The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-08
COMMUNICATED,

COMMUNICATES.
TO ne Editor ofthe State Journal
Iftherc had been only one thing lacking
tolnake the gentlemen of the Conservative
party of Virginia heartily ashamed Of their
position, the action of the late convention
at Richmond abundantly supplied that
Aant. Of this convention much was ex-
pscted upon the New Departure question,
which has agitated, and is now agitating the
party. 1t was, above all things, thought
desirable that unanimity Of opinion, and
consequent unanimity of action, should be
had. The financial condition Of the State,
with its kindred subject taxation, both Of
which, ikcgreat clouds, now overshadow
all other interests, it was also thought
would be taken up, and that some action,
looking to the welfare Of the State, would
lbe adopted; at time, too, when
reputation is so often ominously
whispered as the only method of escape
left to us, this was peculiarly important.
Men said, too, to each other, that the great
party ruling the State would, at this con-
yention, express itself upon the subject of
corporations, with view to so shaping flu
ttWe legislative action, that no harm could
resalt to the Commonwealth from their un-
due growth and great power. The conflict
UetWetU liuUI iilu Ciplldl, WHICH ID ItiiuHlS
other communities, has not yet reached us.
We have, thanks to the Conservative gem
Eiemen and statesmen of Virginia, no capi-
taa. and but little labor. Upon this sub
iecit. therefore, it was not expected that
anythin~ would be said. In this we are
not disappo,i iuted but we are disappointed
that no official expression was maue upon
the "New Departl' Te.o finances, taxation,
or corporations, and ere surprised that
they were not even alluded 70 IN the con-
ventlon during its entire sessio1.
This State Convention was NO ordinary
meeting. 1t was assembled at great trou-
BILE and expense, after having been a. anoun-
ced fol-. months by all the organs o. the
party in the State from the great Thund>ar IT.
ers at Richmond down to the small whist
lers that are to be found at our county
court-houses, where they pick up preca-
rious subsistence by printing the county adj
vertisements and announcing at every cleo
ton that certain gentlemen are the choice
of"Many Voters for the officer to be
voted for. Every township and every ward
in the State sent its delegates. The Con-
vention met. Its history is brief. IL ex-
amined the credentials Of its delegates; it
admitted, with applause, think Of it, a Con-
SENTATIVE negro delegation from Richmond
it unanimously accepted the resignation of
Jubal A. Early, a venerable fossil, whom
General Sheridan has immortalized, and
who actually thought and said that
the convention was too progressive for him
it quarreled because the time honored Vir-
GINA custom of making the party family
affair, and allowing few gentlemen like
the Hon. sFayette McMullen and Ex-Gov-
ernor William Smith to control and do as
they saw fit was not submitted to by some
younger, less polite and more turbulent
delegates and thenit adjourned, after first
resolving to fight the Radical party. A
poor, miserable, cowardly thing. it was.
Whether Early actually thought that the
convention was too progressive for him or
not, there was bitter irony in the remark.
The Conservative party, a Conservative
convention or anything Conservative in
Virginia, progressive IF we were asked
Of the movements Of the fxeds stars, or of the
solar system through space, or of the earth
toward the sun, we should say that they
We're Conservative. If one word was
still needed to express our idea of
the slowness Of these movements
we would say Virginia Conservative. Not