Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1871-12-09
be moral that they may make mon
our Only Hope.

18TH oil November, writes All exceed
ingly sensible and well considered
article in which he sets forth the
present condition of the country
and of the two political parties
which are now strugling-the one
to gain aud the other to retain po-
litical power. The article would
well repay perusal, and we cannot
foFbear to make the following ex-
tract. We do not certainly know
who the author is but we think we
can see in the article the hand Of an
old time friend of ours, who lives in
retirement upon his farm in Ruther-
ford county-Dr. John w. Richard
son-the father of the present spea-
ker of the House of Representative.
At all events it is sensible and sober
enough to have come from that
source:
But the question arises, '1hGt
shall are do2What do we. want ? Pll
tell you what we want-what the
people want-what the country
needs, and must have, or poll ical
despOtism awaits US. Neither Re-
publicanism as it exists at the
North, nor Democracy as il exists
at the South, can save this Govern
ment, and preserve the liberties of
the people. Nothing can save us but
CONSERVATION. This is the word,
and the only word in the English
vocabulary which conveys my mean
ing as to what the country needs
Political conservatism covers all the
ground. No good man lives, or
ever did live, or ever will live, who
is not, was not, or will not be con-
sentative. We want a conservative
political party, and must have il, or
our Government will degenerate,
and grow worse and worse until
American liberty and personal free
dom will be but a mockery.
We cannot expect deliverance
from our peril Ous condition through
d Democratic organization, because
it is impossible for such an organic
alton to obtain the power to relieve
us. We dare not hope for deliver
a1ce through the Republican organ
ization, with Grant at its head, for
we have tried that sufficiently long
to be fully satisfied. Where then is
our hope? Knowing the inability
of Democratic organization to ac-
complish any good, and sincerely
believing that the Republican party,
as at present organized, will contin-
ne to grow worse and worse, we de-
clare it is our firm conviction, after
mature elaboration, that nothing
short of the formation of Conser-
vatiye party, made up of the con-
serVatiVe men of all parties, can save
our country from impending evil
and restore the Government to its
ancient and proud position. There
is both virtue and excellence in the
word conservatism. Who dare
strike None but the bad and i'm
practicable. It comprehends all
that is good it rejects all that is
evil. All good and wise politicians
are conservative; all good Statesmen
are conservative.
1t matters not with us who are
the leaders ofthe organization. We
| want able men, good men, conserva-
tive men, who will do equal and ex-
act justice to all. And il we can't
organize under the Democratic BAN
ner, so as to defeat General Grant
and his party, why let us organize,
at the proper time, under the BAN
| ner of a liberal, conservative, Re-
publican. For one, am ready to
strike hands with any and all con-
! servative men, from any and all
parties, to rescue the Government
from the control of the corrupt and
tyrannical party now in power.
CONSERVAToR.
~-
Nature just now, in the shape of
snow storms and snow beds to the
| depth of six or ten feet, on the
Northwestern plains, is furnishing
a more eloquent argument than the
quilts of editors can offer, in favor
! of a South Pacific Railroad. When
we consider the enormous wealth of
the commerce, not only from coast
to coast, but between the West In
dies, the cotton and sugar States on
the one hand, and China and Japan
on the other, il will never do to be
content with trans-continental rail
line blockaded half the year with
snow. Northern prejudice can't
escape the inevitable necessity of a
South Pacific Railroad. 1t is mani
fest destiny.
Thus it will be seen that the sea-
sons and the climate conspire to
render absolutely necessary the
building of a great Southern Pacific
Railroad. That road, when it shall
be built, will, of necessity, pass
through Jackson to Memphis,
thence through Arkansas, Louisia-
ma and Texas to the Pacific coast. 1t
behooves Jackson to keep her eyes
open to the working of the great
railroad system which must find its
inland centre mere, if we do not in
tend to be left out in the cold.
There can be no discount on the flu
ture Of Jackson, if her citizens are
only true to their own interests, and
we conjure them not to sleep upon
their posts, and let other routes
steal the advantages which nature
and Providence have placed at our
door, and within our grasp.
The Memphis Appeal, hitherto
the most ultra of all Bourbons in
its Bourbonism-the mostintolerant
of all critics in It's criticisms of those
who could not, after successive defeat
after defeat, believe there was any
hope for the Democratic party to
rescue the South from the mailed
hand ofRadical despotism, contains,
the following significant editorial
in its late issue
The Democratic party becomes
efete and ats creed obsolete because