The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-11-14
The Late Campaign In the Valley.


To the Editor Of the State Journal
desire little space in your paper in
which to make some statements concern.
ing the campaign in tho Valley, which
believe to be due to two gentlemen of your
city.
The Valley has been considered an ire
deemable Democratic stronghold by thegen
cral Republican sentiment of the State
ever since the meeting Of the Constitutional
Convention in 1867, and has therefore been
abandoned as an invincible fortress of the
enemy which it werc useless to attack.
There has been less political effort here by
speakers from outside our limits than in
any other section of the State of similar
Importance. The contest has always been
left to the unaided endeavors of local or
CARNATIONS, which have been obliged to
struggle on as best they could against the
overpowering odds set against them. But
the men of the Valley have not been idle,
as the returns of the election Just past will
show. If they have not been numerically
so strong as in other sections they have
never surrendered.
TWAS with much pleasures pleasure that
was felt throughout the entire Republican
ranks of the whole Valley, that they re-
ceived o favorable response to very press
ing invitations and made the arrangements
for series of meetings to be addressed by
Governor Wells, General Wickham and
Colonel Shields. For some reason, Gen.
eral Wickham was unable to come, but
Governor Wells and Colonel Shields did
come, and the people turned out in masses
to hear them. No such Republican meet
ings have been held in the Valley since the
war as those addressed by these gentlemen
at Winchester, Woodstock and Staunton.
At each place the courthouse was crowded
and jammed with eager listeners, and the
effect was good. 1t was noticeable that
more than the usual number of our politi-
cal opponents were out at each place as
listeners, and generally were very atten-
tive and expressed themselves as interested
and instructed.
So great has been the feeling against Re-
publicanism in the Valley, that this was the
first time that the Conservatives have ever
learned from our own speakers what our
sentiments really are. They know nothing
of our principles except through the misre-
presentations of Conservative papers, and
we hope that now the ice is broken and o
favorable impression made they will not
hold themselves so far aloof hereafter. The
Republicans ct the places named were more
than gratified-they were delighted and en-
thusiastic; and Gov. Wells and Col. Shields
received the sincerest thanks of all our
friends for coming amongst US. This sem
timent was felt and expressed in greater
degree, because we understand the hesita-
ton with which our friends from abroad
came amongst us.
AT Staunton they were Joined by Sena-
tor Wilson, who spoke at that place and
at Charlottesville. A meeting was also
had at Culpepper. There was no disturb
ance except at Staunton, where it seemed
that the Conservatives had determined that
Senator Wilson should not be heard, and
where considerable proportion Of the rep
resentatives of that party behaved in very
disorderly and disgraceful manner, such as
should put the party and the town to
shame. With this single exception the
meetings were in every respect very sue
cessful.
Professor j. NJ. Langston, of Howard
University, spoke at Staunton to large
audience, On the night following the other
Republican speeches, and won golden opin-
ions from all his hearers. Many men left
his meeting fully convinced that negro
ludy ny euuCdllOU cACel III almost any IlelQ.
point on which they had before been
skeptical.
The excuse for the late appearance of this
notice of these meetings is this An account
was sent at the time they were held, but for
some reason failed to be published. The
Republicans of this section believe that in
justice to those who so kindly acceded to
their requests to address them, some notice
should be made of their very successful
meetings. G.
November IL, 1872. 4