The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-02-29
The Centennial and the Presidency.

v
sentence in which to express our idea as Il
what the country wants it would be this
"The country wants peace. We have had
quarrelling and fighting enough-we have
had sectional luminosity dd nausean, We
see nothing gained By them all. We are
troubled, oppressed !, and stagnatcd. Oh, lei
us be delivered from the present distress
from the slough Of despond into which We
have been led By passion, strife, ana
all uncharitableuess. The country wants re-
lief from these things, which cannot ao'
vance the physical welfare Of the people one
lot or title, but which have put that Weliare
back half century, and brought the puoiic
mind 20 distraction. "Peace y is now what
we want. ......
It's fitting period for the restoration Of
unity and harmony to the body polite, and
concord to the measures for the general vel.
fare. Il is the hundred;h anniversary of the
beginning Of the republic, and fitting time
for the emulation Of the public virtues Of
our ancestors, and for the ready sacrifice Of
orr private and sectional prejudices to the
public good. If ne cannot now make an
effort 20 initiate the patriotism OF our fore
fathers we need not hope that we ever can.
an important event in the political pro.
ccedings of the country takes place this year:
the ceremony Of electing President of the
republic. In that act the people have q
chance of manifesting their own sense Of
public duty and their readiness to copy the
patriotism Of their ancestors-their selfsac- |
rifcins disposi.ion-ther grand rule Of con.
duct-.hc giving Of everything TO the coun.
try, nothing to men.
For ourselves, we hardly see in more than
o1e Of the mea who are brought forward
TO" the presidency the man of true national
feeling and of true warmth Of heart and en-.
th usiasm Of spirit in devotion to all the sec
tious OF the whole nation, the man who
mc1, wisely be elected to the Presidency
on the huudredth anniversary Of the Ameri-
can republic. 1t is impossible that MORTON,
with his bitter animosiies and unrelenting
war prejudices, could properly represent q
peaceful and harmonious people. BLAINE,
like fool, has thrown away his bright oppor-
tunities by his jealousy of MORTON and his il. @,
noble attempt TO head him off by showing him.
self 20 be az malignant aud ruthless In his
sectional and party hates as MORTON is.
n either Of these gentlemen could with any q
sort OF pfopriety and with any consistency !
with restored and harmonious national 9
feeling, be IN this centennial year elected to /
rule over the nation. CoSKLNa is pea. $
Geek, and is capriclously unfeeling, like that 9
vain and Maynard bird. He cannot be 8
chosen President, snd We are glad of it. The |.
lesser lights among the Republican aspirants g
elfer no individual who unites in his nature &
and bis history That representation Of ma r
toral tendency to national brotherhood and
peace which should appear here on the CEN
tennial anniversary of the nation, and which |,
Is absolutely essential to the general vel. O
fare. .....- n
On the Democratic side the difficulty in tf
selecting such man who has in him the n
force, and the fervor, and popularity of c.
that meets exactly the exigency, is b.
great. In our own mind we think there is &c
a man who comes nearer the qualifications gi
needed than any of the others, but we Sc
should be cautious in naming him. Unless II
ne draws towards himself the observation he
and favorable consideration of the nation, of su
course our estimate OF him and bis fitness b,
" ould be az nothing at all.
We repeat that the nation may in its act of
alecting President do more towards the th
,onsummation of the greatest blessing that of
now can fall upon 1t than in any other act. r.
Ihe man selected must be one whose career tn
8 not marked by Incidents the recollection TT
u when Will revive any bitter memory or tn
;ai! up sectional prejudice. We know that
me South, being the conquered section, can p,
'ot hope to have her peculiar views favored
'r man from Der bosom elevated to
he position of ruler. All she can booze for
that one not repulsiye or offens;ye to her ;,
hail be put over her. For o national man, -
me not committed to the ,osac,t;on Of the y,
policy of punishments Ia no,alties for her ~
Deople-one Whose An" ,a r.hoso -
political nri,.,nl. disposition and whose
nna, and pl lug g offer pledges for his
governments .,artial administration OIL the {
ote With for the general gooo-sne VIII
This heartfelt pleasure.
mo 70 the man that is due to the nation.
, victorious and governing North owes
= oh q man TO the SOutu auu w VIZ
such man should be presented to the worlo
&C the ruler of the American republic ID iIs
hundredth year as the triumphant testimony
that the republic is JUST. That would De
the best proof that could be presented 10
civilized mankind of the solldity and endu'
rance of the republic. There is no perms-
neuce, no durability, without justice.
1t is time that the nation had rescneu
peace. Resentments and hates, revenges anu
prosecutions, cannot last. They destroy not
only the peace OF the victims, but they hll
the hearts of the oppressors with disquiet
and the poisons Of unhappiness. They mar
and Illustrate the measures for national lm-
proyement and national contentmen1 NO
nation can advance in moral and physical
benefits while such enemies to peace ana
csutentnent obstruct the public welfare. IL
is time that they were dissipated, and that
with one accord the people OF the
States were united and Joined 10
grand movement for the good OF
all. 1t is time, we say; and this centen.
NAL year of the nation makes the time slo-
riousy propitious for the event. II the na-
ton will only this year elect man 10 Inc
.oot of the chief ruler of the nation who is