The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-10-05
For the VALLEY VIRGINIAN.
Judge Fields Spe ech-A Few Interesting
Historical Facts

was one of the number who attended the
Tildcn and Hendricks meeting ON the 9th
ult., on King Street, Alexandria The audi
ence was respectfully large, and perfect order
prevailed. In old times the Wings seldom
disturbed Democratic meetings, and as Mr..
Blair told the Alexandria people last week,
that the Republican party was 4 branch, an
offspring Of the old Wing party, the children
strictly obey the teachings Of their illllstri-
ous predecessors, and never disturb Demo
cratic meetings.
Judge Field, of Culpeper, commenced his
speech by saying the present contest was one
of the most Important that has occurred since
Washington's administration. The same old
story. 1 we'll remember that the Democrats
told precisely the same story in 1910. At that
time the Wing orators declared if Van
Buren, was re- elected the republic would be
changed to military despotism; that the
smusket and the bayonet would govern instead
of the ballot-box, and the charge was sus-
tanned by extracts from Van Buren's message
to Congress, delivered in December, 1889,
recommending Secretary Poinsett's plan for
a military organization OF two hundred thou
sand men. The Democratic Secretary OF War
then recommended $40 divide the United
States into eight military districts, each dis
trict to have a body of 12,5O0 men in active
service, and as many more in reserve, alto
gether 200, 900 were to be armed, equipped,
drilled and ready for war; the President
might call for and assemble such numbers
as lie please, twice year, at such places as he
chose within each district; and when in SER
vice these men to be subject to the same
rules and articles Of war rs troops OF the Uni
ted States.'' This plan of the Democratic
President and Secretary OF Was was bitterly
denounced by the Wings, while Francis T.
~, int no GJoho rlroicaI md fnl1v nnTlnpc-
cd the plan. i,l SIS 4Ali
This Democratic scheme to raise a stand
ing army Of 100000 men s'to be armed,
equipped, drilled and ready for war, Hcrea-
ted great excitement. Wing speakers, the
Richmond, Wing, Alexandria Gazette and
other Wing papers denounced it as an or
ganization to secure the election of Van Blu
rem by military force. The recent instr:ic-a
tons OF Secretary Taft, to carry out the pre-
amble and resolutions passed unanimously by
the present Democratic House OF Representa-
tives, is mere child's play comparedto van Bu-
ren's grand army of 200, 900 men. Thomas
Richie, OF the Richmond Enquirer, dropped
q private note to Van Buren, that it was iff
furious to the Democratic cause in Virginia;
the scheme was withdrawn, and the Repub-
lie was once more saved tsl si
( The next scheme that threatened to de-
stroy the Union was Secretary Poinsett's
order to send to Cuba for blood hounds, as
auxiliary militia to hunt down the poor In.
dams and forlorn negroes who had joined
the red skins. Poinsett's instructions to
Brig. Gen. Taylor, were that Sin the event
Of those dogs being employed by any officer
under your command, that their use be con-
fined altogether to tracking the Indians, and
to prevent the possibility of their injuring
any other person whatsoever that they be
mnzzled.''
This remarkable mode of Democratic war
fare was severely censnred by the Whigs,and
John Quincy Adams, in Congress, submitted
the following resolution
"Resolved That the Secretary of War be direct
ed to report to the House the natural political
and martial history OF the blood hound, showing
the peculiar fitness of that class OF warriors to be
associates OF the gallant army of the United
States, specifying the nice discrimination OF his
scent between the blood OF the freeman and the
blood OF the slave-between the blood OF the arm
ed warrior and that of women and chidren-be-
tween the blood OF the black. white and ,colored
and that of the Anglo -Saxon pions christian. Al
so, a stateme Mt OF the number OF blood hounds
ment and the cost of importation. Whether
measures have been taken to secure exclusively
to ourselves the employment of this auxiliary
force and whether he deems it expedient to ex-
tend to the said blood hounds ard their posterity,
the benefit OF the pension laws
Well, the Republic survived Tie crisis OF
the Democratic blood hound scheme.
In 1874. the country was again ON the brink
of r,rin. The contest was fierce between
CLAW and Polk: tariff and anti-tariff: bank
and sinh treasury. Democracy made the peo.
nlc az Pennsylvania believe that Polk was a
stronger tariff man than Clay, which secured
Newt. and most important of call elections
since Washinoton, time. ;, was the GREAT an
II slavery STRUGGLE in IS4S. Democracy di-
vifled on the ssJVilmot Proviso'' doctrine. and
to save the Union from rhe ssInfamous
M go, -, -: - 1900