Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-08-26
Great Conservative Rally.

MI OCkt 00AnS1 v 6%oA " 6b6tiAy
CAMPAIGN BRILLIANTLY OPENED.
Speeches by Kemper. Withers, Hunter and
Others.
The Conservative meeting held In the Theatre
building in Richmond on Friday night last, was
one of the largest and most enthusiastic which
has ever been assembled in the State, and au-
gurs the triumphant election of the Conserva-
tive ticket next November The Theatre was
densely packed with deeply interested au-
dience composed of both sexes, and hundreds
were unable to gain admttance for the want of
room, though, as is well known, the Theatre is
quite spacious building.
AtS o'clock, Colonel W. P. Burwell, chair
man of the City Central Committee, called the
meeting to order, and in behalf of the commit
tee and people of Richmond generally, called
Governor Walker to the chair and invited Hon.
Robert Oud to act as ice-president, and the
members of the Conservative press present
secretaries.
Amid the greatest enthusiasm and applause,
the Governor came forward to the front of the
stage.
REMARKS OF Gov WALKER.
On taking the chair the Governor said that
he was proud and happy to see before him such
| throng of his worthy tellow-citizens. He was
proud to bear such an honor as to preside over
| this grand meeting. The Governor then pro-
| ceeded briefly to compare the two conventions
which have but recently met. He said that
those people who had recently met in Lynch
burg declared the same principles which they
| did in 1859; that the principles and platform
of the Conservative Convention is the same as
that adopted during the memorable campaign
four years ago. and that as we gained glorious
victory then SO we will at this election win far
more glorious one. Cheers. -
The speaker urged every voter to DO his duty,
and not rely on the fact that we would be VIC
| torious and know no such word as fail. Grace
| fully concluding his remarks, Governor Walk
er turned, and taking General Kemper by the
arm, introduced to the audience the next Gov
ernor of Virginia.
REMARKS OF GEN. KEMPER.
General Kemper came forward and said that
this immense outpouring of the people of Vir-
ginia, this great gathering of the citizens of this
grand old Commonwealth, was an omen that
forever and forever would The people-her own
people-govern her. When the Conservative
people called him from his quiet home, he felt
| the high trust which was placed in him. New
er could he hold back either in the councils of
peace or the sterner realities Of war when call
ed by his fellow citizens
He was here to join hands with those who
had aided him in the past, not to attack the
| Administration, nor the Chief Magistrate Of
this great nation. But he meant to Judge him
in the future as he had done in the past. There
are no issues, said he, to fight on outside
grounds. No matter what the political relations
of the great political parties of this country have
been, it is the voice Of Virginia which to-day
summons every man to the standard of right,
justice and honor.
when the negroes were first arrayed against the
white people of the State, long before the Con-
sentative party was organized. He then took
up the campaign of 1869, and alluded to the
| disfranchisement of the citizens of Virginia by
the infamous clauses of the Constitution which
the Convention OF 1867 had voted for as whole
He affirmed before the world that there never
was more incendiary paper Or document
spread to the world-one which is more calcu-
lated to array one race against another-than
| that remarkable document the speech of the
Republican candidate for Governor at Lynch
| burg.
| A voice: go for him." Cheers and laugh
| The speaker then proceeded to scan and cri-
ticsa the speech of Mr. Hughes delivered at
| Lynchburg, during which his remarks wer e
greeted with great applause and enthusiasm.
General Kemper declared that there were
| but two parties In this Commonwealth-th
white mans party and the negro party. There
is no middle ground. If there is any man in
the State who will prove himself Judas, he
must 60 over head and shoulders; he can take
no stand between the two.
| He did MT 1ociro RI coaupu toO puoh Of tho
time of the meeting, for there was on the stage
near him gentleman head and shoulders above
all the speakers which the Republican party
| could muster whom he desired to bear.
| The speaker then mentioned in the course of
his address the unfortunate condition of Louis
lana and South Carolina and reviewed the &C.
ton Of the negro Legislature of that State the
enormous bills paid for fitting up the State
capital the spittoons tor the negroes to spit
amber in, &c. If there is any man in the land
who wants to go over to that party and turn
these great men and fair women over to negro
rule, he wanted to see him and tell him what he
reminded him of. He assured the Conservatives
the VirglDians before hm-that be was for
Virginia from the utmost line, from the blue
waters OF the Atlantic to the borders Of Ken
lucky. He was tor the white man standing for
| the black man, end the black man standing for
the white man. He was for justice, co-opera-
ton, and harmony. He was imbued with the
great responsibility which rested on him.
| General Kemper gracefully concluded his re-
marks, and Governor Walker, coming forward,
introduced the future Lieut. Governor of Vir-
giuia-Col Robert E. Withers-who, he said,
he hoped the people would greet aud at the
end of four years drop the Lieutenant from his
! title and make him Governor.
REMARKS OF Colo MEL WITHERS.
| Cheer after cheer arose as Colonel Withers
came forward and when quiet had been re-
stored Col. Wiihers commenced by saying that
he hoped God would make him worthy of the
greeting he had received from the vast concourse
of Conservatives before him. Cheers.
| Colonel Withers said that he appeared before
| the meeting In response to an invitation from
the City Central Committee of Richmond and
while he deemed it unnecessary to enter into
any lengthy argument yet he desired to urge
upon the Conservatives of Virginia the impor-
lance Of not only standing together, but voting
as unit for the success of the ticket to be vot-
ed for on the 4th of November next. He COM
pared the two parties and Virginia with those
southern States that have passed under Radi-
| cal rule.
He claimed that there is no Republican par
| ty in Virginia, that there is vast difference
| between the Republican party and that of the
Radicals. He would welcome to Virginia all
honest men who come to live and toll and aid us
10 rebuilding our waste places. Such men would
be received and welcomed and the right hand
extended to them with an honest spirit. But
| fho hac uuh RI plurdnr apN RI