Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-09-18
Richmond Enquirer on Stump Speaking Dy
Candidates for the Presidency.

Richmond Enquirer on Stump Speaking by
Candidates for the Presidency.
Within the past year we were surprised on
reading an editorial article in the "Richmond
Enquirer" advocating the policy, on the part OF
the Charleston Convention, of nominating can
didate who was bold and fearless man and a.
good declaimer, and effective and popular stump
speaker, that he might be able to meet Judge
Douglas successfully on the stump in the can
vass for the Presidency. At that time it was
supposed that Judge Douglas would be an In
dependent candidate on his sown hook" in the
event he should fail to receive the nomination
of the Charleston Convention, and it was then
thought that Hon. Henry A. Wise stood good
chance to receive the nomination. The EnQus-
rer at that time urged the propriety of nomlna-
ting a candidate for the Presidency who would
have the boldness and the ability as popular
orator to meet Douglas successfully on every
stump in every State in the Union In the
same article the Enquirer referred to the fact
that Gov. Wise had stumped the State OF Vlr-
ginia for the office of Governor, and that Doug
las and Lincoln had canvassed the State OF ILL
nois for the .. S. Senatorship, and asked why
the Presidential office should be exalted above
nopular discussion" AS we have not the lille
of the Enguirer, we caunot give the date, and
cannot quote the language, but we remember
very we'll the import of the article, Tor we were
surprised that any paper would recommend the
policy of nominating candidates for the Presl
dency with the view OF undertaking stump
speech circuit of the United States"
Judge Douglas is now stamping the United
States as the Enquirer then anticipated ne
would. but Wise is not the nominee OF the Dem
ocratic Convention as the Enquirer hoped he
would be, and for some cause "a change has
come over the spirit of its DREAM" for n0w IL
does not think that "Virginia has SO fallen as to
countenance candidate for the Presidency who
has no higher estimate of the dgnlhed ONCE TO
which he aspires, and no more self-respect than
to undertake stump speech circuit OF the United
States" 1t noaO says that "There is an lndeli-
oacy in the matter revolving to a inst sense OF
elevated dignity. Virginians, in the main, can
not view it otherwise than with feelings OF alb
horrence." The Enquirer does not fail to in
sert ''saving clause for the benefit OF its can
didate, whose stump speech is published IN the
same issue with its denuncation of stump speak
ing by candidates for the Presidency. 1t says,
"While it is Unsuitable in a candidate for that
Office to defue his position distinctly before the
citizens of his own State, it is fragrant breach
of propriety for him to enter other States In ad-
vocacy of his claims to preterment." This was
evidently designed to save the neao of Dreckin-
ridge from the blow designed for that OF Doug
las, for there is less reason for defining his po-
sition distinctly before the citizens of his own
State" than before the citizens of other States,
as it is presumed that the position" ofaDy can
Gidate for that exalted and "dignifd Office
would be well known in ''his own State" and
would not need to be "defned" in stump
speech. Dies the Enquirer suppose any one to
be so verdant as to believe that Breckenridge
designed his stump speech for the 'scitizens of
his own State" alone? The Enquirer does not
seem so to understand it, for it has published
that speech for circulation in Virginia, and, we
suppose, does not think that it has been guilty
of any ''flagrant breach of propriety" by SO do
ing.
The extract from recent number of the En-
quirer, speaking of the tour of Douglas, which
has excited our surprise, in view of the article
upon the same subject some time since, reads as
follows
"What deplorable spectacle that tour pre-
sents! Could Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, or any of their lllustrious contemporaries,
have supposed that Virginia would be ever SO
fallen as to countenance a candidate for the
Presidency who had no higher estimate of the
dignifed Office to which he sspired, and no more
self-respect, than to undertake stump speech
circuit of the United States2 While it is justif-
able in a candidate for that Office to define his
position distinctly before the citizens of his own
State, it is fragrant breach of propriety for
him to enter other States in advocacy of his
claims TO preferment. There is an indelicacy in
the matter revolving to just sense of elevated
dignity. Virginians, in the main, cannot view
it otherwise than with feelings of adherence"