Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-09-18
THE MEETING LAST SATURDAY

THE MEETING LAST SATURDAY.
The Democratic meeting here, addressed
by Gen. Fitz Lee and Hon. John w. Dan
lei last Saturday. was one Of the most no.
ted that it has been given this gene
ration or the one preceding it to wit
ness. We are not sure that we ever saw
as representative an assem5lage OF the
and professions, and we were glad TO see
that there Were some dozen or SO cOlored
citizens present. 1t is difficult to place
with exactness, cause and effect, as far as
regards the oratory and the spirit exhibit
ted. Mr.. Daniel, who was complimented
after it for bis magnificent effort, said
"Such an audience would make dumb
man speak, =" and one of the audience &C
counted for the spirit exhibited by the
people by the explanation that ''Such
put spirit into the dead" Between the
two opinions We shall not attempt to DE-
eide. We are certain. however, that we
have never heard Mr.. Daniel rise to the
Ith Va oAt.SOfJ CliesV iCRCHCG Ou OG&t.
u1day, and of Gen. Lee re can only ex-
press cur admiration and surprise. Some.
how, with a maj ority of people we sup
pose, We had gotten the idea that while
Lee was undeniably q fine soldier he was
rot and could not be expected TO be much
of an orator. From West Point to the
battle field, and from the battlefield to the
cornfeld, was not exactly the route by
which the public expects a finished orator
to arrive. We frankly confess cur error.
Fitz Lee is far taller public man
than we expected, He has clear head,
marked Intellectual force, a quick appre-
hension of the desires and moods of the
people, and warm sympathy with them.
When We say sympathy with them we mean
that sort of sympathy that man gets who
has himself, as the phrase goes, had to
"scratch for living" We don'G know
whether we were most amused or touched
ing in q tavern breakfast gathering at
Fairfield, of his struggle to make living
out of that terror of farmers spO'
laLd." some acres OF which had come to
hin by Inheritance. "Ah,' he said re-
gretfully rs be closed, 81 understood then
what it Was to envy my neighbor who
Knew mole about farming than had ever
lad chance to know" We do not haz-
ard much in saying that there is a touch
of humanity about the. man that will make
him the idol of the Virginia people before
his term of Governor IS out. After all.
whether we admit it TO ourselves or not,
there is a sort Of feeling of relief to the
people Of Virginia that this time we are
not to have ptoft ssonal politician in the
Governors chair-one who has learned
the trade, and one, of whom, however
much We may trust him, we still have an
apprehension that when it comes to him
or the people. he will prefer himself
With Lee the people have a man they can
safely trost. He says he intends to enforce
and stand by the Riddleberger settlement,
and we know he means it. He says he will
stand by the public schools, and we know
he means it. He says the colored citizen
shall be treated by bis administration
exactly as the white citizen, and we know
he means it. We have confidence in the
fact that lie STANDS so high in the hearts
of tie Virginia people that he will have
the pOuer to do right in all II ings and
that he will not be questioned. The pres
ence OF such man i'll the field may well
account for the enthusiasm which per-
yades the Democratic people of Virginia.