The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-12-19
Correspondence OF the CINCINNATI Commercial
THE OLD DOMINION.
RIcuMoxp, VA, December S, 1871.
VIRGINIA POLITICS.

The Virginia Eo!it:ca! situation has the
charm Of noyclty at least. But that is not
the only charm. There arc no kt!kluN, no
midnight raids upon the cabins OF poflc2i
opponents, no tar and feathers for the bare
backs of the opposition, no secret meetings al
the hour of midnight 10 lay wait Tor col"rcd
brothers. blood, 40 shooting Of men for opin-
ions sake, and III short none Of that political
diaholicai ruEEanism that has been the scourSe
Of other southern STATES since the war. There
is rs much wholesome tolerance OF opinion III
Virginia rs there is in Ohio. The bitterness
and rlncor that is such disturbing clement
in States south Of here Is known only TO u
very modified extent III Virginia. During the
week | have been III the State l lave not
heard the first bitter expression against Pc
litcal opponents, although | have mixed
freely with all opinions, parties, sccts, and
coors. The religious press is somewhat VIM
dictive, but the secular press, taken rs q
whole, is mild, conciiiatory-toned, and arSu-
nlentatiYc rather than yitupc,atlye.
There is Il like absence of kukluXiSm, mob
violence, DroScriptivc Democracy, and dis
honest officials. Without q proscriptsTc De-
mocratic party; without kukux, the offspring
Of proscriptire Democracy; without MOB
law, and without dishonest officials in office,
is it any wonder that peace, goodwill, aud
good order, reign from the ocean 10 the
western borders OF the State!
There is no Democratic party in Virginia,
but there is 4 Conservative party, which, un-
der Governor Walkers management, has
been very successful in uniting all conserya-
tive elements within it; ranks. The old
Wings are the moving spirits il this party,
and Wing principles continually crop out III
its conduct By using kindness rather than
the tullluy badge and the lash, some fifteen
thousand negroes have united themselves
with this party. And so long Us il remains
the party that it is, actualed by tie pTinc-
pies that it is, it will rule Virginia. But the
moment it shifts Off its Conservative coil
and becomes n Democratic party, that mo-
nlent it will shift itself into the graveyard.
The old Wing clement in Virginia is very
strong, and this element hates the very name
Of Democracy. Give us anything, any name
but Democracy, they say, and we are salts
fed. a few old, stiit-ncckcd Democrats Of
the true Bourbon stripe arc agitating the
question Of changing the name of the
Conservative to that Of Democratic.
/ hear the Wings cay that if this
is done they viii leave the organization
and go s0mewhere-no matter where, SO
they are out from untiei. tie TO thcIn) hate
ful banner OF Democracy. Ii the Conserva-
| tires want to hold Virginia they had better
not yet try the experiment Of changing The
| color of their coat.
The history Of this Conservative party is
not long, but in the light Of the proposition
to form national party OF the same pattern
| it Is Interesting. At, or rather before. the
last guhcrnatorial election there were three
parties III the ticid-Democlat, Conservative
Republican, aud Radical The Democrats
were Ill The minority, without hope II they
| made & straight-out light, and they wisely
| proposed 10 "stoop TO cCnGUn.' 50 tbcy
Withdrew tlcir candidate from the field and
united with the Conservative Republicans.
This throw won, Walker was elected, and
| since that time the party has been known as
the Conservative party. The success OF the
| movement has been such that Virginia is
constantly being cited rs m example Of " hat
would follow ii the SAME line OF pc:icy was
adopted in national politics.
MEETING OF THE LEGISLATURE.
Yesterday the two branches Of the "House
OF Delegates" rs it is called, met. In the
lower House there has been fresh cut and
4 new deal, the members, with the exception
OF dozen and half, being fresh from the
people, and chosen mt the last election. In
The Senate the new members and the old are
about equally divided.
In both Houses the old officers We're all re-
elected, which indicates the conservative
tendencies of Virginia's Conservative party,
1t is conservative indeed, drcadng changes,
even the change from one doorkeeper to an
othef. It is said now that ell the officers
have life estate IN their positons. II was
custom before the war Ia Virginia to keen
the officers of the Legislature in office during
good behavior, and the custom Is a good one.
inasmuch as 1t secures competent, expe-
Ierienced ofiieers--men who understand