Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-04-24
The Charleston Convention.

The result of the selection of Delegates in the
various Congressional Districts of the State. de-
monstrate that Mr.. Wise need no longer be men
toned in connection with the Charleston n0mi
nation. Even the "Richmond Enquirer" must
acknowledge that the Ex-G Governor is "done for"
Had he gone into the Convention with the po-
tential vote of Virginia at his command, ne
might possibly have given the Democracy some
trouble, but his popularity with tbs masses has
been so iDgeniously covered up by the action
of the District Conventions as to preclude the
possibility of his making even respectable show
of strength in the Convention. Thus passes
away the brightest prospects of the politician
to-day they spring up in full luxuriance, and
give promise of abundant harvest; tomorrow
they are cut down and scattered to the Winds
In the State Convention which assembled at
Richmond but few months ago, it eeemed evil
dent that the friends of Gov. Wise were over
whelmingly 10 the ascendant. In the District
Conventions it seems equally evident that the
friends of Senator Hunter were in the ascendant;
and it is moe question to decide which OF these
representative bodies gave expression to the
voice of the people. 1t would puzzle Phila-
delphia lawyer to ascertain even now which OF
the gentlemen is the choice of the masses, or
whether some other man is not preferred to
either of Them The fact is none of these So
called representatives bodies express fairly the
sentiments of parties, when two or more promi-
nent men are rivals for public favor. The par
tizans of each endeavor to control the primary
assemblages of the people by all sorts of man
agement, and the friends of this or that man are
selected to represent the people, according to
the success or the failure of the manenvring.-s
Thus it is absolutely impossible to determine
whether the preferences of the people of Virginia
are to be inferred from the action of the State
Convention as in favor of Wise, or from the ac-
ton of the District Conventions as in favor of
Hunter.
Whoever may be the real choice OF the Masses
however, it is evident that the friends OF the
Ex-Governor have been out-generaled and that
Hunter has the inside track. The control of
the District Conventions was the matter OF
practical Importance, and that the friends OF
Senator Hunter seem to have secured. Wise
stood as the acknowledged and favorite leader
of the consolidated forces at Richmond, and en-
gagged himself in the management of that huge
body, while Hunter quietly took possession of
all the out-posts, and marched his detachments
down to Charleston. Hunter stock suddenly
went up in the market, and Wise stock as sud-
denly declined.
Whether the success of Mr.. Hunter in the
home contest will avail him in the nominating
Convention, a few days will now determine
While we have thought for some time past that
his prospects were improving, our convictions
remain unchanged up to this moment that the
Democracy will go into the next canvass with
Stephen A. Douglas as their leader. and standing
on the Cincinnati platform; the one as the most
available man and the other as the most availa-
BILE continuance for securing votes in all sections
of the Union. We believe that Douglas has
more friends even in Virginia than either the
friends of Wise or Hunter imagine, and it would
not surprise us if the fact were demonstrated in
the Charleston Convention itself.