The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-27
Virginia and the Union.

Virginia and the Union.
We observe that Mr.. HyeHEs, the candiss
date OF the Republicans, Is steadily pro-
pounding the question, Why shall not VirII
ginia cease to quarrel with the nation andl
dis he said in his last speech. "Why does sie
not become national State?" We 90 not
know what he means unless he means that
we are "disloyal" in not joining what Is
nroperlv STYLED the " Radical" party of Firi
sinia We are as effectually in the Union as
any other State that is in it. Indeed, more
so: for we feel it aud see 1t in everything
We cannot look out in any direction tnas
we do not see some sign of the power OF tue
Federal Governfnent-so proof OF the
social revolution which 1t has brought upon
us as a blight, rctarding our prosperity,
Gripping Our enterprise. and disturbing
our happiness. If we are not In the Union
we should like to knoW what State is.
Is II contenued by DIR. HUGHES that be
cause we are not ready to shout hosannas tt
the Government which has visited US will
sorrow and oppression that therefore w
are not 81 national State y? If we were
hypocritically to profess to be delighted
with our sluation,-to see, as he processes
to see, the hand of God in it-would
that make Us so: Virginians will never
do that They know they are IN Inc
Union-none the more so because tue
absurd UNDgRwooD Convention declared
in the Constitution they made for III
that we were in the Union "torever' e
term that is simply foolish in the laws o
MANI; but that they are in as long. as thu
power of the Union remains and they have
no idea that they will be the first to disturb
that power. The next rebellion will much
more likely come from Massachusetts,, thu
fountain of sedtion and rebellion, than from
Virginia.
We repeat, we know that we are in tht
Union-that we are "national Statc,' l
that pleases Mr.. HUGHES best. But we arr
not and cannot be in the Union as mere
serfs, whose duty it is only to approve ant
submit; or, as Mr.. WILLIAMS, the Attorney
General, said of the people of sister State
to let politics alone and dig and obey. Wbel
the time comes for that, if it ever should
our condition may be considered; but unit
it does we mean to complain of bad law.
and bad officials. If that denationaIizes u:
in Mr.. HuGHEs's estimation, why be 1t so.
No man has stood up more boldly for tn.
independent right of the citizen to Judge o
public men and public administration, thai
Mr.. HUGHES. No man has exercised thai
right more freely than he. He has had much
to do iu time gone by in educating the PEG
pie of Virginia in the exercise of this right
He has changed his views or his practice, j
seems. He considers loyalty to be acquies
cepce in the policy and measures of the Gov
eminent. In that Virginia cannot folio"
him. They prefer the republcanism of Their
fathers to the new republicani.m of MIR
HUGHES. He may worship tie Government
he may adore the works of men; we Sbal
devote ourselves to principles" principle,
not mcn"--we shall, according to the true Re
publican practice, praise where we may, cen
sure where we must. and do what we can tC
hold the public officers to a strict account
ability. We take our lessons from HUGHs
before the war, not from HUGHEs after thu
war. We turn from PULP drunk to
PHILIP sober.
We are so much in the Union that we d.
not dream Of getting out of it. We are Sc
much in that we exercise the freedom OF
criticism. We thus not only show our con.
Yiction that we are in. but we show that we
still think that we enjoy some of that repub.
licanism left us by our fathers, which Mr..
HUGHES would have lis to believe is all gone.
We cannot agree with him. We are in the
Union to stay-to struggle with the enc
mics of Liberty, and to make the Govern.
ment as good rs we can. We are in it TO
break down, il possible, all such ideas OF
arbitrary power is Mr.. HUGHES now
breaches to us, aud to defeat the politicians
of his school, himself included, whenever
and wherever we can. He may hold out
the idea that we can secure Government
funds for local improvements by support
ing the Administration, by opening our pub
liz honors and offices TO the negroes and the
carpet-baggers. We utterly repudiate aid
purchased by such a compromise of every
noble sentiment. ........ +.
We don't believe all this. We think bet
ter of the Government. We have our rights
to equality Of tue public means to which we
more than any other people contribute, ana
we do not believe that all share in benefits
will he denied TO us who have more than our
share of the burthens because we exercise
the rights of ireemen in criticising our Gov
eminent. No, Mr.. HUGHES; our Govern
ment has not come down to that yet.