Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-10-23
TIE GRAND RALLY I!
A GREAT SUGGEST!
GOLD AUGUSTA" AROUSED!H
The People Resolved to Save the Union

thousand cneerS LOT glorious ''Olo augusta!
She has exhibited her heartfelt devotion to the
Union-she has covered herself with glory-she
has added brighter jewel to her crown-she
has entwined greener laurels in the wreath which
encircles her brow-she has augmented the lus-
tire of her fame-she has increased the glory OF
her renown. In high, exalted and ennobling
patriotism, in warm, sincere and heartfelt devo-
ton to the Union, she yields the palm to no
county in the good ''Old Commonwealth" On
Friday last, though it was not known, with any
degree approximating certainty, that we would
be favored with the welcome presence of distin-
guished speakers from abroad, and though the
weather was as inclement as it is possible to
conceive, as it was cold and windy with a con-
tinuous rain, and the roads very muddy, contrary
to the hopes of the most sanguine, the patriotic
citizens from nearly every part Of the county
came in regularly organized professions, by hun
dreds, with their Marshals, their beautiful ban
ners and musical bells. To see long professions
coming into town simultaneously from every d.
rection, notwithstanding the descending rain
and the spelling of the pitiless Storm" with
their banners and bells, marching regularly and
excepting step to the music of the Union," was
a spectacle worth witnessing, and one which an
mated and rejoiced every patriotic heart
They came in wagons, six horse, four-horse and
two-horse, they came in carriages, they came in
buggies and on e-back-they came by hun
dreds and by ffties, they came till the town was
filled with the mighty host which marched
through its streets in procession of near mile
in length, cheered at every step by the shouts
of the hundreds of citizens who stood in the
rain on the sidewalks, and by the waving of
handkerchiefs from the windows of the houses BY
the fair hands Of patriotic, Union-loving ladies.
They came with a fine Band of music in the van,
they came with large banners and small banners,
with large bells and small bells, they came
cheering and shouting for the ''Union, the Con-
stitution, and the Enforcement of the Laws,"-
the welkin rang with cheer after cheer, and
shout after shout for ''Bell and Everett" Every
precinct procession had beautiful banner in
scribed with an appropriate motto, some had
several, and each of the principal streets in
Staunton had large and beautiful banner, bear
ing patriotic sentiment, stretched across it.
We cannot give full account of the banners
and inscriptions upon them, as we did not take
the pains to make note of them at the time.-
The procession from Mt. Sidney, which had
| Turner's fine Band with them, had number of
wagons with banners and bells, the front one
being driven by that Napoleon of energy and
TT III D. L. =.
host within himself The banners of this pro-
cession contained the following inscriptions
"HERE WE COME-MT. SIDNEY Boys
"MT. SIDNEY-THE BANNER PRE-
CINCT"
VOTE FOR BELL AND EVERETT AND
SAVE THE UNION"
1.-THE UNION, CONSTITUTION, AND
ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS"
BELL AND EVERETT, THE CONSTITU-
TON AND THE UNION.,'
The Deerfeld Cub bore for its motto:
sDEERFIELD-THEB BANNER PRECINCT
OF 1s40."
| West View had beautiful banner emblazon
ed with a large BELL. Inscribed '1JoHN"-the
reverse "OUR UNION"
( Churchville THE UNION AND THE
CONSTITUTION large BELL encircled
with the name or "EV EREII.
The banner notices of Mt. Scion, Mowry's
Mill, New Hope and other Clubs, We failed to
catch. They all deserve the highest praise.
The four large banners suspended over the
streets in Staunton contained BELL AND EV-
ERETT on one side, and on the reverse the fol-
lowing:
AUGUSTA NOBLE AND TRUE-THE
BANNER COUNTY"
| FIRE THE UNION HEART AND RING
| THE UNION BELL"
"OLD AUGUSTA, THE EMPIRE UNION
COUNTY"
1.-THE UNION, CONSTITUTION AND
| THE LAWS.n
Taken all in all, with its numbers, its spirit
and enthusiasm, its equipments and parapherna-
lia, we venture to say that such grand, impos-
ing and successful demonstration has never been
made anywhere, on any occasion, under similarly
disadvantageous circumstances. It served to
show that the coolest wind could not cool the
fervor of the zeal and enthusiasm, nor the heav-
lest rain dampen the patriotic spirit of the Union
loving citizens of noble "Old Augusta" nor the
muddiest roads impede their march of patriotic
duty. If the weather had been propitious, with
bright sun, clear skies and good roads, Staun-
ton wonld not have been large enough to have
contained all who would have been present.
The great popular heart of Augusta throbs anx-
iously for the preservation of the Union, and is
willing to spill the last drop of its blood in its
defence. The patriotic citizens of Augusta, in
the spirit of the "Father of our Country" love
and cherish the Union in their heart of hearts as
the palladium of their liberties" and "indig-
nantly frown" upon the first attempts at its de-
strnction. Recognizing the Union as the temple
of American liberty, they will not, with their
consent, allow the Vandal hands of the Disu-
nonists to touch single pillar of that noble ed
ifce. Her spurning cry to the reasonable
plotters against the Union is: sAvaunt be-
gone! fly from the light of liberty and the pres
ence of patriots, and hide yourselves in the
darkness of ignominious obscurity, the unfortun-
ate victims of the cruel tortures of your own
guilty consciences.'' The heart of Virginia is
sound. Augusta is the geographical centre OF
the State-sbe is the very heart of the glorious
"Old Commonwealth" and she is as true to the
Union as the magnetic needle to the pole. She
is the Keystone of the State arch, and stands as
firmly and ixedly upon the Union sentiment as
the eternal mountains upon their bases. The
patriotic sentiment of the people of Augusta is