The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-10-02


We have made this hasty and necessarily
imperfect resume Of few Incidents of that
memorable convention, in order to prove be
syopd disputation that Col Hughes was an
searnest and active friend of Judge Douglas /
Gin 1860 at the Charleston convention, as he'll
aciaims. and for the verify of this statement
1--WE appeal to DR.. S. H. Mofett, of Rocking
sham, and Maj. J.sA. Hartman, of Angusta.
with whom we stood side by side, in b5halfi
sof the integrity Of the Democratic party and
8the Union, for We believed then and asser-
ated that the disruption of the one was|
,the dissolution Of the other. There are manyI
sothsr unwritten incidents Of that convention,
(which would be interesting to the general
Nreader and throw light upon transactions
Asthen as we'll as upon the spirit that is con-
atrolling in the present contest in Virginia
siibut we have not the space to detail them
q COL. HUGHES LETTER.
q s.M. Yosr, Esq.
d Dear Sir:-Our political enemies seem
Hto give much Importance to my course on thes
sssubject Of secession during the years immediate
sspreceding the war. They impute statements tos
sime in regard to it, which never authorized j
lathey set about to refute these statements; and
sahen seek to prejudice me by the contradictions
(which they pretend to establish.
81 Whether was o secessonist or not before the
sswar is question which hiss nothing to do withs
sthe great issue of the present canvass namely,
sSwhether Virginia shall become national in hers
sdpolitics, or remain sectional. A man who az
before the war, be natioaals
ssawith as much honesty and sincerity, mani
Sawho held union politics before that event, CAM
Nsnow tie himself to the sectional party. What ai
s95lman was before the war, on these questions. 1
sfurnishes no reason for his being now either of
|Ssectioual or union politics Opinion is free inI
Ss2this country, Drought to be aad is jus-E
Rstified now in subjecting his patriotic judgment
I;son living questions, to the thraldom of opinions
sawhich he may have held on dead ones. before one
Eaof the most tremendous revolutions that oc-
Occurred in history 1
Ea Down to April 1866, hold to State rights,
SgSouthern politics, embracing the theoretical
Bright of secession have never pretended or
sgstated to the contrary. But my enemies have
ss8charged that [ did as much to carry Virginia
ssasout Of the Union any other man. This charge
EEssssL have denied I have opposed to the charge
ssssome facts, viz: first, that left the Richmond
XII Ena,ainer in 1857, and had no connection with
gsVirginia politics until secession actually &C.
occurred in 1851; ID. except that ! went to
Richardson as an active friend of Judge Douglas,
sssin 1860, to oppose the secession party; 3D. and
Sgexcept that wrote some articles in March 1861,
sin favor of Virg mia throwing in her LOT with the
Southern states after most of them had seeded at
.ss5Montgomery in February 1861.
sa The ouly statement I have made or author
Eaizel, are substantially embodied in the follow
Sging extracts
III [From the Culpeper Speech
"a had been up to 1865, all my life, warm
s3state-rights, southern man. 1t has been the
ls@ha bit OF my enemies to praise the ability and
Mearnestness Of my exertions in that cause down
tssto tho fall of the Confederacy. They now &c
Esback sixteen and twenty years to hunt up violent
Hsarticles in the Richmond Examiner (Which
'Essevery one who is acquainted with my style knows
sEal never wrote but for which own myself re-
,sssponsbe if they were published between 1855
Esand 1879 to show the extravaganza Of my zeal
.sIfor the southern cause. Yes, l was faithful te
,H1sthe southe and state-rights cause as long as
Esthere one and no man in all this land has
-Essever impeached it.
ssMa[ From pamphlet showing political course of r
ssag. Hughes, since 1851
III The E1amiaer upheld the doctrines of the Dem
'Esoeratic party, and warmly and effectively sup
sH5spored its The Distinguishing principles
Eaof that political school were embodied in tile
'sAState Rghts theories Of '99 and $50. Among
ia hem, the Democrats Of the South held that the
k hsoretical right of secession was embraced. AZ
Essate as 1851, so far from the advocates of that
~ school of doctrines having proposed an actua
sHaresort to the right of secession they expressly
;sscontended that the establishment of the righ
Mswould be the best safeguard against the necessity
cof resorIng to it because the aggressive section
H3of the Union recognizing actual secession as tht
af5linevitable consequence Of aggression, would
sEEafrain from proceeding to lengths. Thus thu
hsguestioa stood, when this writer left the State
Esand left the press of the State, in 1857 and IN
Eslertook the conduct Of the Washington Union
Esithe official organ of Mr.. Buchanans adininistra
SNtion. The Washington Union was a Union pa
s9aper and while ppholding the doctrines of th
sEs Democratic party. opposed and discountenancet
syall movements looking to an actual rupture o
gst he Union. gA
III This writer left Washington in the summer O
kAl959 and theneeforward, until after secession
-SAwas consummated by the formation Of the gov
ssSernment at Montgomery, had connection Will
sMthe press whatever, being engaged in agricutur,
'G;and railroad affairs in Southwest Virginia. Ii
that interval he had sort of connection with
oNSpolitics except to go to the Democrat Nationa
sNConvention, which met at Charleston, Soutt
nrssCarolna, in April, 1861 where he labored witt
, Mall his might, but labored in vain to secure thu
gM%sand his endeavors were thea thwarted, b,
E#whom by the advocates. or at least those wht
Sabecame, the advocates of actual secession.
,HSthe endeavors of this writer and of those will
dKwhom he acted at Charleston had been successful
bathere would have been secession, no war, n,
eEssdesolatlon Of the State and of the South.
es3 Mr.. Lincoln was elected in 1860, and secession
/, Ssdid occur. The Montgomery government wa
ssformed in February, and then the question aros
-s5whether Virginia should adhere to the South, O
Mforsake the South and engage with the North
During the latter part of March this writer pub
-E4lished some half dozen articles in one of tn
Eajournals of Richmond (not the Examiner, wit
sSwhch he had no connection from the fall of 1856
n@suntil late in APRIL 1861, urging that it was til
, s5duty of Virginia to make common cause witt
the South, an idea, then very prevalent an,
esAplausible, was, that the whole South by present
oing united 'front.' could avert resort tc hostili
,Essties and secure settlement Of the sectiona
upon permanent and peaceful basis
Sa This hope failed. The civil war opened with tn
Moombardment of Fort Sumter about the 18th o
EaApril; and all of us who had held that tie State
-g8possessed the right to secede for cause engage
sain the struggle with a sound conscience
~ FL ON Biographical Sketch
,Hs The hostility Of Mr.. Buchanan to Judg
eE3the withdrawal of Col. Hughs from the Washing
Hston Union. He attended the Democratic conven
eRSaStion which convened in Charleston, in Apri
RalS60, Jealous advocate of Judge Douglas
Msbut owing to his personal relations with th