The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-07-25

did it an original manner, winch gave the
matter of his remarks an air of freshness.
I Gen. Roller is the youngest of the aspi-
rants He possesses talents of a high Or
der, finely cultivated, and bids fair to be-
come prominent in the public affairs Of the
State, if life and health are spared him
He closed by brief allusion to his iden-
tity with the great agricultural interests
of the State, and his purpose to make that
one of the prominent objects of his atten-
tention, should he be elected.
Harris, Duke and Roller, announced
their willingness to abide the decision of
the District Convention. O'Ferrall made
no allusion to it.
Each Of the speakers spoke second
time, about fifteen minutes each. There
was good deal of humor and sharp cut
ting, all, however, in the best and kindest
spirit, during the progress of the closing
debate. But we have not the space to
make further allusion.
We were glad to see the friendly and
courteous feeling existing among the can
didates, and hope it will continue during
the canvass.
The Richmond Dispatch was SO busy, i'm
mediately after the action of the Cincinnati
Convention and before the Baltimore Conyen-
ton, in its efforts to manufacture Fictitious
public sentiment for Greeley, and frighten
away reason, that it certainly misun derstood
the idea designed to be conveyed in all the
articles we wrote referring to the Democratic
party. We have contended for eighteen
months past, that the material dogmas which
constituted the faith of the Democratic party
were obsolete. We, however, have maintain
ed the necessity Of conservative organization,
for the purpose Of enforcing the national,
conservative purposes Of the party. The ge-
ty still exist, but the specific doctrines of its
creed have become abated by the changed re-
lations of surrounding circumstances.
We charged the Dispatch and the Whiy
with design to break up the Democrotic
organization. It was an organization Of men
of songenial thoughts and feelings who were
struggling for a common object. We did
and do regard the present movement as to-
tai and radical disruption of the old organi-
cation, and the substitution of an entirely
new basis of operation. The same elements
that composed the old organization may come
together and crystalline around the new. But
it certainly is new organization, composed,
it may be. out Of the same old material. We
have contendcd, and assert now, that the a.
doption of the new movement left every De-
mocrat free to 60 with it or against, as his
Judgment might dictate We are not yet
thoroughly convinced that great blunder
up the Cincinnati action and adopting it,
We have yielded our original views of the
whole matter, to the formally expressed belief
Of the great majority of the old Democratic
party and argued ourself into the opnio n
that the grand idea of reconciliation between
the North and the South will be best pro-
noted by cooperation in The movement. We
have yielded, because this paramount thoaght
doomed up and oVrshadowed the convictions
that had taken hold of our MUD, as to the
mercenary character of the motives which
suggested the Cincipnatis meeting.
We drop the curtain between the present and
past, changing not one syllable that we have
written about Mr.. Greeley, as of the past, the
motley crew that first brought him forward
or his record. We start afresh, bauishing
out of sight the past, in the hope Of accom-.
plishing great national good, in submitting
to the palpable disruption of the old organi-
that there may be better understanding be-
, tween the two sections. We want the aoa'
closed in truth, as well as by vapid asser-
ton. We make the sacrifice Of opinion our
self, in the belief that most Of those witt
whom we act, are controlled by the same mo-
, tves-an earnest, heartfelt desire to forget
5 the late interneclne conflict, and purpose
to march forward to happy aud glorious So
luton of the problems that lie hidden in thu
womb of the future.
: From the beginning of this strange ane
5 anomalous contest, we have been controlled
by the same motives, the same fears and the
! same hopes There has been no inconsistent
: cy in anything we have said or written, ex
cept in the minds of those who have not al
:, carefully and as thoroughly weighed th'
: whole matter as we have. We confess tina
we have undergone painful struggle IN get.
Y ting our consent to adopt the action Of thu
e Baltimore Convention as the better policy
: We take it under the inspiration of hope
more than as the result Of unquestioned ant
: unouestionable conviction. If the issue rise
: to the dignity and grandeur Of great Ma
T t;onal Reconciliation, genuine clasplng o
5 hands between the North and South in sole
! friendship over the bloody chasm of the war
v it will meet our expectations, and justify the
: purposes which have directed our course.
e We certainly have no harsh word for those
: of the conservative party who cannot get thei
e consent to pursue similar line of policy tt
. I+bot mo haya edontad We can annreciatt