The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-09

LOCAL MATTERS.
FLAG-RAIsING AT CULpEPPER.

Outpouring OF the People-Speeches of Rus
Burgess and Others.
On Friday last grand mass meeting O
the people was held at Culpepper Court
house, it having been previously announced
that speakers would be in attendance. anC
that a large and splendid Grant and Wilson
flag would be raised On the occasion. B,
twelve O'Clock noon, the streets of Culpep
per were thronged by eager and expectan
listeners on their way to the main street il
front of the Postofiice, where the flag
raising was to come off, and stand had
been erected and handsomely decorated
with iags-the true red, white and blue
for the speakers. A band of music was il
attendance, and every arrangement made tc
render the turnout at once grand, interest.
ing and imposing. AT three o'clock in the
afternoon we reached the scene of political
interest, arriving at Culpepper from Cor
louisville junction, whittier we had gone by
rail from Richmond, to see with what en-
thusiasm the people were turning out at the
call of Grant and Wilson meetings. We
found the streets of this quiet but thriving
town thronged with the expectant crowds
we have named, and ready to greet the
speakers who had arrived with us with a
hearty three times three" as the hour
for the time of meeting was then wearing
away.
So admirably had the arrangements been
made, and so systematic and in order was
everything done, that in less than five min
utes the meeting was organized, the Stars
and Stripes flung to the breeze. "a large
and splendid flag bearing not only the names
of Grant and Wilson, but fine, life-sized
portraits of them, handsomely done on
canvass and not less than two thousand
people surrounding the stand to greet the
speakers with an enthusiasm that told of
" triumph in the air."
The meeting was called to order by w.
A. Mac Nultv, Esq, and L. l.. Lewis, Esq.,,
was appointed to the chair. After neat
little speech of some twenty minutes length,
in which he happily presented the claims Of
the Republican candidates for President
and Vice-President upon the suffrages of
the American people, Mr.. Lewis introduced
to the people of Culpeper the Hon. RUsH
BURGESS, of Richmond ,as the first speaker
who would address them.
Mr.. Burgess, who had scarcely more
than arrived in the train from Gordonsvile.
Immediately took the stand and spoke for
full two hours in a speech that was replete
with argument, wit, sarcasm, and earnest
appeal to the voters of Culpeper who had
come together to hear the issues now be.
fore the country discussed. Mr.. Burgess
commenced by saying that he was pleased
to see the gratifying condition of things all
over the State Of Virginia, as all over the
country. lie observed that a smile had
passed over the faces of some persons
On the outskirts of the crowd, as
The stars and stripes were flung to the
breeze and the glorious old sStar-spangled
Banner was struck up by the band. He
was glad that the time had come in sold
when men born and nurtured
upon her soil, and fed by the inspiration of
ner hstory-the native born white
man as well as the native born black man
could unite in paying homage to the old
lag OF the Union wherever it might be I'M
|urled. He liked to see faces light up with
smile as the starry banner was flung out to
he breeze, and the shouts of victory went
up beneath its ample folds. This common
sentiment of whites and blacks did him
the speaker) good, and although the smile
referred to came from white face with
some signs of derision in it. he hailed it as
IN suspicious omen of better time coming
n the Old Dominion. His ear had caught
he sound of "carpet-bagger," and it was
not an unfamiliar sound. 1t was good
lame to define-to get the true meaning of
n Virginia. There were good many car
,et-baggers in the State-some good. some
BAD, and some altogether indifferent. AS
or himself, he had been resident of Vir-
slnia for twenty-five years, and he thought
lie might claim to be Virginian by age, if
not by birth. At all events, he had been
/ citizen long enough to be of age, and this
couldn't be said of all carpet-bageers. lie
Snew OF one who had carpet-bagged it into
Virginia at much more recent date; who
was sutcr in Buffers little camp made
A little money, or had the reputation of
doing it, by selling horse-cake and whiskey
to the soldiers; stuck profitably to his BUSH
ness till the war was over; asked the
Norfolk people to send him to the Constitu-
tional Convention, and afterwards ran as q
Radical candidate for Governor. Perhaps
some of the "smiling" ones in the crowd
knew to whom he referred. He would
agree with them that he had no use for
such carpet-bagger as the one to whom he
If they liked him they could
have him-his carpet-baggism and all.
In 1867 the Republican party was formed
in Virginia. 1t was not his the speaker's)
fault that Virginians, those to the manner
born, did not take the leadership of it,
instead of allowing such carpet-baggers as
Gilbert G. Walker TO come to the front.
Ii they can take not only Buffers sutler,
but the man who has damned them most
the Tribune philosopher-and swallow
his old white hat, his old white coat, with
every crank and ism that ever got into his
head, he did not see why they
might not have organized party of their
own, and taken the lead of affairs in Vir-
ginia, 1t came with bad grace from the
men who did not do this, but who swal-
lowed Walker three years ago and now
propose to swallow Horace Greeley after the
same fashion, to twit him or anybody else
about " carpot-baggers." Had that cele-
brated COMMITTEE of nine,u which was
headed by R. I. Daniels in its suppliant
visit to Washington, acted in the faith it
professed, and accepted the situation hon
estly as it did gracefully, there would have
been no necessity for tho Democratic-Con-
seryative-Dolly Warden party of Virginia
to day.
Mr.. Burgess sharply criticised the address
Of Mr.. Il. L. Daniel, and said that when he