The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-17
PARTY Names.

WEDNESDAY, 1850 a !.
Party Names.
Parties often make strange use OF names
and very much pervert them by the princi'
.,sss which they adopt. We have striking
axamnle of this at the present time.
A republic, as defined by the lexico'
praphers, may be an elective government,
representing the aristocracy or represen'
fatiye government, although It's conserva
tive features may be very strong. Those
of our fathers at the beginning OF this cen
tury who adopted "Republican As tneu
party name did not propose to disturb Tue
conservative checks and balances ana 'he
restricted suffrage which prevailed tne', ~
Virginia and some other States oh 'n'
contrary, they were advocates OF 'iie coz,
seryatiye principles of States rights anu VI
a complete separation of the powers -
the States and the General GoVerh'uen''
all respects according to the seP"s.o =,
sb,rity which they claimed was deh''e" IL
+ho PROSTITUTION. Their adverSarseS, Tue
roaora,,sts. were more inclined TO aristo-
cratic principles than they were OUT 'he
Eederalists were for 4 strong centraluo'ern-
ment rs the best means for maintaining au-
thor,ty over the States and promoting the
national prosperity and security. The De-
mocratic principle, the rule of the people
without any conservative restraints, upon
them, was not then mooted. IL was
not until about 1910 that the proprlety
of giving the name ''Dcmocratlc TO
the party previously known as re
publican" was partially acquiesced IN
in this State. Mr.. RITcHIE. the veteran eoi-
tor Of the Enquirer, hated the term and for q
long time resisted it's adoption. 1t was not
until the Wings tainted him into using II
that he employed it in classifying the poiiti-
cal complexion of elections for the Leglsla-
ture. The Wings were tainted in the same
wav into the adoption of the log capln'
hard cider, and coon skins, as their party
emblems. :
Yet the party which assumed the name OF
"Democl attic" held on to the conservative
principles of the Constitution In MAINTAIN
ing State rights and the keeping The central
and State governments in their respective
orbits. Their motive in changing their name
was to popularize their party win 'he ui-
wealthy and laboring classes. rms leo the.h
TO the Inconsistency of maintaining their
conservatism in the form of government
while effacing all restrictions upon the eiec-
tive rights in the body polite. lhat Dehig
the fountain and source OF the Government,
it might have been plainly seen that as a
matter of course the tyranny OF numbers
unchecked by the conservative principles
of education and wealth would 1olo"'
And it was equally plain that the tendency
to the concentration Of this Democratic
power of numbers must be upon the CEN
trail Government. The national 'ded was
the natural offspring of the prevalence OF
the Democratic principle, and the supre-
macy and grandeur of that central power
was the very essence of this nationality.
Thus the poison was administered by the
party itself to the grand principle OF con-
seryatism in the form of the Government
which they never failed to proclaim in their
assemblages.
Yet stranger than this was it that the
destructive party which brought on the
war-which completely established the ty-
ranny Of numbers, the equality of all men,
and RACED out Of the Constitution and laws
nearly the last vestige of conservatism
adopted the name of Republican," that
dignifed and respectable title whose calm
and forbearing spirit is opposed to rashness
and revolutionary inroads upon the public
order and the Government. The party
which so inappropriately adopted this name
still holds on to it, although we know no
single measure of their policy which could
be considered especially Republican,.
We have never known names more de-
cidedly misapplied, and never known parties
more persistent in clinging to names thus
inapplicable. The Democrats are, by their
present avowed principles, the Conserva-
tiyes. The Republicans have established
by their acts a far more just claim to the
name of ultra Democrats than they have to
that Of Republican.
1t appears to us that the war has brought
about such change in the administration
of the Government, and also in the con-
struction Of the relative powers Of the State
and General Government, that old parties
have little of their old platforms left them
to stand upon. There must be assuredly
new issues and new grounds of division,
and we should think it would be in every
way wise to give to parties dividing upon
them new names. Men would be more
free to follow their judgments. They would
get rid of old prejudices, and be more ready
to look at the public welfare in practical
sense, without regard to the blind passions
Of partisanry. Above all, the country
would get rid Of the old party hacks who
can never surrender their old notions and
their old associations; and who, for these
reasons, can never be Of much use in the
public councils.
For the party of war there is no use now
in peace, and those who continue to espouse
the policy Of war have no business with the
gentle and humane name of ''Republi-
cans" Democratic" has its recollections
and its objections. 1t Is pity that it may
not be given up s.1lot only inappropriate,
but as cherishing prejudices aud passions,
which, for the sake Of the country, should
be forgotten.
At all events, fellow-citizens, let us here
maintain our union of all good people with
out respect to party for the good of the
State.