Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-10-12
For the Vindicutor
HON. VIM. L. YANCEY'S SPEEGu
STANTON. Oct. !.

STAUNToN, Oct. :, 1860.
Mr. EDITOR Some writer on Intelec-
tual Philosophy has told us that eloouen,e
is sslogic red hot" If this defnitien be true
or even approximate to the truth, surely
the address of the. Hon. VIM L. Yaneev
delivered in the Armory building of our
town on last Wednesday, places him among
the first of orators and the most eloquent of
reasoners.
With nothing striking or commanding in
his appearance, rather small in stature. some
what abrupt iu his manner, he would never
be singled out from crowd by an ordinary
observer as one who bore about him the
marks of a great intellect or the character.
istics of great leader But to one accus-
toned to and fond of studying the human
physiognomy he would at once prove an Or
ject of lively interest and curiosity. The
peculiar paleness of his counterance the
piercing gray eye, the delicate cast Of fea-
lures, the nervous energy of his movements
would at once indicate him, man of no or.
binary fire, activity and ability.
Mr.. Yancey was introduced to the peo.
pie of Augusta by James Fl. Skinner. ESQ.,.
of this plare, in few we'll timed and an
propriate remarks. His appearance on the
stand was greeted with loud and enthusias-
tic applause, and his speech, which CON-
sumed over two hours and half, was lis
.tennd to with profound attention. He be-
gan by patriotic allusion to the noble .dar-
ing and heroic suferings of our ancestors
who fought and bled and endured every pri-
walton and hardship to achieve the liberties
we are now enjoying, and to bequeath to
their posterity the noblost plan of govern
ment the world has ever seen-a govern
ment of checks and balances-a govern
ment with written constitution. limiting
aud defining its powers-a government
which every sentiment of duty and patriot
ism calls aloud to US to maintain and pre-
serve IN its original purity and strength,
and that this could only be done by watch
ing the Constitution with vestal vigilance
and defending it whenever assailed aud be-
leaguered by its enemies
He discussed the great doctrine of Pom
ular Sovereignty in the Territories in q
powerful and mastery manner, proving by
a cogency of reasoning and an aocumula5ou
OF evidence perfectly overpowering, that the
doctrine was contrary to the letter aa9 spir-
1t OF the Constitution contrary to the DE-
elslon of the Supreme Court in the Drea
Scott case; contrary to every idea of enllght-
ened liberty; and that protection to persons
and to properly by the General Govern
ment, throughout the dominious of the u.
s., was plainly guaranteed by the Copsti-
tuition, and was in fact the ultimatum of all
governments.
He dwelt on the Wing party longer and
with rather more. severity than SO harmless
and effete an organization deserved He
spoke of Wing men and Wing measures :
He laid bare Mr.. Bells antecedents and
proved very conclusiyey that if he was
sound OF the slavery question it was not due
to the unspotted clearness of his record =
Mr.. Yancey defended himself from the
charges which have been showered against
him of being uufriendly to the union Of the
States. lie said that true love for the
Union consisted in loyalty b the Constitu-
ton, and he ever looked to that instrument
as the only hope and shield for the salvation
of the country He concluded his speech
amid loud shouts of applause and with the
firm conviction resting on the minds of the
people that he was neither dragon, spit
ting FIRE, nor a horned beast, but a plain
Southern gentleman of exalted intellect
giving utterance to the honest onviotion
of patriotic heart aud to what he at least
believed to be right. p