Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-05-04

the quiet was broken Dy the Stanton letter,
based upon recent intelligence from Washing
ton, which made 1t the painful duty" of
some of the discreet citizens to meet to consid-
er the difficulties that surrounded us. And yet
we were masters of the situation. These sages
now came into this Convention to preach har-
mony, when they themselves were responsible
for the discord that already existed. These five
wise gentlemen had not only taken upon them
selves the duty of acting for the people of Vir-
ginia but took it upon themselves to say who
should consult with them. Twenty eight gem
tlemen who met here appointed a committee of
nine, who went to Washington 1t had been
said that they had done good, but that good
had rot been disclosed any more than the re-
not only not done good, but they had aroused
the Radicals, and had arrested the removal of
disabilities, which was steadily going on to the
subversion of Radicalism in the State. The
good they had done deserved monument to be
erected in Rockfish gap.
He continued to point out the Intellectual at
tempts of the committee of nine to do good
Between the committee of nine and schemes of
consolidation, We had been brought into box of
discord and trouble out of which it would be al
most impossible to extricate ourselves. He
then charged that Colonel Withers had been
whistled down by the consolidationists, who
to consolidation should be elected Governor.
The charter under which this Convention
met provided that it should be called when the
President should have issued his proclamation
for the election. The gentleman had forgotten
this, and now wapted to defeat proposition in
accord with this charter. The papers of Rich
mond had, after the adjournment of the Con-
vention of 1867, flung up their caps and hal
looed "Hurrah for Virginia y Where were
those papers now? They had sunk down low
in the service of Radicalism He had in his
pocket letter full Of FUSS and fire, and patriot
| ism, from a gentleman who had then taken the
nomination for Congress from the Conservative
party. Where was he now? Conducting a
Radical press.
| The condition of affairs was most difficult
one. The great Conservative party was cut
loose without leadership, and left to choose be-
tween two Radicals, two carpet-baggers. There
| were thousands of highspirited men in the
! State who would never 60 to the polls in such
an emergency There was wide difference be-
tween having the hand of power put upon us
and doing the dirty work ourselves
| He commended that if we followed such a
course it would work destruction and inevitably
| elect Wells.
la conclusion, he eloquently appealed to Vir-
| GINA to preserve her selfrespect, and transmit
| fame-a heritage of which they might we'll feel
proud He favored the adoption of the resolu-
| ton of Mr.. Shackeford, and the post ponement
| of action.
MIR. Baldwin said that we had fallen upon
| ugly times, and were surrounded by circum-
stances fraught with danger. But in the midst
| of all this, some circumstances occasionally
arose which would take us back to better days
when the gentleman from Fauquier thundered
forth from every stump in the State the beau
ties of the resolutions of '9S and '99. Those
were fine times. We could all recollect them,
and it was very pleasant to go back to them
But he was reminded by the gentleman of the
lines of Burns in the good old song OF Bonnie
Doom"
| Thou, mindstme O departed joys
Departed, never to return"
The gentleman might be downed and con-
fined, but so fast as it was done he would arise
| from his mother Earth with renewed confidence
| He believed in the future Of Virginia on the
| old line as when he was Governor Of the Com
monwealth But he must remember that some
things had happened since he was last on the
stage. 1t seemed that he had heard that there
had been convention in '67. This was fine
body of men but, then, was its action irreversl-
BILE? Would he say that the platform laid
down in 1861 BIO the Convention which met in
our capital under all the solemn responsibilities
resting upon such body, was irreversible? Il
the Convention of 81 imposed lasting obliga.
TONS how was it that the Convention OF 81 did
not also? How happened it that the gentleman
| from Fauquer had so far fallen from his high
estate as not to stand upon the platform OF 81,
to which he had pledged himself? Had he
changed his mind. or had he been released from
| his obligations? He could say that he never
let 60 as long as he could hold on; but it was
dragged from him, and he had to let ii go. He
| had yielded to circumstances over which he
had no CONTROL and instead of giving bis orders
as Governor, from the mansion on the hill, he
had me to work making butter and cheese
The gentleman had said that we were pledg-
ed to stand by the candidates Of the Convention
of 1865 According to his opinion, he had nc
right to vote for anybody for Governor, because
his term wasn't out. He had spoken in opposi-
ton to any one going on to Washington fol
consultation upon the affairs of the State
Perhaps he had forgotten the fact that he had
after the war was over, sent dispatch to the
General commanding the Federal army by Mes
srs. mcfarland and Speed to know what was to
be done with the State of Virginia, and to de-
mand that it be surrendered TO his authority.
The consequence was that Messrs. mcfarland
and Speed were put in the guard-house, and
| the Governor of Virginia was in the woods
Laughter He was not only in the woods, but
he was in so deep that it was necessary to offer
reward Of $25, 900 to get him out.
Every man of common sense recognized that
in public as well as private affairs it was his
duty to deal with facts as they arose. 1t was
the part of wisdom aud common sense not to
so through life with eyes in the back part Of
ones head, looking only in the pa t, but to look
forward and deal with facts as they appeared,
though stubborn, unpalatabe, and humiliating,
they might be-
| When General Lee surrendered, everybody
recognized the necessity for it. In his opinion,
our people yielded in good faith, and from that
day looked upon this Government as ours, the
duties owed by its citizens were ours, and the
rights bestowed upon them we claimed as ours:
Here and there men might be found who would
not acknowledge that they owed any duty to
the Government. but he acknowledged his du-
ty to the government, badly conducted though ii
might be- Such was the honest position OF
every citizen: no man had a right to profess al
| legiance to the Government and at the same
time carry in his bosom purpose OF defeating
it. 1t was his duty as good citizen, whenever
an alternative presented itself, to avail himself
Of the privilege to vote, and cast IL for the eeva-
ton and improvement of the country. 1t this
was not conservatism, what did the word mean
| When the reconstruction acts were first sub
united to our people they were resisted by vote,
persuation, and appeal, and as long as there
was hope for the future he had been as earnest
in the determination not to yield to them as
was the gentleman from Fauquier. Bat when
the only party that professad any friendship
for us was utterly routed, it was rendered I'M
4 poccbla hot ,ro oo,,l1 racict these measures