The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-07-12

The REPUBLICAN has insisted that the sue.
cess Of the Walker party In Virginia last
Tuesday was not Democratic victory, and
for that reason We have expressed the opin.
ion that much Of good may result from this
victory. A certain class Of journals In the
North have, however, claimed II as Demo
cratic victory. The Virginia papers, which
supported Walker, are, 1t will no conceded,
the best opponents Of their own views. They
do not claim the election as Democratic
success, but as an Endorsement Of President
Grants policy OF reconstruction. In proof
Of this, we copy the following from the Rich
mond Dispatch Of Saturday, with the remark
that the article is but specimen Of the
tone of the whole Virginia Conservative
press:
There are two classes OF persons who arc
endeayoring to force Virginia into the Dem
ocratlc 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 victorious party
Democratic. The other Is the Northern Dem
ocrats, who are very anxious to muster us
into their ranks.
81. The victory here was won by an
alliance of good men generally OF all political
shades OF opinion In other days, who sunk
all party preferences, all personal opinions,
and Joined In the common cause of resculng
the State from the dominion OF Ignorance
and dishonesty. They acted as patriots,
national and domestic. They ignored the
old party names, aud associated as comrades
devoutly struggling for the public salvation.
So 1t is the greatest absurdlty-it Is an insult
TO the grand motives which governed them,
TO call them by any Of the old party names.
2. The fight here was upon reconstruc-
ton, and the victorious party which has set
| Virginia free stood upon General Grants
| platform; and that party Is now absorbed
| In more important matters than hunting for
party name. They are ondeayoring to
complete the great work that has been SO
propitlously begun, and they desire to go on
with 1t In entire harmony with the federal
administration until 1t Is consummated.
Their party relations depend upon the events
that arc TO follow. Those events are to be
controlled at Washington. 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 go
on in harmony with the federal executive.
And
8. 1t is plain that parties must be reformed.
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 Viz
ginla; or If there should be, Il will be so
altered in every respect that 1t will re-
semble the old one In name alone. The
revolution 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 Wing will any more re-
semble that which existed before the war.
The old parties must all pass away. The
new crystallizations out Of the debris OF
the old, and their combinations with the
new issues that must grow out Of the new
order of our political system, are now
steadily going on, and Virginia will not be
ready to take sides until they take shape,
and have the breath Of life blown into them.
As yet she Ia In the chrysalis state, endeay-
oring 70 expand her limbs and recover her
strength In the genial sunshine which has
been Introduced through loop.hole kindly
made for us by General Grant. She Is now
drawn to that light, and Is inclined to con-
tnue In Il. Thus far only can we sec now.
But to join any OF the old parties, she Ia
not at all inclined, and 1t Is not probable
that sue will. They are dead"