Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-12-16
THE rnEsnDExcr.
Hon. A. ~. III. stuart, er Virginia,
.a4si on the Contest i'm lsy2.


Hon. A. III. II. STUART, eT vfrgisis,
4 aai on the Contest I'm lSy2.
n Hon. a. III. II. Stuart, of Virginia,
| Publishes the following in the Staun-
tom Spectator. II Is an important
subject for consideration;
The recent Northern elections, II
rightly studied, are full OF instruc-
ton. They teach us, Enthusiastically,
that If we go into the contest under
the present party organization, we
hre destined to inevitable and disas-
trous defeat. 1t would be useless to
Inquire into the sufiiciency Of the
causes which have led to this condi-
ton Of things. tits enought to know
that 1t exists. We may depiore the
prejudices which have misled the
people of the North. We may de-
monstrate their unreasonableness by
the most unanswerable arguments,
but no logic will suffice to remove
them. We must, therefore, like sens
ible and practical mon, recognize
their existence, and IL we cannot con-
quer them, seek to render them IA
harmless as possible. Some persons
believe that names are mere shad.
Iows, and comparatively unimportant.
In one sense this Is true. But when
n name becomes associated with an
important principle or line of policy,
so as to become the representative Of
comes a formidable fact. 1t becomes
Oh ~ .,
subject Of undylng hatred. We may
illustrate this by familiar example.
Before the war, II man were called
Union man, he would regard II ms q
compliment. But II you called him
q Federalist (which IL but another
name for Union man) he would
promptly disclaim il not resent It.
Wise men will, therefore, respect
the prejudices of the people, and seek
mot, unnecessarily, to cali them into
action. When a name becomes of
fensive and stands in the way Of great
political movements, they will pru-
IDENTIFY discard the obnoxious name,
If they can thereby secure o substan-
tial benefit.
In our Judgment, this is exactly
what the people of the United States
are now called on to do. We have
sought, again and again, to win sue.
cess in national contests under the
names of Democracy aud Conserva-
tism, but have failed. 1t Is manifest,
that the organization arrayed under
those names cannot win the victory.
We grant that the prejudice is i'll
founded and irrational. But what of
that? Who will deny that 1t exists ?
Who will deny that the prejudice
against the name Of Democracy calls
into play, in the Northern mind, some
of the worst passions Of our natures?
And who can gainsay that those
passions are among the most serious
obstacles to our success -.
J Even in Virginia we could not have
secured victory in the last Guberna-
torial canvass, under the banner oil
J Democracy. Many old Wings could
not have been induced to rally under
that banner, and hence, like sensible
men, we took the name OF Conserva-
j tives, and nchivcsi signal triumph.
No one can close his eyes to the
fact that in the Northern mind the
name of Democracy Is inseparately
associated with the support OF slavery,
policy of the Government.
In the minds of many Southern
men the same name Is Intimately
connected with old party struggles,
with secession and the countless evils
that the war has brought on the
u Southern States.
In the next contest, therefore, we
incline to the opinion that 1t would
be sound policy in the opponents OF the
present Administration to drop the
names of Democrats and Conserva-
itives, and to adoptanother, of broad
} err and more comprehensive character,
and one that would be more signifi-
cant ofthe true mission of the new par
ty. Parties are the representatives oil
ideas and the agents by which ideas
are brought into power. The name
Of the party, therefore, should ex-
press, inte ligently, the ideas which
1t seeks to enforce.
The great ideas for which we wish
to contend are, the restoration of the
SUPREMACY of the Constitution; the
subordination of the military to the
civil power; the maintenance Of the
, judiciary; the sacredness Of the ha-
beas corpus, and the REIMBURSEMENT, ri
the proper balance between State
and Federal authority.
Let us seek the corporation OF men
) like Sckurz, and TRUNK bull, and Grat7
. Brown and Cox of Ohio, and Others
who. however much they may have
differed from us i'm the past, have
shown that when danger threatens
the citadel of freedom they are capa-
BILE of rising far above the behests ol
party to yield homage to their coun'
try.
If the inquiry be made, how car
, this be done? we answer, let some
prominent men---say our Conserva
! tive Central Committee ut Richmond
at once place themselves In com
, munication with some trusted friend,
in Washington, and induce them u
send, far and wide, to all parts or tht
Union, invitations to the wisest and
best men of every section to meet ~
Washington City about the middle
of January, to take counsel with
. each other, and with Senators and
members, in regard TO the wlsesi
course to be adopted in the great crisis
which IL so near at hand.
Such conference can, by no posi-
bility, do harm. In all probability
, 1t would he productive of most i'm
: portant and beneficial results. Sure
~ it Is worth the experiment. a
. proceeding OF this kind saved Virgin
a Ia from untold oppression. Why may
! not similar means prove equally ell
/, cacious in redeeming our great coun
4 try from bondage?
! ----->--------
Three Ballots.
The Board of General Purposes 0
| l.. a L.