The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-08-20
An "Eosuen"s and "Geatlemanly" Can
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didate.
To De q gentleman is something. To be a
virginian is something. But to be both gen
teuan and Virginian, is to exhibit combina-
ton OF excellence where every god hath set
his seal 'sto give the world assurance OF man.
At least that is the way Virginians generally
put it. We are q singulaily modest people.
We are moved to lay down this text and pre-
misses by the perusal OF an extended report of
the proceedings and debates in the First Con
gressional District CONSERVATIVE Convention
vt Tapppahannock, Essex county, Oh the 4th
Inst, which we find reported in the Fredericks-
burg Ledger of the 18th. The Tappahanncck
index, Of the issue Immediately previous t. the
assembling of the convention, said, in regard co
it: 1--WE hope that the action OF the Convention
will be marked throughout, With the decoratze
and dignity which becomes Ftrglnsa GENTLE
nsea," but alas seldom has political repre-
sentative body been convened anywhere, in
" itch has assumed more Violent and ungentle-
manly elimination and recrilninaton-s.d eco-
rum and dignity both appearing to have fled
entirely from the presence of warning factions,
each seeking for its favorte the Fat capon lin
ed" OF d Congressional position, Which, this
time, some patriot OF the Tidewater, was ex-
pected to grasp without any kind OF a mistake,
whatever; though we think events will again
prove that s'there is many slip, between the
cup and the lip
The struggles of the parties ended in the
nomination of Beverly B. Douglas, of King
William, ashn is 70.
sort OF rhodomontade eloquence, replete with
burning adjectves, appeals to prejudice and
passions, with loose statements of facts, muddy
reasoning upon them, illustrated by hackneyed
commonplace the noise Of his wordy torrent
inpressing unsophisticated hearers, that it is a
great Niagara they have before them when it is
only a little sploshy Mattapony.
The speech Of the proceedings, was, of course.
that of this Mr.. Douglas when accepting the
nomination. and it was on looking it over, that
we were led irrasstably to philosophize as
IN our opening paragraph, and now to Ego
through his Grafton.
Whether Mr.. Beverly B. Douglas is a Virgin
ian and a gentleman is the question. That he
Isl Virginian OF the pure Underwater species,
ment
Heretofore, in the opinion of the "Conserva-
tives' down that way, this, Of itself, has been
deemed an overpowering argument: though it
almost bring tears into our eyes to notice how
''the. party in the Richmond District has fall
en- away from grace by nominating for Con
gress Ex-Governor Yankee Walker, for whom
it is luckey that he don't happen to be Re
publican as well as s'Yankee," in which event
he would be greeted by his present supporters
with never-ending denunciations, as an impu-
dent ''Carpet-Bagger, seeking the proper
perquisites OF one ito the manner Tor manor
born.
But this is a depression; let us return to OIL
"'muHoris," to wit, '.Bevily Bevily Douglas,
as one Cawood-a member Of the nominating
Convention, and one whom Artemus Ware
would designate as s'an amoosin cuss, ''-style(
the nominee. Considering him to possess
therefore, unauthorized, the high merit of be
ing Virginian, how far he may be styled
gentleman also, is little puzzling for plail
people to determine, with only the light hi
himself furnishes ID his acceptance speech. 1
for him For we hesitate not to say, that thai
was speech emphatically not fit to have beer
made by ''gentIeman"; yet he made it; and
the corollary is irresistible. Among his first
utterances were these:
SHE should go right to work and if he should
meet that astte man, who calls himself the
peoples candidate, but who has been nominal
ed byg gang Of plumbers and traitors. he would
tear the mask from him, and show his double
face.''
It may be questioned, in tbs first place,
whether the word 'astute' in this extract from
the maiden campaign speech Of Mattapony
Douglas, was used by him Understandings, in
the ordinary dictionary meaning of the term;
FIR, from the course expletives which Immediate
liz follow it. we should hardly expect him to so
highly compliment his opponent.th the Hon. Jas.
B. Sener. the present member. According to
Webster, though perhaps ''Beyi-
W. don't ACCEPT so "Yanlie' an authority,)
to be ssrstute' is to be 'sshrewd; sharp; eagle
eyed notwithstanding or discerning; sub
tile; cunning Is this what Mr.. Douglas
meant, or did he use the word without know
ing its proper meaning? An orator such as he
is claimed to be, should be scholar enough to
comprehend the etymology and exact force OF
words. else he must be held to belong to the
ssamoosn-cuss'' Cawood's order of speech-ma-
kers that individual having declared in the
Convention that all the oratory displayed there
was simply .s52owing." But our great orator
five mean ''Bevily'' not Cawood,) says that the
'Astute Manp,'' Chat is his opponent the Hon.
James B. Sener,) was nominated by gang OF
pyuaderers and troitors,' and he loudly bawi-
ed to his listening admirers that the ''Astute
man. he is running against; has ''double
f0ce.'' This settles it. 70 be a gentleman,
OF the first water in the conception of E. B..
Douglas, is for candidate for the popular vote
to commence his Congressional campaign by
abusing with foul expletives the people Of the
party opposed to him. and by applying rude.
epithets to bis rival in the field II knew he.
he was a gentleman, by the remarks he matle''
Nominated by gang Of pzunderers and
traitors" Traitors to whom or what? We
are afraid this double-and-twisted twice refined
orator, scarcely cemprehends the meaning of
these words. any better than he did the word
''astute." If we understand the situation. he
!. seeking an election to the Fe2eraI Congress,
The Congress Of the whole Union-seckine to
sit in the great Hall over which waves continue
ally, for ever more the sold 1law'' of our faith