National Republican., 1876-04-12
OLD WINGS.


far from happy in the anomalous political
position it occupies. For three -fourths of
a century leading Wing journal of Vir-
ginia, it has been acting, since the war, as
a kind of wet-nurse to the Democratic party
of that State, for which service it has
doubtless received more cuffs than favors
In its issue of Monday, referring to the
Presidential election, it says:
"Giye us a good, honest and able Democrat,
and although not much of Democrat or party
man ourseH, We should support him in prefer
ence to any political trimmer. We do not
eIpect 10 f''d dly party whoSe priaeipleS lre can
fuUy accept aud iRdOrSe; but as the Demo-
cratic is the only organized party now in the
field to offer formidable opposition to the party
of Grant, Morton and Conkling, no Conserva-
tive can hesitate in the choice he should make.
AS Old Abe said, it won't do to swap
horses in crossing a stream and we are too
near the Presidential election now to think of
organizing q new, Diebald party that could
afford hope of beating Grants candidate for
the succession. This is the vieac Of lifelong
Wig, rho mould be Wing nor if Htat glorious
old party had day life ist ii.
Why, the necessity for asking for ga
Democrat" passes our comprehension.
Has the Democracy, when they had an op-
portunity to elect one of their own num-
Der. even with the aid of Wing votes, ever
done anything else but give you Demo-
crat? The Virginian has but to look at
the history of parties in the Old Dominion
since 1869 to know that the Wings have
nothing to expect from the faction domi-
nant before the war, and for whom they
are now acting as "hewers of wood and
drawers of water" save the cheap com
modify of compliments for their "patriot-
ism" in elevating Democratic politicians to
office. OF course it is equally applicable
throughout the country, and the Virgin
idn'S knowledge of this fact, in all proba
bility, led it to make virtue of necessity
by signifying its willingness to accept
what was sure to be forced upon it.
The present alliance of the Wings of the
South with their ancient enemies, the Sc
cession Democracy, is proof that political
parties, like individuals, are sometimes dis
posed to "kiss the rod that smites them,"
and we do not know Of more conspicu-
Gus illustration of pious regard for this
aphorism than is exhibited by the Tir-
giniGn and the old party to whom it is
wont to cater. Certainly the present posi-
tion of that hitherto large, respectable and
intelligent bodyof men in Virginia known
as Wings presents one of the most anom-
alous spectacles known in the history of
political parties At the last general cleo
tion held in that State before the war, out
of q polled vote of 14S, 65j the Wings were
in q minority of but $500. This, too, be-
fore what had constituted the Democratic
stronghold, i. e., West Virginia, was cut
of, and yet how have they been used by
the party that seems to have entirely alb
sorbed them? We have but to look aE the
political antecedents of the Representatives
in the United States Congress from that
State for an answer. OF eight so-called
Conservatives in the House represent
ing Virginia, but one Whig, sent,
perhaps, as a relic Of past respectability,
when '"Whigs were known by the instincts
of gentlemen" is permitted to represent
over seventy thousand suftragans of the
grand old party that once embraced the
wealth, intelligence and culture of the
State! The truth is that the men of real
ability in the so-called Conservative party
of the State are those who once gloried in
the name of Wings; but they have been
left in retiracy, and for no other reason
than that they have In the eyes of Virginia
Democrats been guilty Of having been
Wings, while the places they should &C.
cupy by reason Of their capacity and past
conservatism are in the main filled by in
ferior men, whose sole claim to political
preferment consists in their having been
in other days members of that party that
had well.nigh made a golgotha of the State.
The Wings Of Virginia were doubtless
very honest in their efforts to obliterate
old party lines when they entered into
this compact with. the Democracy under
the name of Conservatism, but has it been
done? We appeal to, the fairness and can.
dor of the Virginian to say if the party it
once represented has not been oyerreached
| in the matter, and yet what journal would
| continue to adhere TO party that thus ig-
L nores its friends, albeit mot expecting to
"find any party whose principles we can
"fully accept and indorse." Wherefore do
this great wrongH Simply, as is alleged,
| to beat the party of 'Hsrant, Morton and
Conkling?" Have the changes been rung
| on the word Radical until the former
staid propriety of the Virginian has been
upset. and while admitting itself "not
much Of a Democrat, would thus rush
nolens eolsns into the arms of a party
whose embrace has been TO the Wings as
deadly as the Upas tree. and uphold and
defend, as It does, their actsi Fie upon
the manhood that would thus kiss the