Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-04-23
FRIDAY MORNING, April %, 1869.
CAUSE OF THE NEW MOVE
MENT.

When we said, some time ago, that
the "new movement" was intended to
respectabilze the Republican party
here in Virginia, some of our cotempo-
raries made haste to answer that it was
intended for no such thing. To this we
made no answer, satisfied to let the
problem work out ana sustain our as
sertion. We knew CHAT we designed
when we started it, and our designs
have been met by the operation of the
movement SO far. We saw that the
Republicans held the power in the
country, by which wo were being crush
ed, and we were beng crushed by it in
retaliation, because we cast odium upon
any and every man who dared proclaim
himself in favor ot that party or it's
principles. We We're in reality, at the
dictation Of the Northern Democratic
Party, who in the war we're our greatest
enemies, making Republicanism odious.
How then could We expect otherwise
than to he visited by viudictive spirit
from that party? And we, who were
down PROSTATE on the earth, were call
ing down on our own heads the whole
power OF triumphant party, because
its opponents North called on Us to do
so. Because It's opponents at the North
cid not want the Republican party to
gain foothosd here at the South, we
were expected to brand Republication
as odious aud criminal, to keep our peo-
pie from it.
The old Wing party entertained
pretty much the identical views Of pub
lilo policy that the Republicans do now,
and we all know how they were stig-
matized on every occasion in the South;
and we saw very plainly that the Bour-
bon was but repeating his programme
as carried out before the war, which
was to be re-enacted at the expense OF
a down-trodden and PROSTATE people
the majority of whom hated his princi-
piles with holy hatred, because they
were the principles which had so long
kept the Southern people in poverty
and ignorance that the Northern ally Of
the Bourbon might fatten on his impor-
tations of the products of pauper labor
from abroad. We saw, also, large
number of gentlemen here, and others
coming into our State, who were just
the class Of people we want infused into
our population to give it new life and
activity-we saw that these men were
Republicans, and if we were to be cir
cumscribed to the standard of respecta-
biEty as set us by the Bourbon, that is,
that no man could be respectable unless
be was native and favored the Demo-
cratic party, or stranger and registered
himself on that side--we saw very
plainly that IT. re was nothing but
trouble ahead for our people, and we
determined to do our utmost to break
down this tendency which existed before
the war of cramn, Q down the throats
Of the people the politics of one side,
whether they will or no, and making
the other side odious to such an extent as
to ostracise any man who dared enter
tain its views.
Besides, we knew the war was over,
and it was time to forget the dead past
and turn our attention to the living
present. We found the Republican
party advocating just such principles as
we believed essential to build up The
fortunes of our PROSTATE peopls-the
principles of internal improvement ts, en-
enlargement to home manufactures and
opposition to free trade-and we found
the Democratic party opposed to these
principles; we knew the South had run
90 the principles Of opposition to these
measures until her people had become
totally impoverished, and many of them
had been forced to leave their homes to
seek their living elsewhere-and we be-
lieved it time for the people to arouse
from their lethargy and shake off their
thrallt1om to party which had done
nothing but Use them as tools, always
for its own advancement. And to sound
the tocsin of alarm and save our people
from further harm, we started the "nsw
movement" which was designed as
door of escape for all who felt the iron
collar of ocofocoism cutting into their
very flesh. We now believe that the
ascending fortunes of the True Repub-
lican party, and its spreading populari-
ty among the people--will inaugurate
a new state of affairs, and forever for
bid the old destructive Democratic par
ty from rising from its unregretted bu.
rial.
The "new movement" was intended
purely to "accept the situation" and
if Kept strictly up to its original design
will uor[ ont IN tba raIiaf of the nan.