The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-09-25
CHARLOTTESVILLE.

ADDRESSES OF MAJOR GREGORY AND DIR. CUR
RY-THE BOTTOM DROPS OUT OF THE MA
HoNEITEs' FLIMsY ARGUMENTS UNDER THE
sLEDGE EXAMINER BLOWS OF MAJOR GREGORY
AND THE POWERFUL MORAL LOGIC OF DIR.
CURRY. .......- s.. ........
Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.l
SEPTEMBER %, 1879.
Although half-past was announced as
the hour FOR the ad Gresses OF DR.. Curry
and Major Gregory, long before this hour
the people began. to assemble in the Town
Hall Many ladies were. in the audience,
and the galleries were crowded With col
ored people. The Charlottesville Band lent
spirit to the occasion, and it Dartook more
OF ,fete than Of the solemn discussion OF a
grave question. On the stand were Hon.
S. F. Leake and others. ..-
Major Gregory was introduced by Mr..
White in complimentary terms. lie ex-
pressed much qualification at the presence
OF the ladies, and said that their presence
indicated the importance Of the issue and
the final success of the right. What is the
question? 1t is this Shall we stand by the
law that has settled the debt question, or
shall we repeal it? We are not agitators,
but we are resolved to crush the corporaPs
guard which had for leader Il citizen OF
this county, and who were advocating false
principles. They claimed to follow pre-
cedent set by Jefferson. Here he rehearSed
the portion Of Jetferson's letter to Mr. Mad
ison which the Agitators are seeking to
make capital Of, and gave Mr.. MadisOn's
crushing reply, and showed that Mr.. Jetfe! =
sons subsequent acts all were opposed
to the principle stated in said letter His
peroratlon upon Mr. Jefferson in his pc
ttionipg the Legislature to allow him 10
sell bis lands to discharge bis obligations
was eloquent and effective. He reviewed
the organization OF Agitators, and bcld
them up in contemptuOuS array before the
people. He gave a statement OF the condl-
ton OF the debt, the effect of the old fund.-
ing bill, the Barbour bill, the McCuIIoch
bill, and clucidated the matter in such 4
manner as to make it clear to the common
est intellect. Repeal the McCullocn bill
aud YOU must either raise your taxes or
repudiatc the debt. He showed how easily
the State could adapt herself to the working
of this bill without injury to taxpayers, to
the public schools, or TO the machinery OF
government. He took UP every argument
used by the MahoneiteS, diSsectcd it, and
threw it to the winds. Major Gregory is 4
fine popular speaker. He conrulscd the
audience with his anecdotes in illustration
OF his points, and there were times when
bis eloQuence was not inferior to his distin.
guished colleague.
DR.. CURRY.
When ior Gregory retired, amidst
great applause, DIR. Curry was introduced
by Hon. S. +. Leake. who made few re"
marks bearing upon the importance OF the
issue as onty Mr.. Leakc can talk. DR..
Curry said that Major Gregory had very
properly acknowledged the presence OF the
ladies. We all know who are sons and bus
bands how
When pain and anguish wiring the brow
miniscring angel thou"
and their presence, and that OF the old men
who are not wont to attend political meet
| ings, indicated that it was no ordinary ques-
| ton that was before US for diScussiOn-a
question that reaches far into the future
one affecting lis in our homes. at our tire
sides, in private and public morals, in ma
| terial progress. 1t was not Il question be-
tween debtor and creditor, but involved Il
| great principle that lay deeper than mere
party contests. There are public acts that
! cling to posterity like the shirt OF NessuS :
! that make status that old ocean cannot OBJ
| lterate. He here referred TO the reputation
| of Mississippi as an act that followed and
chung to her citizens and to her name wher-
ever found, because it was perfidious act I:
and Notwithstanding the brilliant deeds OF
| her sons and the patriotism Of her people
| they could not shake off the odium OF this de-
| struction OF her plighted faith. lie believed
| the issue now before the people OF Virginia
| was the most periious one that had ever
occurred to the people. 1t would require
| matchleSs skill in the historian who should
record truthfulIy the heroism OF the women
and the courage Of the men OF Virginia as
! displayed in the late war, which was the
brightest page in her history; but what
will be the record that will go down to
their posterity when she has rcpudiated her
honest debts, broken her plighted faith
The debt was contracted by Virginia; she
made solemn covenant; she swoTe by her
self; she could swear by no greater. As
Elizabeth had condensed the honor OF her
kingdom in the signet ring given to Essex,
so Virginia had given all her honor in these
bonds. Against the plea that an Obligation
is discharged when it passes into the hands
OF an enemy, DR.. Curry showed its utter
absurdlty. He went on 10 illustrate
Here is a bond OF the State; it passes
into the hands OF the meaneSt man in
the United States: who is that man! "a
voice: Masscy"; uproariouS applausel;
TIC ~ upSS IL iOSC 10
value because it changes hands? He then
said that the man who antagonizeS the pre-
iudices OF people, arrayss class against
class, was worse than the traitor Benedict
Arnold, and deserved the eXecraliOn OF all
good men. These are the men who will
necessitate the increase OF taxes and the de-
Struction OF all the mat eral and moral in
terests OF the State; and then most power
fully he pictured the desolation which will
follow the peridy OF reputation. Any
fool can tear down structure which 1t has
taken hundreds of years..to erect; and these
men were attempting to dlslntegrate tue
social and political fabric Of the State.
DR.. Curry spoke about one hour. his
speech was listened to with much attention,
and particularly by the colored people. III
is impossible to do him justice in an ab-
stract.
CAPTAIN Chamberlayne was called 1or
when Dr.. Curry had seated himself, ana re-
sponded briefly. He said he had reason 10
believe that Albemarle would redeem her-
sell at the election and made many humor-
Gus remarks. - ;.
thus closed one of the finest discussions
OF any political subject we have ever hcaro.
We have reason to believe that good was ac-
comnIisbed. -,i-..l .. ..s. III. QUlP.
-. LOUISA COURTHOUSE.
THE MURDER CASES-I.ARGE CRoWDs-PER-
I. ..... SONAL.
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