The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-04-30

II
the adjournment Of the Convention Of 1867,
anno nm heir csps and haIlooed IS Hurrah
for Virginia ~ Where were those papers
nowa They had sunk down low ia the SER
Vice Of Radicnlism.f He'had IN bis pocket
q letter full Of fuss, and fire, and patriot
lam. from q gentleman who had then taken
the nomination for Congress from the Con-
servative party. Whore wss he now 4 Con-.
Quoting Radical press.
The condition of affairs was q most diff
cult one. The great Conservative party
was cut loose without leadership, and left
TO choose between two Radicals, two carpet
baeeers. There we're thousands of high
spirited men in the State who would never
20 to the polls in such an emergency: 1here
was vide difference between having the
hand Of power put upon us and doing the
dirty work ourselves.
he contended= that II We followed such q
course it would work destruction ana new
tably elect Wells. -.
In conclusion, he, eloquently appealed TO
Virgins to preserve her seif-respect, and
transmit to coming generations pure ana
untsrnished fame-a heritage Of which
thew might we'll feel proud. He favored
the adoption of the resolution Of Mr.. Shack
elford, and the postponemento OF action. ~
Mr.. Baldwin said that We had fallen upon
ugly times, and we're surrounded by cir
cumstances frsught with danger. But IN
the midst of all this, some circumstances
occasionally arose which would take us
back to better days, when the gentlemen
from Fauauier Numbered forth from every
stump in the State the beauties of the
resolutions of 1913 and '99. These were
fine times. We could all recollect them,
and it was very pleasant to 60 back to them.
| But he was reminded by the gentleman OF
the lines of Burns In the good old song Of
Bonnie Doon:"
"Thou minds me o. departed joys g5-
Departed, never to RETURN. .u.
The gentleman might be downed and con-
fined, but 80 fest as it was done he would
arise from his mother Earth with renewed
| confidence. He believed in the future OF
| Virginia on the old line as when he was
Governor of the Commonwealth. But he
must remember that some things had hap
| pened since he was last on the stage. 1t
seemed that he had heard that there had
been convention in '67. This was fine
body Of men; but, then, was its action
| irreversible ? Would he say that the
| platform laid down in 1861 by the Conven-
ton which mct in our capital, under all
the solemn responsibilities resting upon
such body, was reversible Ii the
| Convention of '67 imposed lasting obligs-
tons, how was it that the Convention Of
'6l did not also How happened it that
the gentleman from Fauquier had go far
| z. L ;ob ofafo RI atQnh
upon the platform Of 81, to which he had
pledged himselff Had he changed his
mind, or had he been released from his
obligations? he could say that he never
let 20 as long as he could hold On !; but 1t
was dragged from him, and he had to let
| it 90. He had yielded to circumstances
over which he had no control, and instead
Of giving his orders as Governor, from the
| mansion on the hill, he had gone to work
making butter and cheese.
The gentleman had said that We were
pledged to stand by the candidates OF the
Convention Of 1868. According to his
opinion, he had no right to vote for any
body for Governor, because his term wasn't
out. He had spoken in opposition to any
one going on to Washington tor consultation
upon the affairs of the State. Perhaps he
had forgotten the fact that he had, after the
war was over, sent dispatch to the General
commanding the Federal army by Messrs.
Macfarland and Speed to know what was to
be done with the State Of Virginia, and to
demand that it be surrendered to his su-
thorisy. The consequence was that Messrs.
Macfarland and Speed were put in the
guard house, and the Governor Of Virginia
was in the woods. Laughter. He was
not only in the Soods, but he was so deep
that it was necessary to offer reward OF
1000 to get him out.
Every man of common sense recognized
that in public as we'll ss private affairs it
was his duty to deal with facts as they
arose. 1t was the part of wisdom and COM
mon sense not to go through life with eyes
in the back part of ones head, looking only
in the past, but to look forward and deal
with facts 90 they appeared, though stub
born, unpalateble, and humiliating, they
might be.
When General Lee surrendered, every
body recognized the necessity for it. In
his opinion, oar people yielded in good
faith, and from that day looked upon this
Government as oure, the duties owed by
its citizens we're ours, and the rights be-
slowed upon them We claimed as ours.
Here and there men might be found who
would not acknowledge that they owed any
duty to the Government, badly conducted
though it might be. Such was the honest
position of every citizen : 10 man had q
right. to profess allegiance to the Govern
ment and ct the same time carry IN his
bosom q purpose of defeating it. 1t was
his duty as good citizen, whenever an
alternative presented itself, to avail him
self of the privilege to vote, and cast it for
the elevation and Improvement of the coun-
try. If this was not conservatism, what
did the word mean?
When the reconstruction acts were first
submitted to our people they were re-
sisted by vote, persuasion, and appeal, and
as long as there was hope for the future he
had been as earnest in the determination
not to yield to them as was the gentleman
from Fauouier. But when the only party
that professed any friendship for US was
utterly routed, it was rendered impossible
that we could resist these measures. The Re-
publican party, backed by an overwhelming
popular majority, had taken possession OF
the Governments, State and Federal, and
of every department of the Government.
What, then, was the part Of common
sense Does not the business man base
his calculations upon the probable chances
for the future? Did any cane man
believe for moment that there would
be q shadow Of chance for reyers-
ing the verdict Of the people in favor Of
| nagro suffrape9 Any man who knew of