Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-04-19
o. he Uimdirator.


sTAuNToN. VA.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1861.
>>~s-~-~s~s~~~~-~-~~- ~--~--~~o~---~~~~-~>~
s. M. 4osT, Editor and Proprietor.
G.. n.a
Extract from the Speech of Jas.
II. HOlcOmbe, ESQ.,, Of Abe
marie, delivered i'm the Virgil
MIA state Convention, ON the
27th ultimO. ~.
Shall We rely; upon tie good faith. the
good feeling or justice Of the Northern peo-
pie for security against the wrong and the
depreciation Of q sectional ascepdancyq Jea-
lousy, not confidence, has been the tutelary
genius Of English and American liberty. =
Shall we believe that men are better than
their principles. or, shall We bind them in
the chains of the Constitutions z: Will not
the Executive patronage be prostituted in
the North, to reward the active enemies of
slavery; in the so'ash, to reward those who,
at least, are willing to sprinkle incense on
The affairs Of fansticism In regard to the
Legislative department. is there any secu-
rity against the moat partial and unjust
laws? Prudence or fear may withhold, for
a time, the heavy hand Of oppression, but
where the impulse, the power and the OPP
portanity coincide, sooner or later wrong
must come. !: ~ 4. ~ ...:t* y
There is one result TO be apprehended
from this sectional domination, which has
made deep impression. upon my own mind.
1t renders utterly worthless to a. Sonthenn
freeman, the great franchise of liberty. It
transfers the decision. of all questions con-
nected With the public policy Of the coun-
try from the South to the forum of the
North alone. Look at tie lest election =
What issue was decided BY it? It was the
exclusion Of slavery from the territories, the
placing of the government on the side Of
freedom This policy was discussed in the
North, but in the North only. 1t will be
the same hereafter in reference to all other
great questions, sc long as that ascendency
continues. Unless soIae division should oc-
cur in the ranks of this Republican party,
before the next. Presidential election takes
place, the North. be;rs able to Control the
election, and that party having the aacsn-
dency in the North, would it not be the
merest mockery to open poll for al cleo
toral vote in the South p l.. -. q.
'Nvm IN. the great difference between the
peasantry Of Engiad4and the. laboring men
Of the United States. arises 1rc,the exer-
else and enjoyment by the latter ofthe. elee
tive franchise. Look at the English peas
ant, and you will find him blank, stolid. IN
inquisitive. The English law projects hi
rights of property and his rights Of person
as sacredly, as our Constitution guards those
Of an American citizen. The laborng mar
Of OR country is inquisitive, aspiring and
intelligent. There is no single cause more
operative in producing this difference. than
1 the fact that the laboring man of England
has no vote, and the laboring man of the
United States has vote But this section
al ascendency would render the vote of the
Southern laboring man worthless in his
hands. Sir, it has been, through the dis
cussiens addressed to the people, that the
laboring rsen of our country have been ele-
waited. They have learned to respect
themselves as men, and as freemen +; to en-
large their symbashses beyond tie narr5;N
circle of their own homes aud business and
to embrace in their thoughts and affections
the. great interests that involve the destiny
of their country and their race ).
Now, | do not consider that the material
blessings which Liberty brings in .its train,
Constitute Its highest claiiS, upon The graft
tude Of mankind. value it not only Be-
ceuse it awakens all the dormant springs Of
peaceful industry in country. because il
embellishes life With psoaigal creations Of
taste and art, because it covers our PROPER
ty and our persons with an invincible shield,
but because it perfqrins 4 yet nobler fumes
ton. It establishes great school for the
education .pfs, the people in the sentiments
and principles of patriotism, justice and
honor and would not exehange'the NOR
al discipline impaired by the exercise ofthe
high trusts and responsibilities of free>
man, for all the material advantages it Sc
cures and whenever we. surrender it, the
battles Of the Revolution will have been
fought in, vain, the cause of the Revolution
will be lost and that power of self govern
iment acquired by our fathers atthe expense
of SO many sacrifices, and under SO many
dangers: Will have persisted. No future for
eigner, like De Toc9uevilles wien he visits
our Southern land, will gaze with admira-
ton upon the grand. Olympic spectacles of
"a free people,. the enthusiasm of the i'm
mense mass meetings; the. magnificent dis,
plays of the highest genius in popular ora
tory, the. Press teeming With wit, and elo-
quence and logic addressed to, the: reason
and passions Of the people, on the great
Questions of,public policy. Instead of this
life, animation and enthusiasm of liberty,
we should have the apathy, the :torpors, the
brooding, Waveless calm, of a despotisn.
/ There is etanother feature in. this Sec
tional ascendency. 1t is that element which
rendered so bitter the oppression of the Jew
/ by the Christian, Of the Moor by the Span
lard, Of the Saxon. by the Norman, the ele-
nent Of humiliation not only the iron: hand
IF oppression, but the insolent spurn Of con
tempt. Other despotisms have frequently
made compensation for the loss Of liberty in
the protection Of property, but it is the Pc
culiar feature Of this aesp5tism not only to
rule but to ruin, not only to rui1:but to de-
grade. -,
Mr.. Chaifinab, it was.the boast of De-
mostEenes, in reference to Athens, that she
had expended more for the common cause
IF Greece than anv other citv for its own