The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-05-05
Misconstruction.

2 80 =
MisconstTuction.
The Halifax Record Of this week says:
ssTne Richmond Dispatch thinks il Is too
much to hope for the election TO the presi-
tiency of so good q man as the Hon. Thomas
+. Bayard It is strange chat the Dispatch,
With its great enterprise and steady business
prosperity, is SO respondent in public mat
tiers. Is gives up as lost all State rights and
cannot cUea hope for the election OF q good
man to the presidency! Take heart, Mr.
Dispofca. Hope survived even the fatal GU
riosfty OF Pandora" 6 4.
The Record seems to misunderstood us.
The Dispatch is as full Of hope as OF pros.
perity. But
First, as to BAYAED: No southern man
ought to benominated for President. The
candidate must be one whose war-record
will bear the close inspection OF the north.
crn people. Mr.. BAYARD never aid any
thing that we know OF to aid or assist the
t.rebellion,. nor even sympathized with its
objects. But he lives in slaveholding State.
His people synpathize with the South. His
State voted for BREcKlNRIDGE in 1860.
Under these circumstances it would DC I'M
wise. to nominate Mr.. BAYARD. The Demo-
Gratis in 1868 and again in 1872 had good
prospects OF success up to the time
OF the making Of their nominations Tor
the Presidency; but from that time
until the election took place constantly lost
ground. To nominate BArARD would be, In
our opinion, to prepare for the Democrats
inst such canvass as those OF 1868 and 1872
in this respect. BAYARD would be less
popuiar in November than in June. We
regret that such should be the case; but we
cannot shut our eyes to facts because they
arc unpleasant to look at.
Secondly, as to our dependency concern
ing the rights OF the States. Neither the editor
OF the Record nor any other sensible man
can expect ever again to see amongst the
people of this country half rs much respect
for the limitations Of the Federal Constltu-
ton and the rights of the States rs they felt
up to the year 1860. Now If from condl-
ton OF high respect for these things the
passions excited by the war led the
northern people in the course OF
few months time to disregard entirely all
the limitations OF that instrument and to
destroy all the rights Of the States, how
long would it take for the same passions to
lead to the same results whenever excited
in the future? The most that we can hope
for is the manifestation Of some respect for
State rights so long as nobody's angry pas
sions are aroused; but the moment these
come into play away will go all States rights
again. II we OF the South are silly
enough to plead that the ConStltu-
ton does not authorize the Fcde-
raj Government to finish the James
River canal, nor to improve our rivers, nor
to construct q Southern Pacific railroad, the
peoplc OF the North will doubtless let us
have our way as to our own SECTION; but
they will raise no such objections them
selves, and will continue to draw money
from the Treasury for all such purposes.
In n word, our respect for States rights
will in the future, as in the past it did, I'M
poycrish our section, and make us hcwers
of wood and drawers OF water for
the North. But for the straight-laced
doctrines of the southern Democrats-the
party almost always in power-before the
war, the South would have been so strong
in men and materials by the year 1851 that
the North would never have undertaken her
subjugation. We dug the grave in which
our hopes were buried. Let us never again
be guilty Of such consummate folly. Let
us get all the money we can from the Fede-
raj Government, dredge our rivers, finish
our canals, build our railroads across the
region west Of the Mississippi, ana
string upon them States in sympathy
with ourselves, improve our harDors, ano
get all the benefits Of all sorts that we car
from the General Government so the ne
cord will see that it is practical question
with u.s.. When we maintain that the State:
have no rights left except such as the cen
trail government chooses to concede to them
we state fact which ought to teach us u
quit cavilling upon the ninth part OF a hal
and endeayor so to increase i'll wealth ant
population by the aid Of that powerful GOV
eminent as to give us a uoting strength
that will make us respected.
But we have another object II we coult
persuade the northern people that they hat
foolishly lost all their own rights in enslav
ing us, they would be ready to see SOM
Justice in the cause for which the Soutl
fought for four years. Ii, however, WI
flatter them into the belief that free Gov
eminent can, be maintained by the stron:
hand OF the sword, we become parties t.
our own condemnation, and yield the grea
point in dispute between the two sections. l
without depriving them OF all their right
States can be coerced into forced Union
and their inhabitants be deprived OF prop
erty, and killed, their courts Of Justice u
overturned, their constitutions be cor
demned and new ones made for them, an
their leaders disfranchised for seeking t
prevent these wrongs, then the North wa
right and the South was wrong from 1S6
ia to 1865. ...
Nd -
y The Inder-Appeat thinks as to the const
tutional provisions concerning free schoo
that ''the section quoted requires, in Il
first place, that the Legislature shall pr
vide uniform system at its first session
&c, but does not require its immediate il