Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-05-22
The Gubernatorial Nomination

tFrom he lndex-Appeal of Yesterday
The action of the State Conserva-
tive Convention, which assemblies in
Richmond the Sth of next August,
will have prepOnderating influence
in determining the future welfare Of
Virginia and in defining her status on
questions of mOmentus concern to the
honor and prosperity of her people,
No nominating convention OF this
generation has been charged with re-
sponsibilities so grave as those which
will devolve on the coming one, and
consequently, none has had such OPP
portunity of achieving honorable dis
tiuctiOT. If its deliberations shall re-
suit in the choice OF a candidate pos
scssed Of the qualities to deal with the
great issues Involved in the financial
complications and material necessities
of the State of intellect to conceive
and purpose TO direct with decisive
skill policy which will repair it's
shattered credit, restore former pros
perity and redeem the Common wealth
from the atrOphy into which 1t has
been plunged by hasty, imprudrmt, or
ignorant legislation, its work viii
have been well done II on the other
hand sectional jeqlousics and personal
aspirations or cnmities shall intervene
to divert the labor of the convention
! to different conclusion, the CXptCta-
! tiOU5 Of the leCple viii have beGn
cruelty disappointed A.; the Interest Of
! the state scandAluusiy betrayed, and
! its prospects Of rrcuPtratiUu and pro-
| Gress Indefinitely postponed. How
| important then is il 20 ignore every
| other consideration but merit, III the
] H.. fH..R. l.Nv H..
] nominee, and to seek in him as Il test
! OF qualification that practical uCquaiu-
lance with the resources as well as the
| needs of the State, and the executive
ability to WELD those resources for the
| eXtricauou of Virginia from ombar-
rassments which cloud her far name
and cucumber her advancement =
| This arduous duty is not the work Of
a dress-paraue orator, nor the mission
! of the accidental heir of a name mere
! ly. II demands the energies and re-
! sources OF man who has proof of his
| power 10 cOnsummutC, whose capacity
| IL beyond dispute, and whose deVO-
| ton To the interests and welfare of the
| Common wealth deties the utmost iu-
| penuity of malice To impeach. In
! short, we believe that far in advance
! of all the ilustriOus names mentioned
| in this connection stands that of Gen.
| Malone, whose services in peace and
war alike have shed lustre ON the
! name of Virginia and contributed to
| her material development aud glory.
! \ man, the power Of whose name is
! fixed not merely in the reputation hut
| i'm the reality Of his achievements, and
| who has never been reduced to the
! eXpCdirnts Of den3agOgulsm to acquire
! the commanding influence and respect
! which lie possesses. We have watch
| ed with interest the canvass, (Which
! i'm our judgment, has prematurely
! opened, and SO far opposition to him
! has cOntented itself with vague inuen-
| does of a concealed mine of informa-
| ton whose explosion would diBsipate
forever the hopes of his friends, and
! resolve the question in favor of the
great unknown. In vain did the
POST the "Whig," the "Mercury."
and other papers challenge specific
| charges. They were hai1led by eva
| sive answers until the conclusion be-
came irresistably fixed in impartial
minds that specific charges were not
| available, or at least could not be sus-
| tanned. \ method of warfare so dis
! ingenious cannot but react disastrous
| ly upon its coutrivers, and the well
! wishers of Mahone's cause-gnd the
welfare of the State may augur the
| happiest results from il.
In pronounciug our support of Gen
| eral Malone in this contest we per.
! form duty, not only to the South
| Side, hut to the whole State. This as
sertiou we shall endeavOr TO estab-
! fish from time to time as occasion may
suggest or assailants necessitate, and
! shall rely, not so much on the weak
ness of candidates, as on the merits
aud qualifications of our preference
We hazard nothing, however, on the
prediction that he will enter the con-
! Vention with stronger popular fol-
! lowing than any other candidate, and
! that many astute calcu!ntors OF sec
! tional boundaries will find to their
surprise that the register OF roll-call
has no respect for estimates based on
geographical estimates.