The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-08-07
For Old Wings to Read.

Judge Frank T. Reid is the Republican cam
didate for Governor of Tennessee. AT Knox
vile, on the 18th, he addressed large audience
ofenthusiastic friends. From his brilliant speech
we make the following extract as we find it re-
ported in the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
"a boy fought in the ranks, under the Con-
federate flag barefoOted in the depth of winter
and in rags; and because upon my restoration
to American citizenship, q grown man. my
maturer reason said to me that it was vastly bet
ter for the best interests of mankind that that
flag had gone down in defeat, albeit covered
with glory; that the Republican party was the
plies that had triumphed, and which we who
had appealed to the sword were in honor bound
clared should mould the future historical de-
velopment of the country; because refused to
live among the tombs and wear crepe for the
dead, believingit to tbe my duty to live IN inc
living present." forsooth, am denounced as
renegade, an apostate, a traitor! A renegade
TO what? To the lost cause? / stood by it till
1t was dead and buried. Or do l mistake-is it
really buried? A renegade! To what? TO the
Democratic party? never drew Democratic 1. e
breath in my life, An apostate? From what
principle have | ever apostatized? II had
been the coward to hush the voice of my rea-
ish expediency; i'll had failed to speak out my
honest thoughts for fear of the reproach and
ostracsm that might f thl then indeed isn'
The speech was largely an Invocation TO the
spirit Of the Wing party, and an appeal to the
Re eI banner IN sr.' Judge Reid said:
..It was restored love of country, love OF the
Union that led me into the ranks Of the Repub-
lican party. And there | soon felt at home for
soon realized that the Republican party was
the phoenix that had sprung from Ine aea ~
ashes of the old Wing party. Whab docbfIuG VI
the Wing party has the Republican party failed
to carry 10 triumphant issue e over , D M,li,.
doctrine, that the United States is Nation and
not mere league between sovereign States,
Ifen bsnng system that is the admra
| ton OF the worl,i. The difference between it
and the old e-bellum system OF 5 Sease OF
the Republican or Wing party and the Demo-
| cratic party. The Wing doctrine of aid to in
| ternal improvements by the general govern
| ment In the hands of the Republican party,
| has made this country to blossom IKE tne rose:
And to-day after more Imam Iwea zen years o.
due more than all else TO having engratlated
| into the legislation of the country the old Wing
| doctrine of protection to American industries,
| the Republican party is attacked by the party
of John G. Calhoun, flying the Democratic free
trade colors. Old Wings, and descendants OF
old Wings, will you act as allies Of the Demo
cratic party in storming the old Wing citadel,
Wach Heats y TIe W Va t.
| American industries and devotion to the Amer
! lean Union? Can you shoot upon that nag
| when their great Emperor, upon his escape
/ from Elbe barred his breast before them and ex-
| claimed, Children, can you fire upon your Cen
| erai?, You know their response. The spirit
/ Of Henry Clay. your old leader, leads the very
van and front of this battle, DO you not see his
liz
not hear his eloquent, ringing voice as Of old,
! calling upon you to come out OF the camp Of the
| enemy? out Of the camp of free trade. Calhoun
| Democracy, and take your place under your
| old flag? Ihear his voice above the roar of the
| BATTLE and shall follow where he leads. And
| am a traitor to this people because follow
| the flag OF Henry Clay: am not TO be intimi-
| dated am not made of that Kind of stuff
God pity the people of this State If a man is to
| be hounded down by blackauardS and DULLES be-
cause he refuses allow the fact that he was IL
| Confederate soldier to Keen him forever a slave
to the political theories that were shot to death
| by the millions of guns of the Republic; be-
4 cause he refuses to allow the fact that he be-
| longed to class that dlsfranchised during
| the reconstruction period to keep him forever
| d slave to the prison bosses OF a Bourbon and
degenerate Democracy"
Judge Reid is now at campaigning and pOliti-
cal speaking. It's a little hard on him just now
but If he does not overdo himself at the start,
| he will make one of the most brilliant cam
paigns ever made in the Southern States. He
has the soul and genius of oratory. His style is
| that of man who is terribly in earnest, and ne
| he is master of dramatic elocution he pro-
| duces q lasting impression on his hearers. He
describes battle scene as well as John b.
| Cough could. His denunciation of the present
4 Bourbon administration for its policy OF repu-
| diation of the State debt was like hot FUR
mace blast whitening up leaves; and his por-
| trayal of the horrors of pauper labor, such as
/ this country would be afflicted with under free
| trade. was Hugo-like in its vividness and real