Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-06-09
MIR. STUART'S LETTER.

pleasure, to the letter Of Hon. A. H. II.
STUART. The distinguished author makes
some allusion to his past services to the
State in the formation Of the Conservative
party, which, we believe, are appreciated
by his countrymen; certainly they are by
the conductor of this journal, whom he
does the injustice of CHASING as having op-
posed him politically. He is evidently
mistaken in the man, for the writer is
traditional admirer of his talent, seldom
differing with him, and very far from be-
ing political opponent. But even if it
were otherwise, it would be the height of
folly to have Intentionally misrepresented
him, with our columns always open to his
replies. which never lack either ability or
ingenuity. He seems to think that para
graph last week, in which it was said that
he refused to give aid or comfort to the
Conservatives in their recent fight, mlsrep-
resented him; and yet in the column which
he writes, he shows nothing to contradict
it, but, on the contrary, rather gives his
reasons for not assisting in the hardest
struggle ever crowned with victory here.
His failure to participate with the Con-
servative party in the fight was caused, he
says, because he did not wish to make war
on some Councilmen, whom he names, who
have been his lifelong friends, and who
are as'"true Conservatives as can be
found within the corporate limits Of Staun-
ton. True but all those gentlemen, with
the exception of Mr.. BLEDsoE, slipped
a Radical Mayor into office, and stood
by their action, and four of them were
just fresh from electione ering against the
regularly nominated Conservative legisla-
tive ticket, and running their lifelong
friend, Mr.. STUART, against his published
card, in opposition to it, the result being
to beat it. Mr.. STUART himself must see
that these were the sort of Conservatives
who were doing everything to break up the
very party he had done so much to form;
for Mr.. STUART is statesman enough to
know the value of party, and politician
enough to know that without discipline it
cannot be kept together. Even its "most
meritorious MEMBERS Mr.. STUART, must
be made war on, when they make war
upon the organization
AS to Mr.. STUART's apprehensions for
the future result, they are the same sort of
apprehensions that are entertained by the
men in the army who have been back with
the quartermaster' train instead of at the
front where the fighting was going on,
He hasn't had an opportunity to get
warmed up in the fight. He looks upon
md
fails to see that the Conservatives have
gained a splendid victory-captured the
Radical Mayor, cleaned out an Independ-
entTreasurer, got every officer on the city
ticket except one, and seven out of twelve
Councilmen. AS to the reduction of the
Conservative majority, he is altogether
mistaken. Mr.. BICKLE got Al white men
out of the Conservative party through his
powerful influence" If he hadn't got
them, our majority would have been 80
more, or 216, being larger than any Conser-
vative majority ever given in Staunton.
1t would be treating the influence of Mr..
STUART and the ''Spectator'' entirely too
lightly to suppose that if they had gone
with the party, those Al, at least, would
have refused to vote for Mr.. BICkLE.
Certainly we could expect at least that
much from their influence. AS to the five
Councilmen not on the primary ticset
chosen in the Second Ward, they were
elected by the desperate efforts of those
''true Conservatives" of whom Mr.. STUART
speaks, against the regularly nominated
ticket and by the aid of the negroes.
We rather think that Mr.. STUART has
written this letter more to mollify his
friends in the country than to correct any
statement in this journal, for he must
have heard Of the deep dissatisfaction
among them at his course, SO directly in
opposition to their sympathies and wishes,
and so altogether inexplicable to them and
to everybody else. They have sympa-
thized with their Conservative brethren in
the city all through the fight, and rejoiced
over the victory as much as those brethren
themselves, and Mr.. STUART's attempt to
lessen the value of that victory, in the very
face Of the official results, and to palliate
the offence of those who refused to lend
their aid, as well as his own shortcoming,
will not answer the purpose he desires to
accomplish. The day has passed when
men are judged by what they sag: the
world now makes up it's judgment on what
they do, Or, what is as important, By achat
they fail to do.
It is quite true, as Mr.. STUART says,
that Patriotism should not be subordinated
to Party, but it is quite as true that Party
should not be subordinated to s'Life Long
Friends especially if some of those ''Life
Long Friends" were within year past
openly fighting the Conservative Regular
Ticket because their "Life Long Friend,'
MI. STUART, happened not to be put on
it, Mr.. STUART is closing useful. life to
his fellow men; let him not obscure the
evening of long political day by any act
of commission or omission which shall
tarnish the whole. Doubtless he feels
mortified, as any political leader would,
who had made mistake, but he should
not attempt to retrieve it by coming on
the battlefield after the fight and en-
viously attempting to depreciate victory
because it was won without his aid. There
is plenty Of work for him in the Presi-
Dental election, in which he may restore
his prestige, and where, when the Demo-
Gratis carry the President and one House
of Congress, he will hardly claim that it
was unwise to have made party issue be-
cause they didn't also carry every State.
But we do not wish to protong any dis
cussion within our own party, nor should
Mr.. STUART. The Presidential election
will be warm enough work for us all, and
mo- true Conservative will let the unpleas-
Of hilton