The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-20

O. That the delegates appointed by this con
yention to the Democratic convention at Balti
IN ore should give vigorous, persistent, and
united support to the Greeley and Brown ticket
nominated ut Cincinnati as holding forth the fair
est promise for allaying the passions of the war,
reviving real peace within our borders, restoring
integrity to the public service, establishing the
States in theirlegtimate functions in The Federal
system preserving intact the great writ OF
liberty, and rescuing the Republic from the des-
potism of the sword
Such is the Greeley Democratic panacea
proffered to Virginians. Who drew the
sword in 1861? History answers, Horace
Greeley and the Democratic party. Who
excavated the "boody chasm" and filled
1t up with dead mems bones, cemented with
the best blood of the South? History an
swers, Horace Greeley and the Democratic
party. Who, after the war, desolated
southern homes, desecrated the affairs of
southern faith, DETAINED southern character,
denounced southern pride, and polluted the
fountain head of history with coarse invec-
tives, vile ISLANDERS, vituperative denuncia-
tons Of the southern states and people :?
History answers, Horace Greeley. And
yet now, in the very crisis of our great
effort at restoration, this man, Horace
Greeley and this Democratic party
CidSp ldDOSs diu III tiiC III ilCdt
of the coerced friction of antagonizing
elements, seek again to fire the dome Of
Liberty's temple. God of liberty, forbid
the bans Spirits of the immortal dead,
loosen the ties and SILVER the materials
thus sought to be imposed on this once
proud and powerful, but now enervated and
PROSTATE old Commonwealth! People of
Richmond, rise superior to the behests of
party press, and teach these editors and
politicians that yon are, at least, not mere
"hewers of wood and drawers of water"
to be the slaves of rash and unholy con-
spiracies. | warned you in lS60-61, /
warn you now. BE prudent, be sagacious,
be firm. Look ahead. Let not your pas
sions forge new chains to impede your
slow but sure progress to success, to pros
perity, to re-established Union, as firm as
it is strong, resting on the constitution, and
sustained by a reinvigorated Judiciary, as
learned as it is pure.
1t is said that there are no principles
involved in this great contest. This is a
studied misrepresentation. The Federal
government must have a regular incoming
revenue sufficient to meet its current eX-
penses, and pay off ultimately the national
debt. How is this to be secured? 1t
must come from direct taxation or through
the wisely adjusted balances of judicious
system of duties and imposts. Which do
you prefer, merchants, manufacturers,
workingmen of Richmond? Look at the
Cincinnati and Baltimore platforms on this
subject and compare them with the Phila-
delphia platform. Choose We between
them.
The Baltimore and Cincinnati platform
remit this vital question to Congress. to be
decided by the people in their Congressional
districts, wholly free from Executive in
reference or dictation." What an anoma.
ly? Here we have, at one dash of the
Democratic pen, the reto pouer annihilated,
the Executive will paralyzed, the Executive
conscience thrown dead waste into the
all absorbing powers of Congress. What a
farce? Should tariff, manifestly unjust,
unequal, obviously unconstitutional, pass?
II is made lasc by this platform, and Pres-
dent Greeley is foresworn by ANTICIPATION.
This is the entering wedge, insidiously
inserted to secure the ultimate success of
free trade. No one can read with care the
speech recently made in New York by r.
Nj. Il. Hunter, and not at once see that
such are the Interior purposes Of the Demo-
cratic party.
There is yet higher moral principle in
yolved in this election. 1t is one which
touches the individual honor of each voter.
You are asked to prescribe President
Grant for discharging his sworn duties
in enforcing the laws, and to re-
ward Mr.. Greeley for aiding se-
cession, bringing on the war, prosecuting
the South since the war, procuring the en-
actment by Congress Of every law of which
you complain, and then turning States eot-
dence against the Executive, the price Of
his treachery being the Executive chair,
now filled by the very man whom he has
despatched all along with his fulsome eu-
logisms! | say, then, there is a high moral
principle involved in this election. Freemen
of Richmond measure the magnitude of this
principle; catch the spirit of its all-perva-
sive power; consider its future influence
on your children.
There is yet higher social principle in
volved in the contest, so far at least as Vir-
ginia is concerned. 1t reaches to the tomb
of Robert L. Lee, and touches the con-
science of every Confederate soldier and of
ficer. | assert here that but for the high
moral and official stand taken by General
Grant, Robert E. Lee would, at the inquisi'
torial prescription of Andrew johnson,
have died a feon's death-hung on the
gallows as a traitor. Let this
fact here now sink deep into, and
forever abide in every manly heart through
out Virginia. Remember that but for
General Grant the hallowed remains Of
Robert E. Lee, instead of occupying the
resting place they do. would have descend
ed to felon's grave, so far as the enven-
omed hatred and cowardly spite of
Andrew johnson could have harmed the
memory of one SO beloved, so pure, so
patriotic. Could his spirit now speak to
this crowd, it would, in tones soft and
heavenly, cover this act of General Grant
with the mantle of Christian charity and
bid your passions be still.
In conclusion. We need stable policy,
strong federal government, regulated by
law, and subservient only to the constltu-
ton. 1t has been well said that absolute
monarchy is tyranny; but absolute De-
mocracy is anarchy and tyranny both.
What principle does the Greeley party
represent? What policy does it propose
Will the gentleman who is TO reply inform
us? "Anything to beat Grant" is indeed a
| weak plank to stand on. Anything implies
| everything, no matter how corrupt, how
ruinous, how demoralizing. No freeman
should ever put his foot on such platform
it will give way when he least expects it.
There are serious dangers ahead. w,