North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-07-28
WHOLE No. 667.
Lesson Of the Hour.


Lesson Of the Hour.
The recent election in Virginia, seems
to embarrass the political world, some
what, in its calculations. As it certainly
resulted in the defeat Of most of the
radical candidates, that party is apprehen
sive Of its effect upon the coming elections
in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Virginia,
however, did not furnish democratic
victory, though an occasional journal in
the democratic interest has striven to
present it in that erroneous light. Let us
state this fact frankly. The governor
elect, Mr.. Walker, (who is New Yorker
by birth,) as we'll as the thirty. one white
conservative gentlemen elected to the
State Senate and ninety-seven white and
three colored conservatives elected to the
House Of Delegates, do not represent the
democratic party in Virginia. They
represent the combined opponents of ultra
radical principles. They represent, in
other words, those republicans and those
democrats who, accepting the new order
Of things, are in favor, Ito use Governor
Walkers words,) Of "equal and exact
justice to all without regard to color
men who have coalesced to overthrow the
disfranchising policy Of the radical scar.
pet baggers'' and to put down those
colored legionaries who fancy, like their
Washington confreres, that every man
should be assassinated who does not agree
with them in political opinion.
The two antagonistic parties at the late
Virginia election were therefore very
properly arrayed against each other as
conservatives" and radicals" The rad
icals strove to perpetuate that system of
wholesale and high-handed prescription
by means Of which they disfranchised
thirty thousand white votes and mono pol>
ised oil the black ones to keep themselves
in power. The conservatives strove, or
the contrary, to entitle every citizen to a
vote, whether white or black, and thus
restore harmony and good feeling through
out the Old Dominion. The more intelli.
gent blacks voted with the conservatives
this time, and General Candy pronounces
it "the fairest election he ever Witnessed
The result is the triumph of liberality
and fair dealing over prescription and
chicanery. But, this radical defeat ir
Virginia seems likely to be followed by {
similar one in Mississippi and Texas
where the well-disposed negroes have alst
gone over to the ranks Of the conserva
tives. In Tennessee q result Of the SAM
kind is anticipated. The effect of sucl
congloneration of discom6tures woul
be disastrous for the republican hopes il
states where, as in Pennsylvania an.
Ohio, radical principles are paramount il
the conduct Of the republican party
President Grant and his cabinet have re
solved, therefore, after full discussion o
the subject, to postpone the election il
Mississippi until the last Tuesday II
November. The election in Texas viii
come still later. Over that in Tennessee,
of course the federal government can hav'
no direct control.
From these facts the "lesson of tn,
, hour" may be gathered with very little
difficulty by candid mind. The politica
; party that expects to win, henceforth
whether republican or democratic, mus
ignore the past. must accept politica
changes as they stand, and must champion
advanced and liberal principles. 1t mus
abandon dead and gone issues, and advo-
cate living ones instead. 1t must cease tt
waste words, on the one hand, in denounc
ing reconstruction and other acts pas
recall and pause, on the other hand. il
its accommodation of every citizen
north or south, who will not submit t,
political dictation. 1t must discontinue
the now empty and useless iteration tina
this is "a white mans country..' which W
still hear among fossilised democrats, ant
it must desist from those repulsive at
tempts to enforce the social las we'll q
political equality Of the negro which tn
extreme radicals conceive to be the es
sence of true republicanism. The part.
to win, in the future, must now take
new political departure. Neither demo
Gratis nor republicans can succeed on tn
old record. The party lines will really b.
drawn between the conservatives and tn
radicals, whatever may be the nomina
distinction adopted at the polls. Hence
we, for one, unhesitatingly advise tn
consolidation, here and elsewhere, Of al
, the conservative elements of the republi
can and democratic parties, in order t
, perfect the complete overthrow of radical
ism-that destructive radicalism which ha
well nigh tramplcd the federal constitu
ton under foot, which is now engaged il
beating down nearly every state righ
barrier against federal encroachments, ant
which insists upon comforting omnipoten
authority on congressional body which
does not represent the popular will, and
has tyrannically usurped every important
function of the goyernment.-New York
Sunday Times.
We sometimes meet with men who
seems to think that any indulgence in an
affectionate feeling is weakness. They
will retlrn from journey, and greet
their families with distant dignity, and