Year: 1859

From the Rockingham Register


To the Voters of the 9th Congressional Dis.


trtct.


FELLOW CITIZENS EARLY in December last,
the Hon. John Letcher, your late distinguished
Representative, became the candidate of the
Democratic party of Virginia for the office Of
Governor. Immediately after the nomination,
the Democratic press of this District, spoke out
as to the manner of electing his successor. A
majority was opposed to Convention, and SO
expressed themselves. For one month the peo-
pie seemed to acquiesce in this, the opinion Of
the press, that there would be no convention
This thought was the general understanding
and wish OF the party in the District. Early in
January Messrs. Harman and Skinner announced
themselves simultaneously, as candidates for
Congress. Believing that there would be no
Convention, announced myself candidate on
the week following the announcement of Hessrs
Harman and Skinner. Having then as have
now, full confidence and faith in the pledges of
the opposition press and its distinguished MEM
bers that they would not interfere with the
democratic candidate by running one of their
own party, had no hesitation In becoming a
candidate After the candidates had been &C


lively engaged in the canvass for some time
then the politicians began to fan the Convention
fame, which was kept up by them with IN.
ceasing vigilance until the so.oalled Convention
Of the 3Oth inst was the result. Was o Con-
vention demanded by majority of the Demo
cratic party of the District will proceed to
shew that it was not. The whole Democratic
vote OF the District, is in round numbers $500.
The Democratic vote of Rockingham and Shen-
ondnoh ,binal 10 mo tubioh Ia than
half of the whole vote of the District. Did
Rockingham and Shenandoah want Conven-
tion2 Let the facts answer. In the latter
county Convention meeting had been called
for the January Court, but none was held. AT
the February Court DR.. Newman and myself ad-
dressed the people at Woodstock. Immediately
after took my seat Capt. Williams rose and
made warm appeal in favor of Convention.
A motion was then made to call a gentleman to
the Chair to organize meeting, which motion
was submitted to the people and voted down.
The mover then appealed to the people as
matter of courtesy, to permit the esteemed and
venerable gentleman to take the Chair and that
they could afterwards, if they wished vote down
Convention. Again he moved that the gen.
tleman before referred to, take the Chair, which
carried without objection. After discussion
on the resolutions they were submitted, and by
a very close vote decided to have been carried.
The mover in the meeting expressly stated that
the action of that meeting was not intended to
bind the Districts. Thereupou four district
meetings, Mt. Jackson, Edinburg, New Market
and Forestvil!e, declared againt Convention.
So strong did the opposition feeling to Con-
vention manifest itself in Shenandoah that the
Tenth Legion, which had favored Convention
5o6n n,iftal that If yunnld ba
ductive of any good to hold Convention
While the Spirit of Democracy, whose editor
had, at one time, favored Convention, yielded
to the popular sentiment against it in his coun-
ty, and ably and steadily opposed it up to the
hour of its meeting. Thus stood affairs in
Shenandoah. How as to Rockinghaml at the
January Court the question was submitted twice
to an audience of 800 or 500 Democrats, and
there were not over or S.sayes and an oyewhel-
ming mo" Again at the February Court the
question was submitted to a densely crowded
Court-h house of about 1000 persons and again
voted down. The Convention men determined
not to be outdone threatened District meetings
two only were held and at both the Conven-
ton was voted down.


Despairing of getting o meeting of the Demo
cracy of the County TO favor Convention O
meeting was called through the press in the fol-
lowing words: "The citizens of Rockingham
"County favorable to the holding of Conven-
"ton to nominate candidate for Congress will
meet in Harrisonburg on the first day OF March
"Court to appoint delegates to said Convention"
Pursuant to this call, "the friends" of Conven-
ton met at the Court-ho at the time ap-
pointed. The worthy Chairman, on taking his
seat, remarked, "This is understood to be al
meeting of the friends of Convention" The
meeting of the friends of Convention under
took to appoint delegates for the whole Democ-
racy of the county, while that Democracy had
twies said they did not want Convention, and
would have again said so on that day, had they
been permitted to vote. But all opposed to q
Convention were excluded from voting and thus
deprived of the right of expressing their senti-
ments. This action of the friends of Oonven-
ton, shows clearly that they knew the Democ-
racy of the County were opposed to Conven-
ton. After this fair statement of the facts
touching the Convention question, in these two
counties, there cannot be an impartial man who
will say Rockingham and Shenandoah wanted a
Convention. True there were few in each
who did, but their numbers are outweighed by
those opposed to Convention in other Counties
of the District. So hold that q majority Of the
Democratic coters of the District did not aoant a
Convention, and that the Convention of the both
inst, was held in defiance of the popular senti-
ments of the Democratic party of the District,
and in utter disregard of their rights, and that
ali democrats who were not there are free to
disregard its action. Is such Convention to
be regarded as the WILL OF THE PEOPLE
of the District, and are its behests to bind the
Democratic freemen2 Are the Democrats of
the District, who did not want Convention to
be made to 'bite the dust" and boD in obedi-
ence and humble submission to the edicts of o
few gentlemen calling themselves Convention
Are the selected FEW to DICTATE to the
MANY and force them to vote against their
will7 If so, then, indeed is our boasted liberty
and free suffrage but "a sounding brass and
tinkling cymbap'-and the dogma that the mass
es, the people, are not capable of self-govern-
ment, established as law. Then will the high
of choosing your own representative
have passed from your hands into those of o tsD
who will rule you as with rod of iron.


Fellow-citizens, am not insensible to my
party obligations and usages. Whenever it is
necessary to the success Of that party, then fa
vor fairly organized Conventions. Does such
necessity now exist2 There is no Whig in the
field, and we have their universal pledge that
there will be none. If that party bad said
nothing then we might be on the alert, but their
editors tell US publicly and privately, there will
be no opposition in the feld--their leading men
and their honest masses, all, all tell US that we
shall have an open field and fair race. AS
honorable men how could they interfere after
these pledges; and that they are honorable, who
can doubt2 Then there was no necessity for
Convention and there being no necessity, the
few ought not to have forced one over the heads
of the ;majority. The right of voting, the will
of free people is inestimabe and ought never
to be abridged or trampled upon. When the
new doctrine is once established, that the action
of party Conventions, in all cases whether nee
essary or not, is binding upon the conscience of