The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-04-19
NicI,molltl 1lspattll.
,prn,y APRIL ~. 49,
The aran,-ofice-Holders' c 9; ''r eonven.

The Grant-OthCe-kiole =. convr,,.
M Nh IN IN of,ce-holders, in their oo" a,.as
$50 nrocecdiu@s have bee" lei"' Nv
ao -" n;snai,,a, did nothing TO me''s's. ~. ";u
'ol ,.s .s,soc, for their deportment OF ''''"
puo''c .e' This marty, which is headed by u
sm,,, BODY Of white men, ana maze W. a.''o So
holly Of negroes, has been SO s''oih "
s,nonrtb IN the State that there Is nothi"s "
leon II alive but Federal offices, anu :"
~,,ah,ish its claims to these it is competed 10
.ean IN show of organization ana ecu "
;pducc the Washington government - .,'
burSe the means of subsistence WI" 1n,
chances of living ont of the pun" ,a '
on,o,ost them. But although the h'l'e l'''''
&C wh;,s men absorb all the Offices there are
40, enough for them, and this induces tl:e
s,r;fe which here, as elsewhere III Tue oo'i'i,
;s characterized by passion dlsoroef' anu
o,n, ,;olencr. This Convention was
r,;r samnle of them all. Such was the mu-
tim, hate and violence amongst the members
81 ,b;s hody that the police had to be called
in to keep the peace and prevent the n'''Hl
hat.ering and bruising Of one another by the
brotherhood Of plunderers.
Hot for the offices there would be no such
Convention; or if possibly there might DE
one there would be no such disorder anu
sobtinp that so resemble the strife OF dogs
over the ofial from the kitchen.
Outsiders wonder at some of the dongs "l
this refined body of men. The ahlmus Oh
Tho motions and voting is not understood.
There is great rivalry amongst the leaders
p,.rr and PORTER are understood 10 ne DIT
ter enemies, and PORTER resorted 10 inc
dodge of claiming more power ana prog lor
native Virginians. But they did moi ike the
idea of being defended by Porter and used
rs PORTER uses the negro-to get UP on tfeir
shoulders. So they wouldn't combine WIN
him, but preferred PLArr; and thus FOR
TER had great fall.
This Convention afforded the opportunity
"a skirmish for position. 1t was supposed
that the man who should receive the mfticu-
lar endorsement of the Convention would DC
b;ob,v commended to General GEANT, Is The
Convention would declare Nchci'!9H'ts VI
favor Of his reelection. The main poiih
aimed ut was to get the recommendation OF
the Convention for Vice-President on the
Gp.sr ticket, Senator LEWIS and Congress
man PORTER were the most prominent aspl-
rants. PORTER, early in the day. seeing that
he was "gone up" magnanimously With
drew his claims" But he was still bound
10 fight his way for "position." lie cannon
be reelected to Congress from this district,
and he must "hold on" to get something
else. 1t is supposed he had an eye upon
Congressman PLATT's district, which created
in part the GOODNESS between them.
Nobody, we suppose, believes that PORTER
had or las any idea that he stands the slight
est chance of being nominated for Nice-Pre-
sident on GRANTS ticket. That nomination
was only sought as Stcpping-stone to some
valuable position mt the hands of the PreSi-
dent. We would not say the same of Sena-
tor LEWIS. We think he has hopes. he is
prouder and more vain than PORTER. We
should like to see him OH GRANTS ticket, and
il that were elected we should find some con-
ISOLATION in the fact that the senator would
cease to represent Virginia. 1t would be
agreeable to him and his constituents. 1t can
hardly he comfortable to him so grossly to mis-
represent, az he does, his State and the men
who elected and contided in him. lie is too
much of LEWIS for that. And Virginia
would be too happy to send another man in
bis place.
The Convention really interested every
calm and rejecting person by the faithful
manner in which it reflected the bad passions
of the greed and strife for Office, and the de-
moralizing influences of motives which i'll
duce men to array themselves against public
order and welfare for personal gain-a de-
moralization vastly aggravated by the trick
cry of combining an inferior and uncducated
race against the race to which those who are
working to perpctuate this combination be-
long. There is a moral in the lessons OF this
Convention which should not be lost upon
the Radicals themselves. They are III this
State carrying on u war that makes
for Virginia politics totally different con
dition of things from that in the northern
States. They are doing that which Injuries
them as well as us, and their only hope O
lifting themselves out Of the consequence,
they bring upon the community is that they
may be fed out OF the Federal treasury
They are, therefore, all the more stimulated
to bitter strife. They would escape the trou
bles they invoke by ensconsing themselves
in the "bomb-proois of Federal office; and
they are terrified at the bare idea OF being
defeated in endeavoring to secure that CRATE,
full and safe retreat. But ti!crc arc so many
more that are disappointed than get places
that it is time they were beginning to think
that 1t is better TO 60 to work for their own
State than to De holding negro meetings,
and delnding them with insincere blather il,
order to prove their devotion to GRANT and
his Offices
1t Is evident, however, that the Radical
party in Virginia has its back broken. There
is nothing left it but to fight over the Fede
Al 4 L Il.