Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-01-20

Hy an inadvcrtency Of the editor, the OBJ
ject Of this meeting was misstated in the
last Vindicator 1t is for the purpose of
appointing delegates to the Estate Conven-
ton, which meets ia Richmond on the 10th
of Fsbruary-not to the District Conven-
ton, which dominates delegates to the
Charleston Convention.
We consider this an appropriate time to
address few words to the Democracy of
the county in reference to tho duty which
they will have to perform in their primary
meeting. You have, Democrats of Au-
gusts, to send delegates to a Convention
which is to plank out the platform of prin-
ciples upon which the Democracy of Vir-
ginia are to stand during the coming can
vass, and which is to guide the Virginia
delegation in the Charleston Convention. -
This, fellow-Democrpts, is grave duty at
all times, and one, We blush to say, too SCI
dom appreciated by the masses Of the party;
out at present it will become your duty, in
connection with the Democracy of the u
Mon, to decide issues which rise high above
the questions which ordinarily engage the
attention Of parties and politicians
There is one question which has enchain-
ed the attention of the nation for the last
six or twelve months, to which we would
particularly call the attention of the Democ-
racy Of Augusta, to wits Shall or shall not
the shareholders Of the South who 60 into
the common territories of the Union be pro-
tected in their property as the Federal Con-
stitution provides?
Compromises and the advocates ofsquat-
ter sovereignty may argue, and mistlfy, and
denounce this question as an abstraction, as
much as they please but, in our opinion, it
is the practical, and the only practical form
into which the slavery question has resolved
itself. Seward may again and again pro-
mulgate his brutal ''irrepressible conflict"
theory orators by hundreds Of the Wendell
Phillips school may continue to preach trea-
son and infdelity to the besotted fanatics of
New England scores Of John Browns may
attempt the invasion of the South, only to
swing appropriately from the gallows; but
SO long as we retain that jewel. protection
for our slave property in the Territories, the
institution of slavery will remain as firm and
mmoyable as the everlasting hills. Take
this sacred constitutional right from us and
slavery in the Union is a condemned and
doomed institution. Gov. Wise luminous
ly says that the anti protection theory ''is a
short cut to all the ends of Abolitionism, )"
and it is our deliberate opinion, after close
examination of the subject, that of all the
expedients of abolition ingenuity, Squatter
Sovereignty aims the truest and deadllest
blow at the institution of slavery.
Thinking thus, we feel it to be our duty
to invoke the earnest attention of the De-
mocracy to this question. We entreat them
to come up, one and all, to the primary
meetings, with their minds fully made up.
aud their ideas thoroughly arranged on the
questions of the day resolved not to be sense
less automatons in the hands Of politicians.
Above all, know well the views of the dele
gates whom you send to the Convention, and
scrutinize closely the resolutions offered.
Nzr. stuart's Speech.
We were both surprised and mortified at
the speech Of the Hon. A. Fl. H. Stuart, in
the Senate, on Thursday, the 18th inst
We suppos Sc that in all the elaborate political
efforts of his life, Mr.. Stuart has never said
so much which was obnoxious to nine tenths
Of his constituency as is contained in the
remarks Of ten or fifteen lines length, which
we publish in our legislative column.
Now let us examine the state of the case
and point out the gross injustice which Mr.
Stuart has done to the Volunteer Companies
Of the State. Let us take the case which
the Senator refers to-the volunteer COM
panies of this county Composed entirely
of non Shareholders, Oor we are credibly in
formed that not one of the members of Ell
ther company owns slave, many of whom
are poor, very poor men, on whose daily
toll whole families Of women and children
depend TO, their daily bread. These men,
at the call of their State and in defence of
her honor, leave, without grumbling and
with alacrity, to the scene of action. Does
not every principle of right and justice and
honor cntitle them to the pay for their SER
vices, which some Of them actually need :?
What if the Company from Staunton did,
on supposing that their aid would be re-
quirel, start for Charleston, without orders
ought this abundant zeal for the honor of
their State to subject them to the ridicule of
their own Senator, or justify him in stigma
thing them as patriots who would put their
hands elbow-deep in the treasury?
In this instance Mr.. Stuart does not rep
resent the sentiment Of his constituency
In the name Of the people of Augusta. we
utterly and Indignantly "repudiate that pa