Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-10-22
From the Richnsond Daspasch.j
The AnnrOachine Elections.

The election for President, members OF Con-
gress. are close at hand. They take place on the
first Wednesday in next month. With regard to
the Presidential election we have nothing to say,
except that it is important for every man who
has vote to give If. The Yankees, with LIN
coin at their head, have been coLtending Gil
along thst the secession of the Southern STATES
Is mere partizan movement on a small scaie'
gotten up by discontented politicians, and tha'
the great body of the people not only 90 DOT
sympathize with it, but are at heart bitterly op-
posed to it. This is or was one OF the pretezS
.lleged fer invading the State of Virginia. IL
was conteuded that reign of terror existed here'
and that the people voted under its influence
1t was confidently stated that if freedom OF choice
were allowed, the large majority Would De iouho
opposed to secession, and the federal army was
designed to set opinion at liberty, and enable the
friends of the Union to express their preference
v ithout the fear of bodily harm. Even now the
Yankee papers, in sketchng their programmes
for winter campaign in the South, reckon
largely upon the sympathy of vast bodies whom
they suppose to be attached to the old system.
There never was falser assumption, it is true.
But it has not been without its effect at the
North, where men, if they could be convinced
that the whole Southern army was arrayed ID
heart and soul against the restoration of the
Union, would be apt to see the folly Of wagDg a
long and expensive war for so unattainable an
object. 1t is proper that these men-that Eu-
rope-that the whole world should be taught
the true state of the case, and they can only be
taught by the voters of the Southern States
Let the vote be thin, and the people careless and
willing to suffer the election to go by default
and they will still have ground for maintaining
their present position. Let the turnout be gen.
eral, the movement enthusiastic, the vote large
and no ground will be left them to stand upon
We therefore hope that there will be 10 remiss
ness in this respect. Let every man who car
get to the polls deposit his vote. Let none thinl
because there is no opposition, there is no dan
ger, and therefore no occasion for exertion.
large vote, we tell al persons disposed to indng
any chmerical notion to the contrary, is mor
important now than it ever was before. W.
iHuSt SNOW tHe Worio, WIN are WatCinS ue " III
the deepest interest-we must show our friend
abroad, who are watching Us with the deepes
anxiety-we must show the Yankees and thei
Government who are watching US with th
deepest Inalignity-that we are great, unitet
people. That the opposition among US is so smal
as scarcely to make up that sort of exception
which is said to prove general rule. That th
whole Southern people are united in opposition
, to the old Government, and in favor of the new
That the crisis, in the midst of which we exist
is mighty revolution, which it is wanton wick
edness, in supreme degree, to attempt 10 sup
press by means of an armed force. That it i
the strongly expressed desle of vast country
to change its system of government, as every
community under the sun has an undoubted righ
] To do.