Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-02-28
in lieu of those which he designed

was not prepared to assert, either by way o
resolution or As Il member of that body adj
! dressing it from that rostrum, that maj fearless
tribune of the people to whom so eloquent &
tribute of thanks had been rendered this morn
ing was not the choice Of the Democracy o
Virginia, But he (Mr. Douelas) would say, !
he was instructed in the history OF the pro
cccdingS OF the Democratic party OF tins sta'e
That there is but one instance in which 1t WAS
attempted to accomplish what was now pro
roScd, and that proposition the State had IN .
huuIliatiDc manner to back ont from. lie GA
not want to he understood as intiinating tina
there is ANYTHING like backing ont in Henry a
Wise. tapplauSe,D or any Of his friends; but the
Virginia Democracy, Oh the occasion referred
To. showed the peculiar wisdom which 1t mas
always DISPLAYED; and, inaSmuch as 1t was the
n,ir instance that they committed SO grave al
error, he hoped that they would hc careful. and
watch(ul. and cautious before they repeat 1t.
lie desired to be understood. then. not As one
who assails the person who is the choice OF the
gentleman from M,onroc-Mr. Chapman. lie
Nr. d. could not express his sentiments III the
rlDoucnt terms employed by him; but he would
CIV ,hu, his arm should fall shrivclcd from his
body. before he would pluck one wreath from
the crown which Henry \. Wise has won and
wears SO gracefully. 1OnJ applause.) lie
would merely address himself to the question
Of the policy Of the resolution. which was
offered hv Mr.. Chapman. lie accorded the
war,uest tribute to Mr.. Wise that his heart
.could feel for the vigi!ant and efficient
manner in which he discharged all the duties
of the Executive office while lie filled it
Applause. lie (Atr. d. would not restrict
his praise TO that. He lMr. d. remembered
with pride and gratitude his great fight with
Sam" in 1876, and for that he gave him the
highest need Of praise; and he trusted ttiht
some friend Of Mr.. Wise, il that resolution was
to be pressed, would yet come forward ana
show some stronger claim tn the Presidency IN
hi: behalf than the fact of his la"ins strung
up John Brown and his conlcderatcS. lie would
say that he (Alr. WISE has won by his abilities,
displayed in every field; by his personal cha
racter. courage and fcarleSSness in carrying out
what he believed to be right; by his talents; by
every attribute. moral and intellectual, nc mas
won u title to the Presidency which Is not less
than that of any other ,nan in the country
But he Mr.. H. would not say that he IS the
only man who enjoys that title. ltc would
not say that he is the only Eirgl'IIan that can
present a record without blot or b!cmiSh, and
that he and he alone is the choice OF the De
mocracy of Virginia for the Presidency. And
in this he thought he was kinder than his own
friends; and when lie was found upon the nus
tings, or anywhere else, reriling Henry y.
Wise, they may believe that ne had lost his al
legiancc to the Democratic party and forgotten
the services which he had rendered. But lie
would say, if from 1882, the date Of the first
great gathering Of this Union, down to the pre-
sent time, the great Democratic family Of SIr-
GINA have, except in one fatal instance, stu
diouslv and cautiously avoidcd giving an ex-
preston of preference which would tramnel
her delegates, why should they now vinlatetnat
tinc.honored rule? What reasonS-what over
riding reasons, are given here for a departure
ut this time from this policy, sanctioned not less
BIZ the benefit which, it has brought to the
great Democratic party Of the Union, than by
time itself: 1t sounded a little strangely to
his ears to hear gentlemen upon this floor, who
were yesterday unwilling to adopt this or MAJ
measure, because it was not in conformity with
the usagcs of the party, now advocating II rcso.
linton which is in direct conflict with the usage
Of the party in Virginia. And. sir. In would
like to know by what authority-tor he had
not vet seen the authority-the gentleman from
Monroe (Mr. Chapman says that the vote Of
Virginia should be cast for Henry 4. Wise, and
that he and he alone is to be the man to be pre-
scntcd bv the Virginia delegation 10 the con-
sidera,ion of the National Convention ut
| Charleston. lie lMr. d. had understood that
there had been 4 count made Of the votes OF
the State. and that nil the counties that had
EXPRESSED their preference for Mr.. Wise OK
pressed merely Il preference, without instruct
inc their delegates to 20 for him. And they
had no evidence at this period that the dele
gates upon this floor, except the gentleman from
| Monroe hiinself-who had been instructed to 20
for n vote Of prcicrcncc-wcrc instructed to rllr.
sue the policy proposed by the resolution. But
hi, friend would allow him. in the kIndcSt spirit
in the world, to make 4 little reference to his
own political history. 1t was most nnioTtu.
nate that this resolution should be introduced
bv . gentleman who in the last general election
ran against his own party nominee. 1t is party
drill. and party drill Is 4 very good thing when
you know you have 4 majority.
Gen. CHAPMAN here entered into 4 statement
Of the facts connected with his election. lie
stated that L majority of the magiStcrial dis
tricts in the county Of Monroe had meetings
without distinction Of party, and requested his
colleague and himself to become candidates for
reelection, (Which they had on returning home
in the spring of 1855, determined not to be-
and after such an expression Of the wishes OF
the people, he and his colleague consented to
he announced as candidates. Subsequently
thereto, a mcciin.. Of a portion Of the Demo.
cratic party T.! ....Dnroc. headed by n few per-
Sonal enemies, dominated Two gentlemen as
candidates for the House of Delegates. in oppo-
sition, he admitted. 70 himself. So that. instead
of being a candidate III opposition to the lem.
~ocratic nominees, the nominees Of a portion of
the Democratic party were candidates in oppo-
sition to him. and brought into the field after
he (Gen. CuApMAS) had become 4 candidate.
His colleague and himself were sent to the
Legislature to aid in promoting the success OF
the cuyinston and Ohio. railroad, and the Leg
~isIaturc, in its wisdom. had granted all they
asked. lr nrc,l only say that in Il county al.
United 10 be Democratic, he was elected by
hundreds Of 4 majority.
Mr.. DouGLAs said he did not mean TO attack
the motives Of the gentleman, but he thought
this was a Legitimate argument to show that he
had not been consistent with his own princi-
pies. All he knew was, that there was Il DEM
ocratiC ticket running against himself and his
colleague, which was nominated by 4 Conven-
ton. while, according to his own confession.
he was the nominee Of Wings and Democrats.
(ApulauScJ He did not like tn have fish for
80
one and flesh for another He would like. If
they could. to adopt rules that shall not he va
ricd to suit this or that aspirant for political
donors, but rules that should be ms unchangc-
able rs the laws Of the Modes and Pcrsians.-
| (Applansc.) That was his conception Of De-
~m}ocracy. lie went for principles, not men;
and in doing 50, he was acting in conformity
with the motto adopted hy one Of the lead.
ing Democratic journals Of this city, and
that which was peculiarly cherished by
the venerable Mr.. Richie. Mr.. Douglas
closed with some other remarks, referring
TO the want of jurisdiction on the part Of tie
Convention to express y preference for any
man for the Presidency in behalf Of Virginia.
Mr.. FAYErTE McMrLLES next addressed the
Convention in opposition to an expression Of
Of preference for anybody. He intimated his
first choice to be John B. Floyd, the present
| Secretary Of War.