The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-08-30
BOWLING GREEN, Caroline County,
SEPTEMBER sTH...
REMARKABLE CONSERVATIVES
REMUNERATION


At the close of the war there were a |
majority of men in both sections of the |
Union who had been Democrats. Many |
Of these were DESTROYS of remaining
Unionists on the basis of their old party
becoming Union party, and dropping
those doctrines of state-rights which had
fallen by the verdict of battle. The
Northern Democrats had fought for the
Union and had never cordially assented to
the state-rights doctrines of the National
Democratic party. The Southern Demo-
Gratis could drop tenets which had been
overthrown by arms and give their adhe-
renee to Union, which they had fought
against for four years, with as much con-
sistency as they could take the oath of al
legiance to that Union.
If the Democratic party could have been
organized ON the basis Of strong union SEN
timents, it would very probably have
achieved the ascendant..in the Union and
held the government until this day. A
very strong desire was felt by. Union Demo-
Gratis to put up Chief Justice Chase as the
Democratic candidate in 1868. And if
there had been any protracted ballotlng
in the national Democratic convention OF
New York of that year, a very strong vote
would have been cast for Judge Chase. and
he would have had good chance for nOmi-
nation.
But the extreme state.rights element of
the body were noisy and demonstrative
and, as soon as they failed to nominate
George III. Pendleton, of Ohio, they
formed combinations which resulted, early
in the balloting, in the nomination of Sey-
mour. Having gained power to accomplish
this much, they used it for securing the
nomination of Francis P. Blair for the
second place, and for adopting Q
platform on the extreme line o.
state.rights politics. The result of theil
success was, to drive out of the Democratic
party all the old Democrats who had made
up their minds to abandon the obsolete
creed of Calhoun and Davis. Ever since
then, the Democratic party have fallen
back far into minority of the people o.
the United States. Among the men whom
their suicidal nominations at Tammany
Hall, New York, and their readoption o
the Bourbon platform of Davis, Benjamin
and Hunter, thus drove out of the Demo
cratic party, and silenced in the campaign
of 1868, was Mr.. Hughes, our candidate
for governor.
He disapproved those proceedings, ant
whether he has been consistent in hi
course since, or whether those delegate.
from Virginia General Kemper included
who promoted and concurred in those pro-
ceedings have been more consistent thar
he, seems to be question entering into
the debates of this canvass. 1t is ;
question easily settled.
The New York convention adopted res
olutions, the most important one o
which declared that any attempt t.
deprive the states of g the privilege ant
trust of suffrage was an usurpation 0
power, and found no warrant in the consti
stitution :" and denounced the reconstrne
ton acts of Congress as IAN usurpation
and unconstitutional. revolutionary ant
yoid.n
On account of this and kindred resolu
tons, Mr.. Hughes went out of the Demo
cratic party. But General Kemper ap
proved it, supported it, and supported tn
Democratic party after adopting it. Th
sequel must decide which Of the two mel
was the more consistent in his subsequen
course. rrs
In the very next year, of 1869, we fin'
the Democrats of Virginia discovering Q
last what Mr.. Hughes had discovered
year before, viz that their course ha
ruined them as party in the state. w
find them dropping their Democratic organ
izatlon, abandoning their candidates, AM
forswearing their creed Of 1S6S--the yer.
creed which Mr. Hughes had rejected whe
first adopted. We find them doing more
We find them committing the most re
markable act of Inconsistency ever con
mitted before by mortal men, and turnin
the cleanest summersault ever before wi
messed by human eyes. We find theT
engaging in a campaign on the followin
declaration FF
THE WALKER PLATFORM.
We belieUe that a large majority o