Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-07-08
July 9TH 1873.
DEAR NEWS /:

| AlOAlllDSs klldl IdNC IlOl lOutlO Tile
ability to get five miles beyond this
great metropolis, ana | have aban-
doned myself to sOjOurn on the banks
the Teens for the rest of the Summer.
! Richmond has moved some since you
honOred it with your presence, and if
one were to Judge from the noise OF
hammer and trowel she will move
very considerably before the "sere and
| yellow leaf" of autumn. There has
never before been such q promise of
growth 10 this city, and if she were
only fortunate enough to have men of
enlarged ideas. up to the times with
ability to see more than All inch before
their noses in her council, she would
make stride even i'll the remnant of
this decade. which would astonish
the natives. The spirit of improve
ment and progress has not shed its
benifcient influence over that body !;
yet, despite the old fogyism and de-
magOgism which there PREVAILS the
city is going ahead Nature has cut
out Richmond for splendid future :;
art has done but little. One horse
ideas have ruled the roost,n and in
stead of half dozen iron symptoms to
tap the great West, she feels oppressed
with the weight of an intended glOri-
| ficatiOn over one line of whose burth-
ems her merchants have already be-
/ gun to complain, with folly, hardly
| to be credited, she has Unidentified her
self with the North side of Virginia,
whereas, from the location. she ought
! to be able to draw her substenances
! from all directions. The great South
| West she counts but little in the scale
which is 10 make up the measure Of
| her greatness. if any inference is TO he
/ drawn from her confined and deter
! mined opposition to every measure
| which looks to the Interests of it and
/ the South side. Thousands upon
/ thOuSal. DIS she has contributed to draw
| the West and North west into her en-
| brace, but not even a cheering word
to tap the ineXhausUible treasures OF
the 81 nth west. So far from it with
Jealous eye has she watched every meas
ure which was to bring wealth and
prosperity to the South side country,
though III their frontier she was to be
al equal participant. Despite all these
she grows.
The hot weather has afforded large
leisure to this people aud of course.
Virginia like, they fill up the space
with the discussion Of politics and of
who shall and who ought TO be Cover
nor ard Assembly men. 1t really
amusing to "quid nunc" to listen TO
the little squads which will gather in
the back room Of some favorite resort,
or under the shadow of lamp post
and hear these "nOthing-to-do's" talk
of this man and of that man, for Gov
~ HalaY.fz
In the multiplicity of candidates.
measured only by the number OF in
Eabitants it would be very curious if
there would be any unity of senti-
ment. For the House of Delegates
Lawyers, doctors, manufacture, me-
chanics, tradesmen, merchants, ban
kers, shavers, (nOt barbers) rail road
men, indeed every description OF &C.
cupation have their a,lherents, but the
grand difficulty is how shall the selec-
IIOn be made to do equal justice to
industries or nationalities. The jews
must be cnmplimented-the ger
mans must have a man-the catholics
are a power not to he ignored-the
Irishmen count strong at the polls
the yankees figue well at the shows.
All, all must be regarded, Zone, no
not one must he omitted. IN this
melee of opinion two persons only
seem 10 be settled Oh, to wit, DOOley,
who had the brains OF the last delega-
ton, and Gilman tie popular repre-
sentative of the Press, and the especial
favorite of the Richmond ladies. 1t
seems 10 be conceded that they will
come in again.--of the rest of the old
delegation, it would not be surprising
if it was recorded of them, they have |
been gathered to their fBthers."
On the glbernational question there |
is not such variance of opinion
While many gentlemen are mentioned |
it seems to be pretty well understood !
that Kemper has the call. With ma |
tive abilities of a fair standard, Guilt |
waited by study ana enriched by eX-
perience, with a character unspotted /
by faint or suspicion, unembarTassed |
by complication with any ofthe wing.
of the conservative party on the ques-
tons which have divided it and threat
ened its dissolution, with war record
that carries thrill into every Virgin
la heart, he IS regarded as pre-enIi- |
nentiy the man to lead the great party
Of Firginians into the next battle for
their rights and liberties, against those
who would pull down our affairs. eX-
our fires, aud give us over to
the goths and vandals.
Governor Smith, twice afOretime
governor of Virginia, has strong friends
who desire that he shall 90 down TO
tn grave thrice crowned by his coun-
trymen. Staples still has some lin
geTing adherents-Baidwin there and
there a follower Honest John
Letcher has host or admirers-Huu-
ter can boast of many who would rally
% his banner-Withers is captain of
q host No mere civilian need
hope for the laurels on this, the first
occasion i'll the which honor can be
done 10 the immortal braves, who con
;tituted the army of Northern Virgin
ia. The remnant of that glorious
band of heroes, the wives and widows
Of the noble army of martyrs, their
mothers and sisters, the very boys and
girls, who pale and tremb!e as they
listen to their tale of glory demand
that this first opportunity shall not be
lost The very bones of our illustrious
dead who gave their lives for their
country would cry shame" while the
very flowers with which the fair
hedeck the graves Ofthe fallen" braves"
would wither. if nOW we should forget
the debt of gratitude we owe to those
who have written a glory upon the
tablet of our history, which pales not
before the recorded deed of heroes in
any age,
The candidate must then be con-
federdte HEROIC camp-follower, nor
stay -at-home patriot.
Rooney Lee, Early, Smith, Hamp-
ton, Malone, Withers, Kemper, and
such like, are the representative men
Of that army, but the most popular of
these is Kemper.
What a day may bring forth, no man
can tell. So it would be impossible ,
to anticipate who will be the standard
bearer of the conservatives. l can on
y give you my best judgement made
M from my opportunities. Possibly
the wish may be father TO the
thought" / know not. i
~ a