Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-10-10

luVau1uS dTtHicS, lew bWttVt CiiiASue
who were false TO their native State in
the hour Of her trials. and some renegade
Confederates who once wore the gray but
have sold their birth--iglt for a mess Of
pottage. None others constitute the
Radical party in this State, and I must
say .tiatsl. regard the renegade Con-
federates as ths worst Of the whole lot.
It is this party which is struggling for
the aseendancy in the State. and hopes
to attain it by. our divisions and the
patronage Of IKE Federal government =
Can any honest Virginian ally himself
with apy.such party for any purpose?
Yet, if We dono work together. and if
we allow ourselves to be divided. this
party will inevitably obtain possession Of
the State. If the vote Of this Slate
/ should be- cast. for. Grant. at the coming
election, there will be imminent danger
that his supporters:wiIl= obtain possession
| of the State government at the next
general election, and that means con
signing tie people Of Virginia to a gov
erument like. that Of South. Carolina,
The. -Virginian> who contributes to this
result by voting with the Grant party
in November. in. my estimation, will
commit a wrong upon his people which
cannot be palliated by any services he
may have rsnderea>in the past. should
regret exceedingly to see any one for
whom have the lightest respect pursue
any such course, and I do not think it
can be excused by any expression of de-
votion te Conservative or Democratic
principles, however sincere. A man
may stand aloof and abstain from voting
in pending contest, and maintain his
own principles intact; but in my view.
any alliance, concert, or co operation
with the Radical party in this State
will bring contamination inevitably, and
l would as soon expect to see a woman,
who had onee gone down into the sinks
of pollution and there sought her assooi-
ntes. restored to virgin purity. as to see
q Virginian return uudefiled from an
alliance with such party as the Rad
ical marty of this State. Such an ALI
auce once made is the first step, and then
faciis descensus Auerni. No! in my
judgment no Virginian who. has not
already forfeited his claim TO the name,
can pursue any such course without COM
lifting grievous wrong upon his peo-
pie. himself and his pusterity
The next question IS, Can We with
propriety stand aloof and allow the Rad
ical party to carry the election by de-
fault? must say that if was certain
that the Radicals could not carry the
State, my own tastes would incline me
to let those who made the issue fight it
out. Butthis.I am not certe liz of by any
means, if all those Conservatives to whom
the Cincinnati platform and nominees are
distastefIl shall abstain from voting and
I verify believe that if the State should
vote for Grant in November, the danger
of the State government going into the
hands Of the Radicals next year, would
be very great. by reason of distraction
and diversion in the Conservative party, if
such a result would not be o certain con-
sequence. 1t is of infinitely more impor-
lance 10 us that the real people of Virginia.
that is, the white people, should retain
possession of the State government, tt an that
there should be a change in the Federal
administration, as important as that is. To
those who entertain similar sentiments to
mine in regard to the character of the nomi-
nees, will say that we are not responsible
for the present state of things ; and with as
the question does not present itself as
choice of evils, for that has already been
made without our agency; but the question
is, whether by reason Of our dissatisfaction
with wha: has already been done we shall
permit evils ten-fold greater than those we
now labor under to be inflicted on us. As
to the Federal administration, it is not
possible for it 10 be any worse for us; and
however Objectionable to US the record, the
past conduct, and the utterances of Mr.. Gree
ley may be- he can Go us no wrong that has
not already been inflicted on us, or that
may not be intensified by those who will con-
troll the admin stration of his opponent.
Take Greeley at the worst, and we have no
i'll to dread from him that we do not now
endure; but his recent utterances have been
very fair, and if he is elected the probability
Is that we will get ri tof the present swarm of
coemoronts who are preying on US, and
marsh aling the black hordes against US.
It is not possible for him to Sc lsct as bad a
set, for they are not to he fori in the toun
try; neither need We dread having put upon
US a more hungry swarm, for the appetites
of the swarm we already have increase in
proportion to the amount consumed.
In addition to all this, if the Cincinnati
nominees are elected, as a necessary cor-
sequence, there will be elected House
of Representatives much more favorable to
good government than the present one.
which will be check upon the other
branches Of government, and afford us
more protectien against abuses and mis-
rule. I would have much preferred a
different platform aud other candidates.
and l deplore this whole policy Of
creating evils for us to select between.
aud will add that | think it would have
been much better If the party in the State
had adopted the name of Conservative;
for the two are now Synonymous. what
ever diversitiss of opinion we may have
bad in the past, and in the adoption Of
the name Democrat would itself have OBJ
liberated all past distinctions. But be-
cause cannot have my own way, am
not going to part company with the only
friends I know and recognize, though
some of them do call me a Bourbon, a
fossil, fogy, and an impracticable We
must keep united for the good of the
State, which l trust we all love, and If
the majority do sometimes do wrong We
Of the minority must overlook the short
comings, and come to their resene when
they get into trouble, hoping that they
may learn wisdom after while.
If my opinion is Of any weight with
nv old com rades and friends of the lower
Valley, my advice to them is to vote
with their party and their friends. and
thus keep the State out Of the hands Of
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