Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-16
Our Party in virginia.

w o nave T0celycu y large number Oh COHnInu-
nications from our friends In Virginia, urging
us to present our views as to the course proper
to DO adopted in selecting candidates for the
offices Of Governor, Lieut.. Governor, and At
torncy General, to be run at the ensuing cleo
ton to be held in May,
We consider 1t no part of our duty, much
less our right, to indicate to our friends the
names Of candidates for these offices; but there
are some general views, which we chcerfully
present, as coming within the province Of the
conductors Of press, which upholds and sus.
tains tho principles and the policy Of the
!" Amsriean Retormation."
We do this the more cheerfully, because Of
the numerous applications from distant por-
lions Of the State, for our opinions; and yet we
must rcpeat, for fear Of misconstruction of
our purposes, that we claim no right to indi-
cate to our friends any particular course of
action.
We are all embarked in tho same glorious
enterprise Of Americanising our government,
we all are deeply interested in the success of
Of this enterprise, in each and every portion Of
our country, and no man is Mt liberty, and
certainly not the conductor Of press devoted
TO this cause, to withhold his opinions, on
matters Of general interest to our party. We
assume no right TO control the action of our
friends any where, and yet we shan no respon-
ability by the suppression of our opinions.
We have heretofore expressed our decided
opinion that our friends should not 60 out Of
their own ranks, in the selection of their can
didat4s, and this opinion gains strength with
every succeeding day, as cell from the general
concurrence Of others, as from our own roHec-
tons.
But we have In our ranks men Of different
associations, or, In other and palmer terms,
men from each Of the other party organizations
Some of our brethren have been Wigs, and
others have bean Democrats. In entering the
i" Amsricdn party" they hare ceased TO be par
tisdns, either az Wigs or as Democrats, In
our view Of the subject they should all assume
the nonas Of americans" and cease to claim
lny other appelation.
We presume our brethren will readily assent
to the propriety Of this course, without dis
ssnting voice Our principles are national
our purposes national, and our cognomen should
be national Differences of opinion, hitherto
existing between Wings and Democrats, arc
nop more differences in name, and all conscrrd-
toe Wings and Democrats can therefore meet
upon the american platform" without the
surrender Of single principle, and unite in
the American Reformation" without the
slightest objection growing out Of former party
differences There Ia then no reason, founded
on principle, or having reference TO the Refor-
nation which We all seek TO advance, why
tho terms /" Whig and Democrat" should even
10 remembered In our Councils.
Yot there Is point Of policy which may
rcnder II expcdient that our friends, in the Sc
lection Of candidates, should consider the ante
esdents Of those named for official station. 1t
Is well known that our cnomies have circulated
the flsehood that our party is the Whig
party in Disguise" and there may be some
persons who have honestly adopted this un-
founded opinion, and who may be deferred by
K from uniting with us in the Reformation"
In our Judgment the American party" owe
Il to themselves, and tothe country, to disprove
this calumny by their acts. II is true, that
this calumny is wholly unsustained by evil
dencc, yet thousands Of crcdulous people be-
lieve It from the fact Of its continued repeti-
ton
II Ia in tho power Of our friends to prove the
,1egatice, and we trust that In Virginia it win
be done, and done cfectpdlly.
From all the information we have obtained,
Il is probable that a small majority Of our party
in the Old Dominion, have been taken from
tho ranks Of the Wings. II Is estimated that
iwo-flths Of our order In that State, were origi.
naly Democrats The relative proportions
cannot be accurately estimated
A Governor Lieutenant Governor, and At
torney General, are to DO selected as State OFF,
cors. II in the selection Of candidates for these
three Offices, our party should select Hhig
American" for Governor, and Democratic
Americans" for the other two offices, il
would dispel the dclusion, and negative the as
scrtion, that ours is the Wing party in dis.
grise"
Or, II, on the other hand, Democratic
American" should be selected for Governor,
and Wig americans" for the other two
Offices, the SEINE result would be produced.
We do not regard II as matter Of the slightest
importance, whether our party selects one Wig
and tro Democratic americans, or too Wigs
and one Democrat from our ranks, 80 that the
higher Office be given to one branch, and the
TOO lower Offices be given to the other branch,
Of our organization.
Either one OF these divisions Of the offices,
ought to satisfy all who are insids Of our coun.