Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-06-09
Old Vincent Witcher.

That heroic and noble old Virginian, VIM
CENT W1TcHER, now we suppose over eighty
years of age, addressed his fellow. countymen
of Pittsylvania at their last court A cores
pondent of the Danville Times furnishing a
brief sketch of his speech, says Tl Il +
The people were delighted TO see the old
man here on the field of battle once more, and
cheered him vociferously as he made his we'll
timed and irresistible attacks upon the infer
nal constitution sought to be foisted upon the
good people of the State of Virginia And
really, it did the heart good to see this white
haired veteran-thc noblest Roman of them
all-buckle on the armor of his youth, and
enter the political arena as the champion of
true liberty and justice, the vindicator of
good government, and the uncohqtered and
unconquerable foe of all Radical agrarianism
and 3aeobihical ideas. In the Radical ranks,
he said, the best evidence of fitness for Office
was, to have been convicted of stealing. He
asked if there was white man in that crowd
SO base as to be willing to be placed under
the negro, to avoid paying $4,000 of his just
debts. If there was, he desired him to show
himself. But no one appeared. He then
concluded there was no one in the crowd 80
base. He said he had on his estates forty
of whom he would dismiss if they voted the
Radical ticket. For how could he support
those who advocated his own disfranchisc-
ment? How could he be expected to main
tain his enemies? Sooner would he nurse a
viper in his bosom. He did rot wish to have
the negros for his slaves, and so help him
God, he did not wish to be slave of theirs
He again asked where was there White man
who would sell himself for $4,000; and if
there was one, he would tell him, the courts
would set aside the sale as fraud, and lie
could not get his purchase money. Negroes
were indebted to slavery for the little civiliza-
tion they havei The lion is never tanned in the
forest, nor the bird in the air, nor the savage,
when left to his own free will. When God
freed the 1sraeltes, he did not turn them
loose upon their former masters, as their SUI
periors; nor did he at once give them COM
plete liberty, but he made Moses their die
tator, giving him tie power OF life or death
over them, and led them away from their for
mer masters into the wilderness, there to
wander for forty years, until they were pre-
pared for liberty. If he lad the strength he
once had, he would take up the constitutions;
by section, and expose it1 iniquity.
He said all sensible negroes were interested
in good government. and would go against
the constitution. That the negroes did not
own this country, and if they did they could
not hold it, Money is scarcer now than it
was last year, and will be scarcer next year
than it is this. The Radicals might take his
property, they might take himself, they might
kill him, yea, they might cut him to pieces,
but they could never degrade him, and his
last breath would be liianly one. This is
the merest abstract Of the able effort OF this
octogenarian, who, for more than fifty years,
has been one of Virginia's ablest statesmen.