The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-05

80 so, themselves the control OF Inc s1a ~.
c'uo,.n ~ fbn mower to levy ana expenu lts
loIu,u,md TO provide for IL wholesome laws,
- dnve|onc It's resources, TO cnuhge. IL 80
advised. its organic law; anu III III hespec1tss
aos VS.. it's future; added to which would
To snare ,.;ssiou into the Union and escape
ne re" thc bayonct, the cdrpet-bdg, the
Lea Lea IrouventIon of the members of the Con.
orv,tiyc organization assembled In April,
1sGa. under these novel circumstances,
greatly changed from those which attended
| the original delegation of it's power. The
notable characteristic Of It's action, was Its
total abnegation of authority to decide upon
the new and momentous questions which
confronted it. The Convention felt that 1t
no longer represented the sentiment Of I'M
conditional opposition to the Constitution,
for il could not be blind to the growing in
clination of the popular mind to accept 1t in
| its proposed altered form. 1t was acknow-
lodged that new political departure must
be taken that the people in their original
capacity must pc consulted on the issues
! now for the first time presented. Never was
there q popular appeal, with which old par.
ties and party questions and names had 30
| little to do. 1t was the uprising Of q race
| for its OWN redemption. OF this movement
| the ruling conservatism of to-day was born.
Sprung from that race, it exists by its fiat,
and cmbodies its expressed will.
It Is inseparable, perhaps, from the HUI
man disposition to overrate the evils of the
present, which arc sensible and felt, COM
pared with those which are past, and of
which the memory has become obscurcd.
No revolution, however successful, ever
brought with it the uniniXcd good, which
in the ardor Of hope it was expected to
achieve. The triumph Of Conservatism in
j. nj ion m hp al IoIv
1t has not, in some unexplained way, re-
licved the people from the pressure of debt.
nor repaired as by miracle the dcsolations of
war. 1t has not, unaided, built up our
railroads and canals; nor developed the hid
den wealth of the Held, the forest, and the
mine. Hercules, as of yorc, will aid
only those who put the shoulder to the
wheel. But we were strangely insenSlblc
not to acknowledge such blessings as the
sponsiblc military power; the pure and
equal administration of justice by Judges of
our own choosing; the reign OF general quiet
and order the enactment of laws and their
enforcement by 4 Legislature and al Exc
cutivc freely elected; in word, the auto
nomy Of a sclf-govcrnng people. Were in
ccntives wanting to value such advantages
at their proper worth. we need only
SURVEY the condition Of those unhappy
States which, in their struggles with Rad-
calism, have been less fortunate in-throW-
ing Off the incubus Of that gross and trucu
lent domination. The story of one of these
is the story of all: Vice, Ignorance, ana
corruption uSllrp the State. Adventures,
sordid and shameless, whom. in great part.
their crimes have expelled from other COM
munites, with the aid Of an inferior race
scduced and debauched by their teachings
and example, exercise authority which is
without show of common interest with
the Commonwealth they assume to rule.
Public credit gone; public debt heaped
mountain high; taxation inordinate and
insupportablc; pro1ligatc waste OF public
money; liberty, property, life, insecure;
systematic libel and detraction, designed to
provoke the commission of crimes, that
they may be proiitably punished; popular
elections suppressed by fraud, chicanc, or
Washington of the wishes and purposes of
the peoplc, that they may be Kept or
brought again under military rule such,
with little variation, are the Incidents
which have marked their experience for
five weary Years, In North Carolina, rs is
we'll known, the government OF the State is
in Radical hands, and there the Govern
ment is this moment engaged in al effort to
proiop@ its power, by sitting and oyerawing
the voice Of the people in State election,
which. left free, would pronounce Its doom.
The State judicial power" it is proclaim
ed, "though in the hands Of energetic,
learned, and upright men. has not been able
to bring criminals to JUSTICE: and upon
that false and shameless pretence whole
counties arc declared to he in state OF
tnsurrection," and are ovcrrun by military
violcncc-thuS confounding all the inhabi-
tants, mon. women, and children. in one
indiscriminatc and lawleSs prescription.
Habeas corpus is stricken down in the teeth
of the Constitution. and a rutian Governor
and corrupt Judge colludc to deny its
benefits to the people. We feel for these,
our unhappy brethren, with all our hearts.
We pray God to hold up their hands in the
contest with their terrible enemy. But let
us also lay the warning to heart. What
better or worse would have been the condi-
ton of this Virginia people had ConScrva-
tism failed in the great struggle III which
their all was impcrillcd, and what late :
now in reserve for them should It's Efforts
be relaxed!
In reviewing our situation, as it was and
as it is. simple justice requires us to ac-
knowledge our obligation to the Executive
and the Legislature Of our choice for the
capacity, integrity, and zeal, with which
they have discharged their arduous and re-
sponsiblc duties. Rarely have public repre-
scntativeS been placed III situations so novel
and difficult. Theirs was not the common,
easy route through ways made smooth be-
fore them by precedent and routine, but
rather the rough course of the woodman.
who, axe in hand, blaZcs his way through
| the tracklesS, unbrokcn forest. Society itself
had been disrupted political institutions
subycrtcd and every want and interest of
| the community called for the exercise OF wise
and careful craftsmanship. in the ordeal
| through which the State passed again into
| Union Involving the attempted eXaction of
| the test-oath from the Legislature, in re-
sisting the reas>ertion Of military authority
| in the organization Of government under
| the enabling actin prudent and sagacious
| recommendations TO the Legislature, and
| sound views of State policy in the just and
| constitutional construction of the novel
power of the veto the humane yet firm
and conSidcrate exercise of the power Of
| pardon, rs III the general administration OF
| his office, the Executive has fully met the
expectations and redeemed the confidence
of those who placed him in power. In the
composition Of the Legislature, the prevail
| ing political disqualiiications so narrowed
| the sphere of selection, that there were
necessarily many members who were young
or .untricd in the forms and functions
Of legislation. But they quickly mastered
| the difficulties of their situation. Zeal,
energy, and conscicntiousncss marked their
deliberations in which some, before I'M
known in public life, shone with ability such
us promises high distinction and usefulness
| in the future councils of the State. To say
| hat do, linz wifi, in