The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-11-12
.[For the Dispatch.J

IFor the Dispatch.J
Tine Revolution of '74-What Is 1t, and
How Shall the Country Make the
Most Of 1t?
Permit me, through the Dispatch, to ten
der my thanks to "Vir." for the honor be
has conferred on the articles upon the third
term in deemiug them worthy Of bis criti'
ciSm and review. 1t was great pleasure TO
find that my shield had been touched by SO
courteous and gallant knight.
/ pray him to pardon my not making a
more prompt and formal rejoinder, but hav.
lug, of course. waited in respectful atten.
ton until be had concluded, | had no time
to leioin before voice far mightier than
nv feeble utterance spoke the answer 10
tones which have rolled, in waves OF sound,
from Louisiana to Massachusetts, and from
ocean 10 ocean, completely verifying and
sustaining the confidence expressed in the
elements of recHperation and vitality exist.
ing in the republic and its people, and in
hat wisdom and love of right and justice in
its masses which has made them, when the
facts were fully laid before them in evidence,
render an emphatic verdict against those
who have sought to pervert our system Of
government, and who, recklessly or design:
edly, were urging on its utter destruction
and the overthrow of our national and in
diridual freedom.
That same voice will still speak out for
the full reinstatement, the unmiStakable re-
affirmance, of all the fundamental principles
of our Constitution, and for their enforce
ment in their original purity and simplicity.
We may rest our hope and faith unshrink-
ipgly on the "sober second thought" Of our
people. Mighty as has been the movement,
it is but the van of the storm. Greater things
are yet to come.
1t behooyes all men to study, and, if pos
sibe, to comprehend truly, this action OF the
people in all its breadth.
May I, as al individual citizen, having a
concern in this, be allowed to state my crude
conception Of it without mourning the charge
of conceit?
This ulterance Of the people is one of no
ordinary grandeur. To my mind the occa-
sion appears to be most i'm portant as well
as a most critical one, demanding the most
prudent care, the cleareSt wisdom, the most
unseltish craftsmanship, in order to secure to
tue Union the full benefit of this revolution.
The God of our fathers grant that the
ltadiug-staff may come to the hands Of those
equal tothe duty of confirming and CONSOLE
dating the movement upon sound principles,
and OF directing it in unity Of action i'll the
right direction.
They will have a task of great delicacy-
they will have great dangers to ward off-in
organizing into one body these moving
masses.
One Of those perils will be the attempt to
claim these victories as the triumph of some
one of the old parties; to compress these
masses into one of the old folds, and to
crib them within ancient party lines; to as
sert that all who have voted against the Ra-
ideals have, er neceSSitdte, become "Demo-
Gratis" Personally | have no insuperable
repugnance to be classed as Democrat if
need be, though, as an Old-Line Clay Wing,
| have none Of the attachments to that party
growing out of long utilization; but there
are tens of thousands to whom the name of
" Democrat is almost as distasteful as that
of s Republican," who would be repealed
from cordial union with us if they had to
undergo this baptism. and whose feelings in
this matter should be recognized and re-
spected as matter alike of duty and of in-
,erest
The almost universally of this revolution
in sections and States hitherto so diverse in
their politics shows that no one party can
claim it as their own exclusive work.
Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, and Vir-
GINA, have not become Republican; Massa-
chusetts is no more Democratic than she 1aS
t,oelue months ago.
The fact is patent that good men OF every
party haze risen abore party bonds, and haze
clasped hands and joined hearts for the COM
mon object Of Sduing q common country,
arhose security and liberty are TO them deareT
and of higher dignity than anyparty claims.
Patriots have come together from every
where, and from every division and organi.
zation. The people haze undertaken The true
and real reconstruction Of this nation into
get "more perfect unioa" than has existed
since The first dag of ats eristence-a union
made permanent 6y a clearer and better ma.
tual knowledge and appreciation-by more
honest respect for each other and for each
others rights--by more thorough apprecia.
ton Of mutual dependence and reciprocal!
| Interests.
All the skill, and prudence, and care, and
disinlerestedness, of our statesmen must be
used to blend ard crystalline these masses
into one harmonious party, whose policy
Shall be to insure the purity and perpetuity
OF our Republic-whose platform shall be
,chateoer there is Of good to be found an the
principles Of any Of ats predecessors, or die.
tated by more recent experience.
This party, thus composed of members en-
masse from all the Others, must be called
by some name which shall grow dear to each
one, in which ali can rejoice, by which none
will be repealed. Fas est ab hoste doceri.
We may take lesson from those who or
ganized the Republican party, the great mass
Of whom had been northern Wings, but
they laid aside name which, though dear to
them, party strife had made obnoxious to
Others, and they raised banner inscribed
with The name Republican," TO which
those could rally who would have died
rather than be called " Wings"
Ours is not the Democratic" party,
neither is it the "Whig" party, nor The
Republican, party. We were. or we