American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-10-05
The-Yic President.-spIrlt OF the Rich
mOnd Press.

Some feeling is being displayed at
Richmond with reference to the Vice
Presidency at the ensuing election. The
Examiner objects to Mr. Stephens, that
he. was too long in favor of the old
Union" The. Enquirer responds that
the same objection would apply to all
who hold office,in the Confederate States.
as all of them were for maintaining the
old Union. Our President himself is
!. reported Ito have wept when he left the
4 Senate" The Wing, (whose editor says
he has been life long secessionist,) de-.
precates the whole discussion. Says it is
a very delicate. subject, and that it will be
impossible to adjust it, unless some day be
fred, before which it was patriotic to uphold
the old Union and receive its pay; after
which it was reasonable to indulge for it
sentimental regret. Who shall name
90 that day ? If you go back to the Presi-
Dental election. or to the LIST of January,
you exclude all The present functionares
Of the Confederacy. for all of them were
then unfolding The Union and receiving
I. pay at its hands. ] In fact, you prescribe
everybody in the South, except South
Carolina, and few original secessionists,
who have never drawn dollar from the
Federal treasury. and have always been
painting for a free, confederate system,
without kink, and an army of Office
holders. Ii you, come down to the
9Th Of March, you viii still exclude the
majority Of the people in North Carolina,
- Virginia. Tennessee and Arkansas.-
Where then will you draw die line? If
the first Of last November, the few orig
inal secessionists will be the only Simon
ID 'Pures-they alone viii be'eligible to the
honors of the Confederacy. and they
= p alone. in equity should do the fighting
Any later day would greatly diminish the
eligibles for Office. and, if the armies are
only to be composed Of the right stripe,
our forces ia theIfeld would be terribly
thinnedi The Wing continues: .ssa -
- II strikes us Chat any inquiry of this
sort is silly, and any effort to draw lines
between patriotism and treason, founded
I. on any particular day. is worse than
+. foolish. 1t proceeds on total miscon-
.eeption and lamentable undertaking of
d. the great cause iin.which we are embark
ed. This was The rock on which Mr.L.
Pope Walker. late Secretary of War.
split, and was compelled to resign. For
getting that be had a mighty empire on
his shoulders he wasted bis time and en-
ergies in housing out petty clerks and
fixing. the date Of their political regener-
alton: Really it was not the weight of
s. feather. in tie scale Of. our destinies,
whether they were regenerated one day
sooner or later. but it had the effect Of
fcmenting faction and degrading a great
!. and glorious struggle for freedom into a
i miserable scramble for office, Ina word,
it proved that The man who. at such
time. could be occupied in such pursuits
was not equalto'the emergency.
President Davis position is the true
one-tbe one Aedicta.ed by justice and
wisdom no reference to past political
opinions but are you devoted and 10y
ITO ibis crest causes This covers the
'sa whole ground. and it puts all who are
wiling 10 stake fortune and life for their
country and its freedom upon footing of
equality. hes % 81 e - 9a