National Republican., 1875-11-23
A WORD ABOUT v1ReINIA POLITICS

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ramor, which is industrIously circulated
by persons having interested motives, of a
conference between Independent Conserva-
tives and regular Republicans of Virginia,
having in view the distribution of the Fed
eral patronage in that State. There will
be and can be no such conference as the
rumor suggests And if there could or
should be conference, nothing in the world
could come of it. The Republican party
of Virginia, as party, have no part in it.
The Independent Conservatives of Vir-
ginia, as class, have no part in it. No
body could meet for conference except a
few individuals who would be without au-
thority to represent any class of people,
and who would represent themselves alone.
Parties cannot be formed by the resolves
of individuals, nor cai parties or parts of
parties be combined by such means. The
men who think that great political move
ments or results can be achieved by per-
sonal manipulation are necessarily too igno-
rant of the first principles of honest and
rational politics to accomplish such results,
even if that were practicable, by individual
means.
1t is true that there is in the State
widely prevalent disgust among sensible
people with the conduct and action of the
Conservative party. The teaching of that
party is nothing more nor less than sys-
tematic sedition. Its press teaches no other
lesson to the people than that the Govern.
ment of the nation is tyranny and a
wrong, and that every officer OF the nation
is corrupt scoundrel. This is the lesson
inculcated by the press every morning and
evening of the year. The corollary of this
lesson is, that no honest or reputable man
in the South can reverence the Union,
profess loyalty to the nation, and express
confidence in the officers of the Govern
ment The assertion is that every such
man is necessarily disreputable and un-
worthy of popular respect or countenance.
These propositions are intolerantly en-
forced, and such is the tyranny of opinion
that no Conservative who dissents from
them is countenanced as worthy of popular
confidence.
Now, all the Southern Conservatives do
not subscribe to the propositions that have
been stated, and such as refuse to do so are
not disposed to be whistled down by the
wind because they dissent from them. The
organization of the Conservative party in
the Southern States has fallen, moreover,
into disreputable hands, and the disgust of
sensible people at the seditious teachings of
the party is heightened and intensified by
their contempt for the persons and means
by which the affairs of the party are man
aged.
1t is impossible that sensible, patriotic,
honest people can patiently tolerate longer
the frauds, follies and revolutionary teach
ings of the~Southern Conservative party.
This class is growing in numbers every
day. II is composed of bold, able, resolute
men, who will not be driven from their
purposes by the usual means of terrorism
employed by the party.
The best course to be pursued by the
Republican party toward this movement
is that of letting it alone. This movement
is strong because it is spontaneous, and be-
cause it is honest; and those who are en-
gagged in it will treat with unspesksble
scorn and contempt the pack Of dead-beat
politicians of the Southern Republican
party who may endeayor to forward their
miserable personal fortunes by connecting
themselves with it.
No good could come of conferences"
even if they were held; and there will and
can be no conferences Of the sort in ques-
ton which shall be composed ofindividuals
in sufficient numbers and of sufficient char
acter to be worthy of the telegraphic notices
which will, doubtless, appear in this morn
ing's kilograms of distant newspapers.