Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-10-27
For the Bristol News
ON CAUCUSES, OUR GOVERN
ING POWERS.

The following Communication was
designed for publication several
weeks ago. but is good-yet:
McSsrs Editors
There is somewhere the his
tory. that, some late centuries ago, Oc-
CURED the following somewhat re-
markable conversation between two
most prominent persOnagcs, tO-wit:
The DcuH, Beelzebub, you once
thought that the caucus would become
All indispensable element to our politi-
cal existence, on the planet called
Earth?
BceL5cJu5, So I still think, property
gotten up.
.SC:tdn, Well, then, we must infuse
into it our most sccretiye natures T;
must breathe within il, from our dia-
bolical nostrels that spirit which will
80 inflame the ambition of men as TO
carry completely captive all the hui
man dcpravity, under the popular
workings of our especial demagogues.
Becizcbub, SO, so, but We'll hold a
little up until they start that big Re-
public bcyant the salt ponds, and then,
Satan. Yes, and then, we'll see to it,
that the human will is only an equi-
librium-lever, the either end of which
may topple TO the balance Of pOUcrS.
So, Hell, governing politics, Caucus
shall be her great first principle TO
weight down the mightier end!
New, therefore, if we perceive cor
TcCtly, are not the modern caUcuses
gotten up somewhat on the spiritual
principles thus laid? Then, we may
further ask, if the late Abingdon eau
Gus, at the September court, was not
properly gotten up?" 1t was got
ten up on the principles of the Rich
mond Convention, most dsSuTCdiy, eX-
pressing the will and desire of the
whole people, en- n3uSsc!
There is no chance for controversy,
It is very truth, that the whole people,
ca nidSSc were Dramatically ecretive,
and made 40 publication of the forth
coming Abingdon caucus, in either
Bristol Ac,CS or Abingdon Firg. RidR (;
no word of it was uttered in any
Townships; not Radical EllOICCd of
il from the Potomac to the Rio Grand T!
BY this means, the whole people en-
mdSsc come TO caucus-that same
tCho1c people ca HGSse who, two days
previously, had set in preparatory eau
cus, somewhere, in secret chambers.
in the town of Abingdon, inside inn
peEctrahle brick walls, for the con-
struction of harmony, union and fra
ternal concldrc! But, How? Who?
Why?-Thcrc is only this clear eXpla-
nation: That the whole people, c5,
mdSsC, were, here in concil, repreSen-
ted by their Governing Powers. who
have the ability and the right 10 rep
resent them, and who, in secret scs-
sion, with their favorite candidate, pro-
cecded TO settle all the preliminaricS
for tho ruling Of the will of the SOW
ercign masscs. Very well, all right
These invulnerablc Powers, govsTning
all man and womankind within the
limits Of old Washington, were they
who, in solid phalanX. came forth in
solid phalanX, came forth IN grand
caucus, on Monday, 18th ult. Not q
sovereign from mountain, cove oI
plain knew one internal thing of it,
and what right had they 70 know
What right the s0vereigns, who have
40 oratory and only wear jeans? They
are not the governing powers! Re-
publicism is a turuing-up-side-d down
ism, when the sovcTeigns are servants
and the servants sovcreigns; where
the whole people, en- mdSSc, are the
servants of the governing powers, a.
,rqssc. facts most signally proved a
The great caucus of the 18th of Sept.
Now, when some of the sovereign
masses were arranged, by said caucus
for being candidates without its per
mission, and exhibited some stubborn
ness of reply TO interrogatives, they
We're told emphatically, 10y the orator
of the dav, that when the governing
powers spoke they must come TO taw
that, being now sOrcrCigR, they were
but the servants of rulers. and 10 AFRO
gate no self sutiiciencies on the ground
oi their own indulgence! Except one
Ola fellow, who stood as tall rs a lamp
poS', ON the Judges platform, with his
lSht IN both eyes, the whole array
WIZ arralgned and scourged, except,
ALSO, lie who had conclaved with the
preparatory caucus on the Thursday
"elore' Each with fearful Fremont
tiohs came to taw; whilst. there over
AT Hlil rs sapling, stood Pippin, that
towering exponent of Radlcalism
trembling IN every limb. and i'm ever,
feature quivering! Certainly FulkeF-
son was there, the chief object nf This
caucus drive-tbcrc, sufficiently hum
BILE. discernedly respectful. modest
enough, and wisely considerate. with
all due Difference to the Powers that
govern. But this matters nothing IA
the pc others Watch the light of that
lamp-post and the swayings of that
sapling. The GoODsoN township can
dldate was deferentially fair in eY.
pressing his own movements which
TO the powers that govern seemed in.
imleal TO tho principles laid by thu
He modestly suggested that. In all hu.
man probability, no body had known
among uhe sovereigns OF the land,
'hatthis to-day's grea. caucus was e.