The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-05-16
THE BALTIMORE CONVENTION.

OF tie Democratic party, to meet in Baltimore,
on the 9th Of July next. The object of that
Convention will be to nominate candidates
for President and Vice President, and define
the policy Of the party in the coming cam
paigu.
1t is urged by some that the Convention
thus called should endorse the action of the
Cincinnati Convention, and ratffy the nomi-
nation of Horace Greeley, for President, and
B. Gratz Brown, for Vice President. Others,
of equal influence and with equal earnestness,
protest against such action as fatal to the in.
tegrity of the Democratic party and calami-
tous 10 its tendency to the country.
Among those who have given expression
to opinion in favor Of the Greeley and Brown
ticket, and that Virginia would, through her
delegates to the Baltimore Convention, and
afterwards, by the people at the polls, ratify
the result Of the Cincinnati Convention, we
see it stated that Gov Walker is one. He
is published in the Baltimore Sun as making
his appearance on the floor of Congress. and
giving expression to such views in CONVERSE
tion with members Of that body.
IF this be true. that Governor Walker has
preeipitated his views upon the country, as
to the course Of Virginia, we think it an i'm
polite announcement, made without that re-
Aection which ordinarily precedes any leclar-
alton of his upon questions of grave public
policy As much as we think of him, and
as highly as we esteem him as man of COM
prehensive snd statesmaplike views, We are
eoaaspcsled to dissent from the position thus
assigned to him.
TheratJfeai''on cftAe Cincinnati nominees
by tie National Democratic Generation aciX
flIssofoe the Democratic party as certain as
the rising and setting Of the sun. It is al
ready appsrent that the Northern and West
ern Democracy are divided on the policy of
such ratification, as indicated through the
press and the utterances Of its Leading men.
This is but faint reflex Of the sentiment of
the deep updercurrent with the masses. The
spasnlodic Juror which has been raised by a
few newspapers in the interest Of Greeley, is
but surface sentiment. There has been no
opportunity, and indeed there has been no
occasion or necessity. for the sober, thought
FIJI people Of the country to express an opin-
ion. There is no public man in this country
who has more upsavory record for The
Democratic and Conservative parties than
Horace Greeley, and no newspaper man or
politician has the right to assume that the
people Of Virginia or the masses Of the DEM
ooratic party, will stutify themselves by en-
dorsing his domination. Why what is it, 10
the history of the country for the past thirty
years, that has contravened the interests of
he South, of which Horace Greeley has not
been the patron? What is it, from the in
eeption of the war between the sections, down
20 the present time, that oppressed the con.
4nercd South, and paralyzed her physical
energies, that he has not favored? He has
,hampioned every reconstruction measure,
even to the Ku-Kluz law, that has been en-
acted. be was the foremost to insist upon
5.e enactment into law of the bitter animosi-
lies of the North against the South, and to
usist upon their enforcement to the letter.
lie supported the military election bill which
authorized Federal officers to interfere in
State elections he was an earnest advocate
Il the measures by which the Southern States
we're afflicted with carpet-bag governments,
nd has been guilty Of bounding upon the
Ueople Of the South the vile crew which have
ut as nightmare upon the material inter-
ests. as we'll as political freedom, Of our Sec
Ion He has been jealous aud relentless in
arging the passage of every law whose
apeeation has been to crush our people, and
% demand its enforcement. The laws having
ZEN enacted, the President was bound by
rs oath to carry them into effect, and thus
reeley has been ten-fold more the enemy Of
ming an order to relieve Virginians of Car
bag rule, by permitting them to vote
&. arately on the test-oath, incorporated into
The State Constitution, framed by the black
aa3 tan Convention, Greeley was cheek-by-
owl with Sumner in connecting schemes Of
uajr ersal oppression and wrong upon the South.
ST he is presented as the proper man for
...o Democracy to take up to avenge them
55pes on Grant for executing the very laws
That Greeley insisted should be enacted.
What has he done to modify Oh atone for
his harsh and vindictivc course towards the
aaih? It is heralded as redeeming char
that he, IN a mood Of selfish sentimental
- placed his name on the bail bond Of
erson Davis? Probably there never was
'4ore calculating piece Of hypocrisy COM
ed by any public man. He wanted to
SEQ the desolatioa his con to Richmond
~ had consummated, and in order to do
2 70 availed himself of this mock sentiment
9hi!anthropy to place his name on Davis
,21 bond, knowing full we'll at the time that
ID not risk cent And then it was a |
ca4 advertisement for the Tribune, and re-