The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-10-26
Col. Holiday.

Col. Holiday.
Col. F. NJ. W. Holiday, of Winchester,
one of The Democratic electors at large for
the State OF Virginia, addressed the people
of Augusta county, at the Court House, on
Monday las. Judge Hcndren. with his pro-
verbal courtesy, adjourned his court at II
O'Clock, in order that the political issues now
engaging the attention of the country,
might be discussed before the people.
Col. Holiday commenced his address i'm
mctiatcly on the vacation OF the bench, and
spoke Tor Two hours to a crowded house.
The writer of this did not hear his opening
remarks. nor catch the entire connec'
ton of his argument 1t was very evil
dent, however, that the speaker sought to
elevate himself above the plane OF the ordin-
ary political harlequins who cut such fantas-
tic tricks, generally. as to make the very
heavens weep with shame. He struggled
yainly after some imperial thought that
would link him to statemanship and seized
upon the fitting shadows of ideas, that his
mentality could not grasp nor analyze. The
swelling display OF his studied exclamation
of ''my countryman," and the invocation for
the intervention of Divine power TO arrest
the onward march OF the Republican party,
ana by reason thereof, of Republican nsti-
tutions, only showed that the speakers am
bitten WAS beyond the mental power vouch-
safed him. He waltzed over the classic hills
OF Greece and sported meath the genial skies
OF Italy with the pompous assurance OF the
s'orator Of the day. before the graduating
class Of some literary institution. He spoke
of Aliltiades and Marathon, of Agamemnon
and Troy, of Caesar and Rome, as though
they were his playmates and the scenes OF
their deeds the Fairgrounds of his youthful
fancy His imagery reveled in the golden
sunsets that threw their mellow radiance over
the aurife-ous Pacific, and then leaped to
embrace the frost-ladened mists that fioated
iaziiy along the banks of the st. Lawrence.
The field of Belles-I.ettres was ransacked
and tortured to illustrate the magnitude OF the
ideas that stood halt formed and in crysalis
in his mind, witt, no logical assistance to
evolve their meaning or comprehend their
philosophy. As garland of words the APP
peal was superb, as presentation of princi-
pic it was Il lamentable failure.
The first idea, as we heard it. he tuggcd at
aud played around, was the ''fanaticism' OF
the North, as developed in the old abolition
party: losing sight Of, or not comErehendins
the transformations of history, and the moral
forces tibet kept their steady aud irresistible
march until the sun OF the Centennial year
shines anon a nation OF freemen. Mr.. Hol'
liday's mind, hcdged in by the preiudices Of
education, could not follow what he calico
abolition fanaticism through its increasing
volume to the grandeur OF its achievements
in striking the shacllles from four millions
OF slaves, and clothing them with liberty. II
was fanaticsm still with him. He could moi
divest the present consummatlons OF the ira
eaitsonal prejudces that surrounded their fee
BILE beginning; nor was the mould OF lii'
mind sufficiently masculine to nnderstant
rhe great moral and political truths which
stand out as the trophies Of the ''fanalicsm'
he maligncd
Then with Il strained effort to elevate his
thoughts above the common demagOgue
whom he so severely and Justly denounced, he
essayed to convince the colored people thai
the Republican party dill not prosecute the
,var for their freedom, nor was it Il concep
ton until the necessities OF the war CON-
pellet, it. Here the assumption of Mt
Holiday was totally beneath his aspiration
His aim was to reach to craftsmanship. lie
fell into the murky hy-patlis of the trading
politician. 1t was true that no nan coulC
foretel the progress and developments OF thu
conflict, but all can now see that the Repub
lcan party was the chosen instrument Il
give q new Interpretation to the declaration
of human rights, in the abolition OF tha
,ssum of all viliainics," slayery-'Fanatica
abolitionism.'' grown into a great power
tliat worked out the deliyerance OF soul
and body from bondage, and opened
up the light and truth Of revelation to the be-
nigIlted and unlettered. Had the Democrat
ic party succeeded, human slavery would have
been the corner stone OF the government that
would have followed, as it was of the one
that existed in the seeded States. Slavery
was the cause of the war, and the effect coud
not be abated until the cause had been re-
moved, and the Republican party was the
instrument to accomplish that end.
With higf.-sounding and pompous super
ticiality, Mr.. Holiday then proceeded to de.
claim against solid North, and to declare
that he would prefer king to the rule OF a
President elected by united northern vote.
However much Mr.. Holiday may be deluded
with the belief that such q sentiment con-
veyed patriotic conviction, it really amount
ed to nothing more or less than REASONABLE
exhibition, unworthy of any man, who
claims to stands fast to the Constitution Of his
country. It would be all right with Mr..
Holiday for Democrat to be elected by the
vote OF solid South. tust emerged from a
bloody struggle to overthrow the very gov
.rxnment i. now seeks to control; but ii
wallld be ali wrong, for solid North. that
had preserved that government from de-
structicn, to presume to administer it. Dir.
Holidays idea Of patriotism, and duty had
all the colorlng OF the most insane Southern
fanaticsnl, utterly at war witii the logic and
philosophy of events.
He traced the Republican party through
its achievements after the war, in fortifying
and entrenching the work accomplished by
tile war, and said it was the destiny OF that
organization to 60 OH in what he Called Its
n boz al F.. T,>
ssl's we perfectly agree with Mr.. Holiday
For the Republican party to stop short OF the
perfect freedom OF every man in tile L. s.
faot oniy as to his person, fqt as to his,
legal and political rights. would and ought to