Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-05-21
A RETROSPECT OF THE CONVEN'

TION.
There is always measure of inspiration
to the lay membership rank and file
who attend the State convention OF the
| democracy Of Virginia. The assemblage is
nearly always fine looking body of men,
reasonably well dressed with their best holl-
day manners on parade, intelligent and good
humorcd The accessories too, of bunting
and brass bands, to say nothing of eloquence
and mint juleps, help out smmtly; and the
echoes Of old names, that have been honorcd
in peace and war for many generations,
arouse the finer emotions Of our manhood
and confirm lls in our political creditor in
such conrad eship who could be astr;ly from
| the right
And there was special qualification in at
tending the late convention where congra-
tulutions might be renewed that the ghost
of Mahoncisln had been laid, aud that the
political outlook of the Old Commonwealth
was no longer dark and lowering, but every
presage was full Of hope and victory. Every
body, Individually and collectively, jointly
and severaly, thanked John S. Barbour, for
the new order Of things, and, as by unani-
nous accamation, he was called upon to 'do
so again."
And by the way it has got to be very
much of Il habit with some of our rhetorical
scribblers for the press TO speak OF Mr.. Bar
bour as mo orator as Brutus was" He GER
tainly has not the faculty of saying nothing
with pomp and parade, as so many OF our
Brutuses have; but he can get about rs near
the pilh and marrow OF Il subject and by
about as direct a route, rs anybody | have
| l., 4 H. loo os trnx, hal
in that regard.
When he called the convention to order
there was an ovation such rs might have
cheered the heart of any man; not cut
ana dried, and made.to der, ovation, but
IL genuine, spontaneous, enthusiastic acclam
Orwell Done ~ by hosts that | am almost
tempted to spell hoarsts for the intensity of
their shouting. AS theslang hath There was
even bay window to his welcome-a bay
window big enough to hold the Hon. John
T. Harris whom Mr.. Barbour named as
temporary chairman, and who exc goes as
delegate at large to Chicago.
John Daniel was the next favorite in the
convention which demanded, and would
listen TO no denial, that he should be seen as
well as heard and so he had to quiet the
tumut Of his greeting by going on the stage
and making his speech. He nominated
| i
Filz Lee seconded the nomination in
speech that took the house by storm. Sure
ly CT pit. McC"r y has not exhibited Johnny
Wise on the trick MULE in vain
There was some little splitter about ex-
pressing preference for Tiden-who APP
peared to he manifcstly the choice of the
convention though they declined to instruct
the straightforward Camm Pattcson, Of
Buckingham, aired his rhetoric in that be-
half with much action and industry, and
some unpleasant comment on our members
Of Congress, but on the whole there was too
much" harmony" for the general good. Leigh
Richmond Watts, Il member of the Exccu-
tive Committee, who lost two elections in
one CANVASS in the borough of Norfolk, was
made permanent chairman. Now these
strictly parliamentary fellows generally
overiio the thing, for | have seen BOcock
and Hanger each actually gag al assembly
Of the people, and Mike Harmon in tine
chair onLvote Il convention OF Il thousand.
And yet IL Hiiic experience is u very good
thing, and when we are going into turbu-
leuce for some hours, il is better to have
commander who at least has set one
squadron in the field and has had some eX-
ercise in the art Of debate with spinsters.
For many spinstcrS Of the masculine gender
20 to conventions, and must talk. On the
whole, however, Watts got along pretty
well.
And we did not send all our best men us
delegates to Chicago, nor absorb the re-
mainder as electors, either at large or from
the district. We could hardly have done
better than we did in choosing the electors
at large, however, for both Goode and
Staples are orators powerful with the peo-
pie, and each want to be Governor-so they
will keep themselves exercised for the sake
of emulation, if for nothing else. And
will admit ''lor the sake of the argument"
(which hope they are going to make, rs |
certainly am not that there are some good
speakers among the district electors, who
are presumed to help conduct tho canvass,
but it would be--well let's say-invidious
to call names, and, as Mrs. Malaprop says,
comparisons are odorous" Very odorols,
sometimes. And harmony is q very good
thing, so | will not disturb it.
The platform is the same old straddlebug
that can be made to do duty for either or
both factions. Talleyrand himself couldn't
have tongued and grooved a better one.
We are all standing again on the "Lynch-
burg Platform" which is another and bet
ter name for the Old Ship of Zion. But we
arc going to win in Virginia, beyond all
doubt.
"Great is Diana Of the Ephesians!"
HARMONY.
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