The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-05-30
The Political Field.

That there Is great change in the public
mind Of the nation is clear to MI observers
Men are wearied with reconstruction every
where. They are firing Of hate and Sec
tional passion, and the better FEELINGS aie
warming up the cold and, for some yea yea.
past, almost heartless national. body pon.'e'
We have recently had striking iiiust" 81.
of the return to this better anu kn'ui'e'
condition in the hearty sympathy OF .'i.
een ,worle on the occasion OF the ca'a'h'',
~ o,r f,apitol. At no other perlou ana
under no other circumstances couio suci'
an outburst of sincere and solid sympathy
have been excited by such an accident l..
was the result Of y reyiving fraternal seht'-
ment, which only needed the occasion 70
display itself. =,
Hence we see that there is a general IN
difference. il not impasicncc, at the North
with regard to the whole matter OF recon-
struction. The enforcement bill, notwi'h-
standing the violent speeches Of such ma
lienant fanatics as Senator MORTON, has
hardly received passing recognition IN the
North. The New York Times (Republicah)
very truly says:
"We cannet expect the ordinary citizen
to take so absorbing an interest IN the ihe''.
sures for enforcing the fifteenth amen9men!
rs he did in the success Oh the amen9neh'
itself. While it was uncertain whetheI ol
not the southern States would accept tht
results of the war, everybody was disposed
to STICK closely to the party which had car
ried that war TO q triumphant conclusion
But now there is no uncertainty on Tue
subject. All the States, save one, are 1uilfy
resfored.' and it is no source OF strenStn
TO the Republicans that they still deprive
one State of its just privileges. We cannon
get anv more fire out of the extinct empers'
We must have policy-a wise, consistent,
broad, and enlightened policy ana men ol
conservative opinions, long placed unuer !.
han. must be recalled to assist IN carrying II
out"
the Times is right. If the Republican
party hopes to prolong its life at all, it must
have some '.policy," and it must show
some respect for Conservative men-some
regard for their counsels. The ultras must
retire to the rear, and the really wise and
cousiderate men must take the lead. The
people that support them will demand
something more than the mere raking over
the embers Of national strife.
Whether this Will be the policy OF the
leaders in Washington or not remains to be
seen. But if it is not, the party will be
swept from the earth, and that soon. The
people are ahead of their leaders. They
want the bread of sound political policy for
the restoration of harmony and prosperity,
and will not be put of with Il stone. The
Congress has something more to do than to
watch and prosecute. the southern States.
Immediate action is demanded to check
the downward way Of the war party. Inc
opponents of that party have evidently
made rapid advances towards power. The
growing aversion to the revengeful policy
of the ultra Republicans is steadily incrca-
sing the opposition strength.
We are in the intermediate state between
the period of prejudice, sectional hatred,
and persecution, which began at the end OF
the war, and the day of equality among the
States and national harmony. There must
be great political changes soon. Whatever
the form of these changes, they will bring
about vastly better condition of things,
and will likely force the Punishment Of the
greater part of the bitter and relentless par
tisans and sky-scraping fanatics to the
shades Of private life.