The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-07-22
THE ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE VIRGINIA
ELECTION

THE ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE VIRGINIA
ELECTION.
For the information of our readers, and to pre-
vent any false impressions being conveyed in re-
gard to the defeat of the Radical party in Virgin
10, we append couple of extracts from the Rich
mond papers, fairly stating the issues involved.
The first is copied from the Dispatch:
There are Two classes of persons who are en-
deavoring to force Virginia into the Democratic
party, whether she will or no. One is the party
of carpet baggers and scalawags in this State, who
are of opinion that they may do us damage with
the President and Congress by calling our victori-
Gus party Democratic. The other is the northern
Democrats, who are very anxious to muster US in
to their ranks.
First The victory here was won by an alliance
of good men generally of all political shades of
opinion in other days, who sunk oil personal opin-
IONS and Joined in the common cause Of resculng
the State from the dominion of ignorance and dis
honesty. They acted as patriots, national and
domestic. They ignored the old party names, and
associated as comrades devoutly struggling for the
public salvation. So it is the greatest absurdity
it is an insult to the grand motives which gov
erned them-to call them by any of the old party
names.
Second. The fight here was upon reconstruc'
ton; and the victorious party which has set Vir-
ginia free stood upon General Grants platform
anu that party is now absorbed in more important
matters than hunting for party name. They are
endeavoring to complete the greet work that has
been so propitiously begun, and they desire to 60
on with it in entire harmony with the Federal Ad-
ministration until it is consummated Their par
ty relations depend upon the events that are to
follow. Those events are to be controlled at WASH
ington. At present, we repeat, they stand on the
Grant platform, desiring, in proof of their sense
of the favor extended to them by General Grant,
to 60 on in harmony With the Federal Executive
And
Third It is plain that parties must bereformed.
The old issues and the parties that were formed
upon them must give place to new issues and new
parties. We do not believe there will ever be
Democratic party in Virginia or if there should
be- it will be altered in every respect that it
will resemble the old one in name alone. The rev.
olution in the theory of our government has taken
away the main pillar of the old Democracy. Nor
do we think that party bearing the name Whig
will any more resemble that which existed before
the war.
The old parties must all pass away. The new
chrystalzations out of the debris of the old, and
their combinations with the new issues that must
grow out of the new order Of political system,
are now steadily going on, and Virginia will not
oe ready to take sides until they take shape and
have the breath of life blown into them. AS yet
she is in the chrysalis state, endeavoring to ex-
pand her limbs and recover her strength in the
general sunshine which has been introduced
through a loop-hole kindly made for us by Gene
raj Grant She is now drawn to that light, and is
inclined to continue in it. Thus far only can we
gee now. But to join any of the old parties, she
is not at all Inclined and it is not probably that
she will. They are dead.
| The second article is from the Richmond Whig,
and tends to show that the result is the acceptance
of the Congressional plan of reconstruction, and
an ignomnious defeat of the EXTREMIST Radicals
by combination of all the conservative elements.
| Its utterances, we think, more nearly represent
the intentions and objects of the white people
than the preceding extract:
| The fact is there never was On election held in
which there was less of mere party politics. The
issue was far deeper, and went to the very founda-
tons of society and of civilization itself. band
of unscrupulous white adventurers sought, by aid
of compact body of more than hundred thou
sand negroes to dsfranchise 90 per cent. of the
white population, to seize upon the property of
the State, public and private, and to establish IN
! absolute negro despotism in the Commonwealth.
To defeat this Internal combination was the one
great object of the whites in the late election. The
petty political questions of ordinary times were
not thought Of for moment. The robber and in
cendiary leading his serried host of hundred
thousand barbarians inhamed by all the worst
passions of their brutal natures, gave US no time to
think of anything but the means of escape from
fate of worse than DEATH The canvass had this
significance and no more; the result of the cleo
ton delivered us from the threatened doom. The
robbers are routed, the black cloud dispersed.
This is the sum total. we have: nothing to do
iir or Renuh1icnn nolitics and would
be glad to have nothing TO do with them for years
to come. We have our dilapidated household to
restore to order, and that, with all the diligence
and wisdom we can employ, will occupy US for
many years yet.
We beg the New York World, and all the over
jealous Democratic journals, to let us alone.
What we have done has been done without their
aid and in spite of their opposition. We are
more indebted to President Grant than all the
Northern Democrats put together for our deliver
ance Let us alone.