The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-04-17

virtue, and poured forth their excavations
upon the heads Of those Of the Republicans
who had been seduced into the combination,
but who still maintained their fealty to he
publican ideas and principles. and would not
separate from the national organization.
From that time until the last Presidential
election, the party in Virginia, that had sue
ceeded by planting itself on Republican poll
cy and principle, was known as the Conser-
vative party.
The Cincinnati Convention met, adopted a
thorough going republican platform, and
nominated the leader Of the Radical element
of the Republican party for the Presidency.
The Conservative party of Virginia assembled.
and through sclfappointed representatives, IN
Richmond, appointed delegates to the Batl-
more Democratic Convention, instructed
them to adopt the Republican platform and
vote for the Radical nominee that had been
put forward by the piebald Cincinnati Kadi-
cal assemblage. They did SO. The Conser-
vative leaders of Virginia took up this Radl-
cal, standing on Republican platform, and
went before the people. They denounced
every man who would not support their rad
ical candidate and their radical platform as
traitor to Virginia, as unfit for social recog
milton, and must ever after be regarded as
belonging to the "negro party" notwithstand-
ing their candidate was the friend of unadu'-
terated social equality. They seized hold Of
republican or radical ideas, '(whichever it suits
best to call them, for they are synonymous
m ,unted radical platform, and then had the
sublime impudence to prescribe every man,
and pronounce him a radical who would mol
support it aud he men they had placed upon
it
This is the history of the Conservative
party in Virginia to-day. 1t stands commit
ted to every measure, every doctrine and ev
cry result, advocated and accomplished by
the Republican party. It stands committed
to every radical ism that ever disturbed the
social, religious, and political quiet of the
country. 1t stands committed to the NOS
transparent treachery and deception that evel
darkened the political pages of the country
or mystifed the comprehension of the -credu
Ious and unsuspecting, and it stands con
dcn,ned for all its tergiversations, its insin
certify, and its gross impositions, by the com
mon verdict Of the people Of the State AMI
nation.
Now, forsooth, because we did not chos
to follow the direction of this so-called Con
servative party-because we chose to ris
above educational restraints and associations
and seek to place Virginia in harmony will
the national government, which had given tn
Conservative party its original life; becaus
we would not be driven from stern sense o
duty to our judgment and our State, by tn
party lash in the hands of such men as stoo'
at the head of the Conservative party be
caus we chose to think that there was
higher duty in politics than mere an-servie
and struggle for pelf and spoils-that poll
tics, properly understood, compreLended goo'
government-harmony in all its parts-re
spect for the laws-a faithful regard for am
nesty pledges and..a enlightened State policy
keeping step with the progressive spirit Of tn
age-we must be adjudged as having "loiter
ed about the Radical lines'
Very we'll, if this be Radicalism, make tn
most of it: Wherein constitutes the conser
vatism of our able and accomplished cotempo
rary, and those who acted and now act wit
him, if COL. Hughes, Col. Mosby, Capt. Lur
ty and the editor of this paper, are to be de
nominated Radicals !? Did not they supper
Greeley, the creator Of the Radical party
Did not they stand upon substantially tn
same platforms with the Wells and Gran
parties In the State contest of 1869 and tn
national contest of 1872? Do they not &C
cept the results of the war; take the consti
tuition as it stands, and propose to obey tn
laws as they exist? We think so and We d
tho same.
1t will hardly be denied then, that bot
parties have endorsed by their action sui
stantlally the same Republican or Radics
doctrines i'll theory, at least, they ar
identical. Must it be assumed then, tia
the leaders of the Conservative party are NOR
virtuous; better entitled to the confidence 0
the people, and more devoted to the true in
terests Of Virginia, and the country, than tn
prominent men in the State who supporte
Gen. Grant 10 the last contest? This phari
seelsm will hardly be openly announced
Men who declared that they would blindl
and recklessly follow the current subordi
mating their convictions of right to popula
clamor, would have little to plead in viudica
ton Of their superiority, in any respect, owe
those who sternly refused to be lead by tn
political mountebanks and marplots who have
resorted to every expedient, violated ever
principle Of consistency, and rushed tn
State to the very verge Of financial bank
ruptey and ruin, in their insane greed fo
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