Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-10-09
Fitzhugh Lees Soliloquy.


lir w.
.-----. -
Fitzhugh Lees Soliloquy.
STRAsBuRG, VA, Oct. 7, 1885.
To be-GOvernOr-or not TO be-that is
the question, Whether It's nobler in the
mind to suffer the stings and arrows of
impending defeat, or TO take arms against
a sea of trouble; and by boldly meeting
my competitor in Joint discussion on the
issues involved in this campaign, refnte
the charges OF HIM and his party, that |
am unequal to the task, or afraid to cope
with him for the supremacy before the
sovereign people. IT'S consumation de-
vouIly to be wished For who can bear
the whips and scorns Of deeply wronged
and outraged people, and the spurns that
patient merit Of these plebians take. But
that the dread of being unequal 70 the
occasion puzzles the will, and makes ms
rather bear those ills we have,
ethan fly to others which may be worse ;
Thus conscience does make towards Of ~
ALL"
We are In q fearful dilemma, a quag
mire of political corruption, encompassed
about by our enemies who are watching
our every movement and taunting us with
the follies and plumbers Of our past legis
lature. They are making strenuous eXer-
tons 10 overthrow the rule Of our party
in this, our dear old mother State. What
are we to do, my fellow-citizens We can
not meet and rcfute successfully the argu
ments of the leaders Of the republican
party who are daily challenging Ms 70
Joint discussions Of the mOmentOus issues
involved in this II fear the last great
struggle of =" the best people" Of the Old
Dominion), although the plebian masses
of the people arc even now clamoring
loudly for IT,. Our chairman forbids u,
and we ourselves are loath to grapple in
hand to hand encounter from the rostrum
such men as Wise, Blair Riddleberger,
Brown Allen, and a host Of Others. These
men tell the people from every stump in
the State that with the single exception
of the renegade Massey, we have no cham
] pions 10 our party who can, or will, jointly
discuss the issues involved.
What commentary. my fellow citizens,
what travesty upon the great Demo-
cratic party Of this state What do the
! people. the voters, upon whose suffrage
we depend for the. perpeiluty of onr CON
| troll Of the Offices, and the concommitant
| benefits resulting thercfrom 10 rs, the
the best people, the flower and chivalry of
| the mother of States and Statesmen, ] re-
peat il, what do the people think Of these
things? The situation is iraught with
peril; disaster and defeat are staring us
IN the face. The champions OF the Re
publican party from every huslings ia the
State are proclaiming 10 tho voters onr
recent legislative acts, orr opposition 10
free education. our antagouism TO the
| Riddleberger Bill, and "a host II other
| evils and blnnder- brought upon the peo-
pie by our party, who they claim (lnd
! Justly tool have acted TecIeamt 10 the
trust confded IN them, aud have gone
back on every promise and pledge made 10
the people. WHAT are We to DO my fricndsl
Arc we 10 succeed IN this fearful contest
or not, that is the question: Ouf enemies
see the fearful situation we are 10, and
they are hotly cOutesting every inch of
ground. These are the joys they wiring
from our despair" Arouse ms fellow
citizensl Something must be done and
that speedily. Join the cavalry at once,
rally around your standard bearer aud
let us march through the State and get up
an enthusiasm at least, that will last un-
til sun down on Tuesday Nov Bird. IL will
be folly to try the Danvillo game this
year. We are too closely watched. Again
say arouse . Mount your horses, mules,
anything 30 you ride. 1t may have great
effect with hepeaple. Desperate Diseases,
my dear people, require desperate reme-
dies. Again say ride, and if you have no
horse borrow one. we must be vigilant
and on the alert. If these miserable Re-
publicans succeed in electing their ticket
thiuk Of the consequences. "The best
people" turned out OF the offices of the
State TO do what toili The thought is
repulsive, and fearfully pregnant with the
dire consequences sure to follow. Would
YOU. could yon but realize for moment
the humiliating and abject condition in
which we would be placed, "twould make
every hair of your heads stand up on end,
like quilts upon the fretful porcupine."
d. You may ask, what is the cause for all
this alarm, | reply the causes are legion,
among them being the unseating Of regu'
, larry elected Republican members OF the
last Legislature and foisting upon the
+ people, partizaDs of our own to ill their
E places, thereby enabling that body to
, nuify the veto power Of Governor CAM
eron, which they did. The extra sessions
of the Legislature held at a great cost to
Q the taxpayers of the State. The McCor-
+. mick Election Bill ect., etc, and last but
not the least, and the one mosL paramount
to the interests Of and cherished by the
people / refer to that internal intcrfer-
ence which unhnged and impeded that
Q | wise aud equitable settlement, the Riddle
berger Bill, which we as party sworc to
acQuiess III, sustain and foster, and after
; obtaining power upon these promises and
4 pledges TO the people, went back Oh every
Il promise and pledge.
This fear will be the " Iliad of all oul
woes" and find no parallel for rashness
J. Inconsistency and the most intolerabl'
l. stupidity, save and except perhaps that
n remarkable feat of political engineering
. and party qualification, which resulted II
placing upon our State ticket the name Of
. John l.. Massey for Lieut.. GoyernOr.-
e What n fall is this, my countrynien
IF tiizhugh Lee for Governor, John u. Mas
sey for Lieut.. Governor. How strangely
70 these names sound together Fitz Lee
s the gallant, dashing, chiyalrous Lee, {
z scion Of the proudest family inthis glori
,. GUS old commonwealth, to be thus HIKE,
to vile, NANCY Gu But | must not
u The Rubicon must DO crossed at all baz
y ards. l am in for it, now, and must no
,s look back. The goal is in view with ii
. hOnOrs and emOluments TO strive for bu
y ] fear the result. Even now fancy hea
D in the distance the steady tramping of th
battallions of Wise marching on TO yicto
er ~ with whirlwind and an avalanche 0
ballots that will engulf me and my part
= In complete political ruin, l feel my hear
VI grow womanIsh, aud the words of Card
nd nal WOlsey, how OMNIBUS they seem I
nd me. Oh ] hhye ventured, like little wan
ion boys that swim on bladders, this Ion
=" hot SIMMER, in = sea Of glory with n
us cavalry, but far beyond my depth m
n high flown pride feel is breaking unde
nd me, and win leave me weary and old wit
service TO the mercy Of a rude stream tina
~ must forever hide Ine. But mnst arous
" from this painful revegie, l viii noun
70 my charger ana blast from my bugl
lis may arouse the. sons of Virginia to "
Ia support. God grant that tho lnhtre, fan
~ and unsullied brightness which haa Ell
NJ shuned the name Of Loo may suffer Il
in dimunition by q comparison or contral
r. drawn from that Of my present associi
- lions. But fear, know not what an
:, :, in the language OF Ossian,
= eThere comes voice that awakes my sou
f. 'Tjs the voice Of years that are gone, b,
DO They roll before me with ell their deeds
OBSERVER.