The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-22
PROCEEDINGS OF THE STATE CoN'
SENTATIVE COMMITTEE

the city OF niCunouu' oddraea were
adopted: oa;on+ IN
,,,d . oonvcntion Of the Conservative party
IF Virginia on the 30th day OF August heAt'
in the city of Richmond. ,sad
Q. That The Convention VIII oe conl.oseu
of daIegates -one from eacn toWhsitp III
the counties, and one from each eiee''un
district in the cities in the State,to De
chosen nv the Conservative voters tne[eln.
ne 70 counties or by the people tnereoL re-
spectiyelv, assembled at their court-houses'
as may be preferred.
8. That the purpose or TINS consent'on
is the reorganization OF inc oonset s"''rS c
party of the State under Inc san Tt VI
aDproyal and authority. Inc elec-
in;opS for ihr LEGISLATURE in November rem
dor tbia measure necessary. The poltlcai
needs Of the party generally no less require
4. That in view Of the Importance OF Tue
oc,.,sion if ia earnestly hoped that dele
~otns will be chosen for the convention,
who are recommended by character ana
inflnence to the confidence and support Oh
the people.
,.,,uoss, n tho Conservative Voters of Virginia.
II will be seen by the published proceed
;nus of the State Conservative committee
flat 4 thorough reorganization or tue par
tv, under popular sanction ana aPPTr"vai'
is deemed essential to its interest. lntle
has been no convention OF the party siice
1867. The organization then lnstilG.GG:-
springing directly from the peopleIa'i us
work successfully in the memorable con-
test of 1869. subsequently it was super
,cdcd !y u fresh delegation of authorlty
from the Conservative members OF Tue
LEGISLATURE. 1t is sufficient TO say thar, I'M
der the new plan thus inauguratcd, Whebn-
sr from inherent defects or causes winch
have s,lperyencd, the influence OF the CEN
lral authority has been neasuraD'y impair
ed. 1t Is felt that Il recurrence 10 the OH
pinal source of authority Is necessary, nai-
monizing with Republican usage, anu, IL IS
believed, with the popular wish. closeI
md more thorough discipline than now
prevails is required to save the party from
some evils which distract and weaken IL,
and which. if unchecked. threaten 1t VIII
serious disaster. Chief among these IS the
growing prevalence of what are termed
g TodcDenlIe7,t" candidates-men who, pro-
Tossing TO belong to the Conservative party,
throw themselves, whenever chance ZOE
office offers, in opposition to its nomlna-
lions divide its ranks, coaleSce with the
adversary. and often etfcctually destroy It's
orr.njZ,tion. Measures of thorough reform
in This respect will doubtless proceed from
the Convention which will assemble IN Au- :
INST. They will so out with the stamp Oh
It's approval, and meet everywhere, II Is pc-
Iicvnd. with cheerful acceptance ana ready
obedience. u, /, o,oo.,d
under the auspices of this Convention may
meet q crisis in the. fortunes OF our people
oil
,ye and resources. We are not left to
d3,ibt by the legislation of Congress ana
the recent conduct OF the President that
the party in power does not mean to resign
if if it can be retained By fraud or force,
sill less if it can be kept by trampling on
the southern people. The slight CLEAN of
favor which enabled us to
vote down the DISTINGUISHING clauses in the
State Constitution was speedily with
draHn. Ever since, we have lain
under the sulen frown OF power.
Never since, have we received from Con.
gress or from the President one sign OF
encouragement, or cheer. but
measures OF repression, test-oathS, anu po-
Iilical exclusion have pursued us, IN the
dreary, vulgar routine in which tyranny,
luyenting nothing new, repeats ltseh Inc
world over. The laws which clothe the
President with authority, for political of.
fences too vaguely defined to be intelligi.
bic, to invade the southern States, to sus-
pend the hdbeds corpus, and employ the
army and navy against their unhappy peo-
pie, were passed at his personal solicita-
lion, after Congress had expressed its
sense that 10 more political lcslsia-
ton was required by the state of the
and was about to adjourn, he de-
clarcs now, in a formal proclamation, thai
fhese laws are of extraordinary. import,
lnce - that although they are OF genera
application in their terms "the Necessity,
therefor is we'll known to have been cauSeu
chiefly by persistent violations OF the rl?nae
IF citizens of the United States by com'ih:.,
ions of Iawless and disatfecteo p elss1;ns ~
certain localities, lately the theatre OF ihsul.
.ecyion and military conflict and not
lalting at their extraordinary or uouDi,
mi character, he declares THAT ne VIII
not hesitate to exhaust the powers tnus
,ested i'm the Executive whenever ana
yherever it may be necessary 10 40 SO.
rms has This official, armed with power by
, Snhservient Congress, declared war
,y,inst n large body Of the American peo-
nia and forced them to know hun hereafter
only as their enemy. ..
In the recently-enacted law ,puTportlnS
"a enforce the fourteenth amendment "dn1
for other purposes" and III that commonly
.nown as the election or enforcement law,
nere are laid numberless traps and snares
|nr fine unWary southern citizen who VEN
tures to cast his vote or Use his personal ill.,
iuance against the candidates who stand
forth to support these abuses. Vague ana
indefinite enactmentS, not specifying overt
acts. but matters merely Of construction
md opinion, expose him 10 criminal charges
laid by the worthless and Irresponsible.
upon which he may be hurried away fruiH
home, imprisoned, and made the subject If
nerciless eXaction before he can regain his
liberty. These expressions are already
familiar in our experience. They Will be
repeated until they make suffrage and the
privileges of speech and action i'll
public affairs so perllous and costly that
their exercise will he largely foreborne.
simultaneously, and at the instigation of
the President, 4 committee, organized to
suit his purpose, sits ut Washington in the
vacation of Congress inviting SANDERS and
mist representations of the southern people,
that the northern mind may be kept ill.,
famed against the South that the fires Of
war between the sections may never die
out. but live even in the ashes Of the eX-
pred conflict; that the one section may be
blinded and misled, and the other dra-
gooned into the support of faction which
deserves the excavations OF both.
The asceudency of the Radical party is
great and general misfortune, which impe-
rils the existence of free government in This
country. But our share in it is peculiar.
We suffer directly, us It's measures are aim
ed at us rs victims. But beyond this, we
stand in the presence of great danger
forever impending, forever threatening.
The event which Shall give Virginia back
to that party consigns her to the fate which
with infinite striving she escaped two years
ago. The negro and the carpet-bagger will
resume their sway law, order, and society
will fly at its approach life itself will be-
come intolerable. To what sleepless vigi-
lance should this thought incite How it