The Daily Union

The correspondent of the North American is frequently reckless in his assertions, and in no case has he proved himself more indifferent to facts than in his last letter. Without the slightest shadow of foundation for the assertion, he associates us in a plan for recently electing a governor of Virginia. But he shall tell his own story—and nothing was ever more fabulous than the following:

Candidates were as plenty as blackberries, but they were not all of an orthodox stripe. The present Secretary of the Navy, John Y. Mason, was the pet of the official organ, and was backed by the influence of the federal government. Next to him the member from Accomac—whose distinction as a legislator consists in being the successor of Mr. Wise, and the trumpeter of Ritchie—was kept in training. But somehow the wires did not work smoothly, and when the Procrustean bed of the caucus was tried, the young democracy bolted, just as they did at Tammany Hall, when the Bourbons attempted a restoration. The old ring-masters found the animals intractable, so they abandoned the ancient order, depending upon the fidelity of the rank and file in presence of the enemy, and attempted to achieve a triumph by a coup de main in the face of noon-day. It failed, for the "young ones" were wide awake, and a gentleman was elected governor by way of contrast with the present incumbent. This was accomplished despite the efforts of Ritchie, Governor Smith, the administration, and the "Old Guard." The President's editor may now hang his harp upon the willow, for the day of his glory has gone—like Lucifer, he has fallen to rise no more—he parts from Virginia as Wolsey did from Henry—R—I qui es cat in pace.

We venture to say that no man could have kept himself so entirely aloof from the appointments in Washington, or the State elections of Virginia, than ourselves. We have forborne from all interference, for reasons perfectly satisfactory to ourselves; and yet how could we expect to escape the insidious attacks of our rabid opponents? We took no part in the election of governor of Virginia, in any form whatever. We expressed no preference for Judge Mason or General Bayly. In fact, we did not even know that their friends would vote for them as candidates. Certainly they were not nominated on the day of election. We took no part against Mr. Floyd, who is as much of the "orthodox stripe" as any man in the State. He has our confidence and respect.

How silly, then, is the logic which, without the shadow of proof, would involve us in an intrigue of which we, and we presume the other gentleman named, were equally innocent; and upon this gratuitous misrepresentation, would doom us to the fate of Lucifer, in the Old Dominion. We know the Virginians better than this correspondent; and fortunately, they know us better than he does. His insinuations cannot shake us in their confidence—and we dare to say, their affections. As one evidence, at least, we appeal to the honorable toast which was presented by the committee, and the scene which followed, at the splendid dinner given by the democracy of Richmond to the electors of Virginia, on the 5th inst. We have a right to refer to it in self-defence. It was a compliment which counterbalances a thousand such miserable insinuations as the one we are condescending to notice.