The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-15
-, CA Nav Movement Needed"


rs.r ,h,s con,ion the Petersburg Inds1
Ia. an editorial in which, after dep'o''"s
the apathv existing among the eonse,,',
t,ree Of yircini,. it calls upon the Ceh'r"'
Committee to convoke State Convention.
~. Tndcr demands "posittve PLATFORM,
t,rgettinc that even IN the days OF MOSES
those who fought the devil aud his wo' N
stood upon negative platform. rs ".. ,ars.
the ten commandments we 9"'''
graph or two; ...,s.orr md un-
This time 20 make any io!h'ai a'-
,,Is,.o with the northern oll'oS ...on ~
Ina reasons, one Of which-,tn"t vs. euu. 81
hna not vet been announced W "u.no' e.
10 sufficient. But there y tleetss,., , We
- cnu.oliaate and make cuect|c Tue
"o9'v ru, Influences Of Virginia, Tor
AMI Soc;1cl avowal Of principle and
s!eu. an The part Of that organization
pu'; Us c,,ims 10 rcpr, sent the intelligence,
r VIZ and integrity Of the Common
wal. =. s'Tt"cnublicanism should be nrraigned
,,o,,iv Tor all its crimes against humanity
and freedom, aud the most determined ana
compromising opposition to It's every
shane and cuiSe should be. proclaimea.
tina, would be sufficient definition OF Inc
place we must occupy i'll Fcderai poh'icS
when the time for action shall arrive.
"And as TO domestic Affairs the part! i'lie
should We sharply drawn. Every ISSUE
should be clearly defined, ana the ioea y,
oocraSs;ve warfare upon KadicaliSm and
ifS potcul ally, ignorance, be so a'stihctl!
convened as TO leave no doubt upon the
minds of either our friends or our enem es.
Already the absence OF such avowals mas
onsrated disastrously to IL, III contributing
to a sen,e OF distruSt among a.. classes OF
orr reputation, and in deprlvins tue ora
,nrs and writers of The Conservative party
If the means of rcpelling charges brought
hv its opuoneuts. And 1t is always so;
negative position corrcc:s no antaSohl>niS,
and weakens all attachments.
cit Will be better, for numbcr!esS con
siderations, to adopt liberal hui boiu pat
form, and put before the world the tol!scl
vative plan for the government Oh Virginia.
"Thus shall we best silence ca!umiiS.
and thus oniv can we wake the people from
a sleep of indifference which, If prolonged,
must be fatal TO every social, mofai, anu
poltical interest of the State we love.
We have no fears as to the future OF inc
Conservative party Of Virginia. 1t VIII lol
wears to come carry the state at every ciec-
ton, under whatever maine it shall night. he
apathy or indifference attributed 10 our
people is only q seeming, not reality. Ii,
however, it exists, it cannot be overcome
BY convention. And asWe are to nave no
State elections before. November OF neA1
year, the people will scarcely he a'le 10
perceive the necessity tor state conVen'
ton at any early day.
The assembling Of q State Convention
would afford to the discontented fine "p-
portuuity to air their eloqucnce in speeches
In favor Of uniting with the national Demo
cratic party and calling ourselves Demo
Gratis" The result would be, we fear, q
pretty stiff quarrel between the mule
headed Conservatives who do not agree
upon this point. And as to "posltive
PLATFORM" we do not know whether the
Conservatives Of Virginia are in favor OF OF
opposed to protective tariff, or expansion
or contraction Of the currency, or green
backs or national-bank currency, or indeed
anv one Of the measures that divide the
parties in the North. But we do know that
they are orrosed TO Radicalism as iturnears
here in Virginia. d negative platform,
therefore, suits such q people; and il
strikes us that to declare "the most &C.
"teImincd and uncompromisiog opposition
"to every shape and ouise" Of " hepuLli-
cani>m" would after all be nothing but Il
negative platform, though we agree that
this would be "sufic!ent definition " 0!
arr rlsrs