty in the
great struggle of 1860 The would have sIS
laincd Mr. Buchanan in his Iccnmpton policy !
lat ica>t. many OF them, but declare now they !
believe Wise was right; and, should they even
differ with him now. on one issue. he is their
man-whosc name is As household words from
Maine to Texas They love hin-havc fifth |
in hi, boldncSs, hi, caution. his unadultcratcd
Democracy, his love for the Union under the
his love for State Rights, and, !
withal. his jackson nerve and iron will to exc
cute They love him for saving Virginia in
1915. when he stood as a pr0,cc,in. gcnins
over the principles of civil and religious free
dom. and who would not suffer the great doc
trincs enunciatcd by the sage who sleep, AT
Monticello to be erased from our statute book;
which would have disturbed, as it were, the
bones and dust Of this great man, ami caused
a momrnful wall from the genius of liberty.
PIgDMoYT.
fProrn the EiEca.i.c Democrat o! iiih February
The OPPOSITION CONVENTION.
Yesterday waS the time fixed upon for
Z" Hhiqs and 1iAcricahs" to meet in Richmond
and Try that old .llirulcr- iLelancrncA-in YiO: