The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-27
Folly and Knayery.

and was about as fair 20 them as Solohel
FoRNEY's two dailies. The London Star
has been kind enough to give its views Of
the Virginia elections, and those views show
both prejudice and ignorance.
Its first noticeable proposition is
''The Republicans will obviously be at o
disadvantage in influencing the South as
the party through whose agency the South
was overcome.
The South was overcome through the
agency of Democrats as we'll SIS Republicans.
The Generals who did most to overcome us
were Democrats, and in all the matter OF
supplying men and means the Democrats
we're quite equal to the Republicans. The
War Democrats we're our most furious asSal!-
ants. and even the less violent in temper
such ms Governor SEYMoUR-were amongst
the most efficient in furnishing means TO
overwhclm us. The South, therefore, until
the close OF the war, had no especial reason
for falling in love with the Democrats, and
had no especial preference for either party
on the ground of their relative zeal and
activity in overcoming" us.
Since the war, however, the Republicans
have not commended themselves to the
South by any overture that savored OF
kindness, or Cancellation, or confidence. In
no single manifestation has there been any
thing to command gratitude or inspire
generous emotion in any southern breast.
So that since the war the Republicans
have failed to avail themselves of the OPP
portunity they enjoyed as the ruling party
to win over the South. But the Democratic
patty has had no power and it has shown
a greater desire to make party capital for
itsclf than to release the bonds Of the
South. Following the mistaken policy of
assisting the THAD. STEVENS wing of the
Republicans in making the reconstruction
laws monstrous, they accomplished nothing
for themselves, and succeeded only in
making our situation more miserable. They
taught us a little selfishness, and in the
recent elections in this State we endeavored
to take care of ourselves, separating our
selves from party prejudice or favor, and
basing our action entirely upon practical
wisdom and the peace policy of General
GRANT.
The star further on says:
We doubt, hoarerer, oohcthcr The SOUTH
c,7, cote ociH continue Steadily Democratic
this would almost mean the permanent
arrangement of the South from the Union
IA which II is hold -
\ part of this sentence is contradictcd in
the foregoing remarks. The South is not
Democratic. The victory in this State was
not Democratic victory. The majority OF
this State is not Democratic; and all asser-
tons to the contrary arc incorrect. Indeed,
the only Democratic party ever sustained
in this State had principles which cannot
now be Of any practical application, and
the old Democrats of Virginia arc entirely
free to join any party they please, owing
no allegiance to the Democratic party of the
present day.
The remainder of the paragraph init
mates that Democracy is another name for
disloyalty. He is q wise man who edits the
Star of London, and probably quite as
bigotted as some leading ultras of the
neutrality-suspicious. party, who proclaim
that there is no wisdom or loyalty outside
the Republican party. At present we
speak, we believe, the sentiment of Fir-
ginia when We say we care but little for the
Democratic party; yet it is as faithful to
the Constitution and laws as any party, and
20 be trusted fully as much as the Rcpubli-
can party. Surprising, however, that we
had attached ourselves to that party, the
idea that by continuing to belong to it We
would show that we arc permanently
cstrangcd from the Union is absurd-just
such an idea as the bigots, knaves, and
fools, of this day are constantly putting
forth. The Democratic party exists in all
parts of the North. 1t is still powerful,
and struggled for the preservation of the
Union in a manner which proved disastrous
to US. How, pray, would VIC appear more
hostile to the Union by joining the De-
mocracy than by attaching ourselves to any
other party? The assertion is a brazen-
faced falsehood.
Again, says the Star:
The important feature Of the revival of
southern prosperity is the acceptance by
the people of the social system of the
North"
Bah! Here is more bigotry. Is it free
labor Is that peculiar to the North ? Is
that the social system? II SO, where is it
not The idea that there is any new social
system peculiarly meritorious, and all of
whose peculiar merits belong to the North,
is simply absurd. In all the matters of in
dustry and economy and household life and
education we know no neeo Invention for
which the North is entitled to an especial
patent. The northern people are ingenious,
sagacious, energetic, and thrifty, but they
are not the only people in the world that
are. The difference between our social
system and theirs before the war was that
ours had slavery, theirs had not !; but that
difference was the same between ours and
that of any country where slavery did not
exist.
In place OF slavery We now have free
labor, and SO far we have the social system
of Germany, France, England, &c., as well
as New England. But let us hope that in
thus adapting ourselves to the social system
of all the world of "free labor we shall
not be expected to transplant from New
England oil new-fangled ideas in morals