Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1860-09-15
I /, on 4IDA.v Isa

Ill accordance with apnounceEiA pro-:
yfously made; a largo nunsb of the isenss
Of tlss county assern!,le III the Cosrt ILos.se5
in tits town, pn Friday Week to gst4en e q
d;se.sssioa between sfessrs. IspEr.L2 TIsrsses Ell
! ny .Ead Barbour. the champions d tsslsIsev-.
eral band dates now before t1e people fsr their
snfrSs,es Much interest 3syas felt ID tlts dis
cussaSpn, as it was regarded az the fe4g en
o,a,:a,e, of the campaign I'll our mitlsE Mr.;
KenseJv tho Bell and everett EEFeet9F for
this district was too unweFI to engaks9sln fhe
discussion, and consequently alclcar3shfe g was
left i, tho other gentlemep5 one the fqErsFten-
tativS of the :Breckipridge interest; and the
other the advocate of the claims OF pI,opsass
and Johnson.
TIE opening speech wqs made By Mr. Is.
bell sho commenced by AZ cxpress4on:df his
deep Ind sincere regret at sae diyisiQnH4S'hich
now exists in the party, bug hoped that how
ever distracted and separated our fordeamIght
be in3 the present fight, Shat hereattGs We
might meet fraternally, ibis portion of pr.
rs speech was decidedly eonciliatqry; and
manifested the strong desItte which Ing feels
for nSmony and good fccldlg in the patty
He scsd that there were brt4 three canas dates
in tho field whose. merits, - proposed TO dis
cuss, Tor he could not, Of sfnrse regard Lin
coin q, a candidate for tbe4Ssnfragges Iof r.
ciniass. He then alluded ut length to the
DDositi1n heretofore oceupiedby the Democrat
10 parry of Virginia, and laK5red to pfoYe that
the pSrty in this State, had; never fer. an in
slant ssountenanced the doctrine now. advoca-
ted aEd sustained by O1r!fDouglas AID his
friends. The position of 1she party was one
in favor of -intcrvcntidi4, both byE Con
grcss Ind the Territorial Legislature.
MrsIsbcll was particularly severe upon the
old Wslig party. 1t was tlss old federal par
ty of die times Of the Elde4SAdams It had
been throughout its e4isteIlee the restrictive
party # the country, both its to the external
and in ernal policy of the government: That
neithc: in the war of I812#Syith Great.l}ri
tain, Of the Mexican War If 1917, had the
banners of the country bShn enerai59d by
Wing Slolicy or Wing support. Wits dill its
changes; of name, it was tie same PARTY in
policy.i;; 1t had presented itself :.
"Sosoe,imes in one form, sometimes another,
GuEwas ever PrOtean III ehnpe aud co'gT.:
This pattion of the speech Of Mr.. ls}4eL, we
listened to with great pleasure, and tsonght
his bloSs in that quarter were we'll directed
But wa felt little curious to kno!y what:
effect this sort Of talk was having uponE Mr.
AndrcvI Hunter, nearly e.whoIe ofsThose
life has;becn devoted to the support of -Shig
policy, Ind who yet maintains, if we mistake
not thotj the Breckenridge wing of tglgiDc-
mocracg now stands wl,ereI3he has alEays
stood but if the positions, of the leaders
of the Breckenridge party are snconsistentI.itis
no fault: of ours, nor is it ou5 duty or bust
ness to- attempt to harmonize them. Nlr.
Hunter says the Breckenridge party stands
where tie old whig party stood, and Nr1 Is
bell says the old wing party was restrictive,
and thass it never did anything for the l'rns-
pcrity AID expansion Of the country.
Mr.. IsbelPs first reason'for supporting fir
Breckenridge, was that he Was the foremost
desender of the Constitution. Wise, and,
Hunter, and Mason, are in tic background
young sDIeChIIILIuS50- 10 NY AOA SAS''S -
fender IF the Constitution. We'll, he may
be the foremost in that wing: of the party,
but Stephen A. Douglas is now, and has been
for years past the foremost offender Of the
Constitution, and the rights: of the people
under the Constitution. But itwould require
too much space to follow Mr.. ,Isbell through
his whole speech which to SLY the least Of
it, possessed the merit Of length.
After Mr.. Isbell had concluded, ALFRED
NJ. Barbour, Esq, took thesstand, and in
an able and earnest manner, defended Nr.
Douglass! and advocated his election Us thc
regular iiominee of tho Democratic party
He spoka, with effect and great force of Mr..
Douglas services to the country, and Of his
fidelity 10 the rights and interests Of the
South. lie alluded to his owl peculiar posi-
ton as ali officer of the general government,
and said that it had been charged thatjhe
was using his position for elecfoneering pur-
poses lie would consider himself unworthy
of position o: place, if he dared attempt to
trifle with the SURFACES of freemen. he re-
viewed az some length the conduct of THOSE
who seeded from the conventions at Charles
ton and Baltimore, and proved that their
object ana aim was to disrupt the Democratic
party, course which must Of necessity re-
suit in TIE election of the Black Republican
candidate His speech was an able and con
elusive oae, and fully satisfied US that the
cause off Stephen a. Douglas need not. be
committed to moro able handst4h an Mr.. Bar
bour's. ,49
The rejoinders of the two gentlemen NO