Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-05
Mr.. Letcher and the Old Soldiers PEN
sion Bill The Rnlfner Pamphlet.

Mr.. Letcher and the Old Soldiers PEN
sion Bill-The Rnlfner Pamphlet.
The opposition press Of Virginia, when
it was found that the charge of Ruffnerism,
abolitionism, &C., was impotent to harm the
democratic candidate for Governor, IL the
agony Of disappointed malice. began to
search the archives Of Congress, in the hope
Of finding some blot on the spotless record
Of Mr. fletcher, and as malice is always
blind, at last fixed upon his vote against
the Old Soldiers Pension Bill, as blot
upon his political record, which must for
ever damn him to political oblivion but
what was their disappointment and rage
when the democracy and democratic press
Of Virginia, instead Of acknowledging with
shame the justice Of the charge, and seek
ing apologies and excuse for it, willingly
endorsed that vote, and received it with
pleasure and triumph as another ornament
to the political record of their champion. -
We, as part Of the press Of Virginia free
" acknowledge ourselves to be traitors to
the democratic cause, if bitter opposition to
that bill be proof Of treachery. The old
soldiers have already been doubly paid for
their services, and we are determinedly op-
posed to an annual and heavy drain on an
exhausted treasury for the benefit, not only
of the soldiers Of 1912, but of their widows
and children down to the third and fourth
generation. The only response Of the de-
mocracy to this charge, is and shall be-,
''well done, good and faithful servant" and
| the best instruction which we of the Tenth
Legion can give to the successors Of our
present model representative, is to follow
closely in the footsteps of their predecessor,
and at all events, to lend their best endeay-
ors to defeat all such humbug bills as the
s'Old Soldiers Pension Bill y
But though the opposition have been foil
ed in their attempt to -injnre Mr.. Letcher
on the Pension Bill charge, they have, with
the characteristic perseverance of a certain
animal, which the good book informs us, will
return to its wallowing, re-opened with re-
doubled bitterness their laundering against
the 'Ruffner humbug."
When Mr.. Letcher was first spoken Of
for Governor, the opposition press, almost
with one accord, acknowledged the present
soundness Of the man, but contended that
it would be glazing inconsistency, for the
democracy to support man for governor
who was obnoxious to the same charge which
had formerly defeated Mr.. Summers, but
Of late, the charge of inconsistency has
been entirely cschewed, and Mr.. Letcher is
boldly tried on the merits Of the case, and
the opposition assuming that he has been
convicted Of the holding Of abolition senti-
ments, appeal to the people Of Virginia to
defeat him ]; now we submit that if the de-
.mocracy are guilty Of inconsistency for snip
porting Mr.. fletcher and opposing Mr..
Summers, that the Wings are guilty Of gIar-
ing Inconsistency, for denouncing Mr..
Letcher as an abolitionist, whom they have
all along contended stood on the same foot
ing with Mr.. Summers, whom they zeal
ously supported and voted for.
But is Mr.. Letcher an abolitionist ? It
is charged by the Know Nothings, and with
justice, that he some twelve or thirteen
years ago, held and expressed the opinion
that slavery in Western Virginia was mex
pedient, but does that convict Mr.. Letcher
of venal offence? Was not that the opin-
ion held by almost every man west of the
Blue Ridge? and is Mr.. Letcher to be de-
nounced for an opinion which he held in
common with his whole section
It is sound proposition, and rule which
always holds good, that no man should be
censured for not being in advance of his
age. If any one should be so fortunate or
= wise as to be capable Of rising above the
nre;n,ls ices of his fellow men, and establish
inc a new and better code Of morals and
philosophy, jus....ice constrains US to &C.
knowledge his exalt,.>a merit, and to award
to him an abundant mee,aa Of praise; but
while we accord to this highest order OF IN
tellect it's deserved reward, it woul,.. De un-
justand unfair to condemn those lesser NH as
which are unable to shake off prevailing
prejudice, which had been instilled into them
in early youth, and grown with their growth,
and strengthened with their strength for
instance, though we sincerely admire the
exalted intellect Of Jefferson, which could
conceive and expound the great principles
Of States-rights and Democracy, still we
could not without injustice to noble mind,
condemn Hamilton, the wisest and greatest
Of his opposers. Again, the prevailing SEN
timent throughout this Union at present is
bitter opposition to the slave trade. and yet
we religiously believe that the time is fast
approaching when every Southern man will
contend that the Slave trade, is morally, re-
ligiously and politically right, and when
support CT that trade will be made test of
fealty to the South still if that opinion
should ever prevail, will the man who at
present believes that traffic to be inexpedi-
ent and wrong, be denounced then as trail
tor to the South certainly not, and sim
ply because the holding Of that opinion now,
in common with the world, his own section
included, is excusable, when the holding of
the same opinion then in spite Of the light
which is before him, and in opposition to
the prevailing sentiment Of his countrymen,
would be unjusti6able and treachery to his
section.
In conclusion, we would only advert to
one material difference between Mr.. Letch-
er and Mr.. Summers, which every Wing
must acknowledge, and which will inevita-
bly, place the former in the gubernatorial
chair, - it is that Mr.. Summers was the
nominee Of miserable minority, whose
principles were obnoxious to the people Of
Virginia while Mr. Tetchar ia the nominee