The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-11-26
The Ruling Sections.


ohseryant and unprejudice6 statesmen
mus, have arrived at the conclusion su"'
the South and the West not only nave ''''
power to direct the policy OF TINS nation
bnt they will unite for the purpose OF ooins
., They will unite.irom no deliberate mo
tive. and from no impulse less moore IVA.
n,,r;o.ssm--the promotion OF the genera
ue,,are Recent voting in the nat'ona'
,eo;s,atnre Is quite indicative. Bus tnere
.rs ;nterests. agricultural and political, that
inevitably lead to harmony ana compina-
t;on between the East and The west. such
. combination cannot possibly be hurtful
m the nation. It will be physically In the
line OF the welfare and development OF the
republic, and politically it will be altogether
in onposition to the fanaticat and rancorous
pbases o. opinions and preiudices that ind
their source in New England. The moral
atmosphere OF the West and South may not
be anv OF the purest, but, unquestionaoiy.
there is too much h,lmanity-teom much gem
erosity in either section-ior the abomina-
ble ideas, moral and social, whose disseml"
nation brought the country TO the conTui-
sion WnlCu utleu IL NLtu tioeo'~ ''
iation, to find favor.
The West and South are not given 10 the
enthusiasm in impracticahle phiiosophieS
and erratic opinions which the East mas
shown such proneness for. They are frank,
generous. and just, and, moreover. prao'l-
cal. Their dispositions are good, and !udg-
nents imbued with humanity as well as
iustice. We see these two great sections
looking to the general welfare, not TO the IN
tercsts Of claSseS-to the good OF the nation'
and no. to The qualification OF vindictive-
ness.
There is one particular issue now agltatlng
the nation which affords an apt illustration
of the natures OF the three great divisions.
This issue. or these issues, are upon the
financial question. The South and West
represent the liberal view, and the North
and East stand for the rigid, unsympa.hetIc
ideas OF financial meraIiteS. The compro-
mise ground, which represents public
honor and generous policy, is that defended
by the West and South. This is not one
whit behind the rigid ideas OF the uncon-
ciliatory advocates OF gold in all matters OF
good faith and honest fultlment OF obiga-
tionS. Only it is more genial, more lib
eral Ito the people, and denies the JUS
tice of bringing down the public en-
ersies and the commerce and en-
terprise Of the land to the nor-elastic
golden economy, which would cripple the
dearest interests of the people. 1t is when
people are torsetiul OF broad and compre-
hensive sympathies OF humanity that they
turn from the generous impulses and Se-
NAL and elastic customs and rules OF CON-
mercial intercourse, and set up rigid and
unrelenting economies that bear hard upon
the people. The sympathy which reaches
ali people and seeks to promote the con-
yenience and thrift OF all may be liSened to
the divine solicitude which man most emu
lates bv kindness and charity. II his heart
Is shut to these passions he Is tending to the
unreasoning animals. 1t is natural for
such q man TO eSpouse the hard and
contracted view of all political ques-
tons, and to become what is called the
gold-worshippers, or, rs contemporary
with appropriate elasticity styles them. wor-
shippers of "the golden calf" Certainly, as
men part with humane sympathies they be-
come more welded to uncougenial and
uneenerous policies. The greatest good to
the greatest number is not the main feature
OF their political economy. Granltire and
non-elastic theories are not promotive, OF
general good, and people subordinated to
such theories can never rise to heroism, can
never take the position of grandeur in the
ewes OF the world. The American republic
was never the victim OF such utoplanlsm.
The yicissitudes OF the nation have made
il familiar with variations innumerable.
Held down to the non-elastic and unSwery-
ing theories OF faDatical puristS, the Ameri-
can republic would have been an abortion.
The iIliberal and dogmatical and presump-
tuous political puritanism is eastern. The
practical, generous, really natural, and
wise-because naturai-impulSes belong al
most exclusively to the West and South,
There is natural affinity between them,
and they will inevitably combine and rule
this country. When this is accomplished j,
will be well ruled. 1t will be so ruled as to
advance the greatest good OF the greatest
number-a political maxim that is moi prac
tically known in eastern political economy
But the South and West are the grand pro-
ducers and supporters Of the land, ant
know the way and the good OF promoting
the general welfare.
It il but now that the South has from the
West its deliverer from the vindictiveness
and oppression that were engendered by
the narrow-minded and unforgiring policy
OF the East. And now we behold that the
leading conspirators who plet to defeat the
pacific policy OF the western dsiiverer are
from the East. Could these conspirators
triumph we should have the Government
policy reversed and sectional hate and dis
cord revived. -,...
But the vindictive policy that came from
the East is past recovery. The conspira.
tors labor in vain. They cannot revive the
policy Of persecution and tyranny-they can
not put back the South to the condition OF
subiugation--they cannot deprive the south
ern States OF equality with the northern
States. President HAYEs's conciliatory
measures, his constitutional policy, can
not be thwarted. .,--r.~
The olive branch that comes TO the South
is from the West, and the South can never
forget it. The South knows that the West
is powerful; but knows that, like youth in