The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-28
Chesterfield County.

MANCHESTER, VA, September p, 1871.
EDITORS DISPATCH: Your reporter Is either
GROSSLY ignorant in regard to the feeling In
chesterfield county concerning the present
Legislative ticket or he wilfully mlsrepre'
sents the true condition OF affairs when ne
saws that the " independent sorehead move,
ment seems confined to several defeated
candidates and their immediate frlenas.
Any one at all conversant with ponticsii
affairs in this county must nave known tna'
! the people, accustomed to the olu-1as1!oll
mass-meeting system, have been. exceeding.
| ~ restless under the new regime, ana tna'
| nothing but the strictest party measures
and active canyassing added TO the hatfeu
of Radicalism could induce the people 10
render a hearty support to the convention
nominees. In support OF this l VIII men
ton that four years ago one OF the leSlsla-
tive nominees was defeated by over 100
majority: two wears ago Friend, one Of the
nominees, was defeated; Burks, the other
nominee, was beaten by Giddings, Radi-
cal, and was only saved from defeat by the
white Republicans in Manchester. who
voted for him instead OF Marble; and this
in q county with 400 Conservative ma
iority. Now that all fear that negro SUI
premacy is removed, the people have broken
loose from the politicians and will not be
controlled. The present disaffection extends
to all sections of the county and all classes
OF people. The defeated aspirants have no
thing to do with it. 1t is the people who
have risen, almost as one man, and declared
that they will not support the present noml-
nees. II your reporter would visit the coun-
ty, venture TO affirm that not one in ten
from Clover Hill to Matoaca, from Midlo-
THAN to Bermuda, would be found who was
willing to render hearty support to the
ticket. This is fact, and whether right or
wrong, it must not be ignored; still less
should it be ridiculed, as has been attempted.
ReDroaches and contempt will not reconcile
the disafected, especially when they are
largely in the maj ority. That only widens
the breach, and if kept up will irretrievabIy
ruin the party. What Is needed now is that
there should he general exercise OF charity
for the opinions of others, and Willingness
on the part of all to sacrifice self rather than
jeopardize the party. Why should we abuse
and ridicule our brothers who stood side by
side with us in the dark days of war and
Radicalism and were never found wanting
Look into the sorehead party and you see
nothing of Radicalism, but will find old war
horses, and grim, battle-scarred veterans,
WHO have proved themselves true Con-
servatives and uncompromising enemies OF
Radicalism, and who are now seeking no self
aggrandizment. Does not their past party
devotion and services, without which Ches-
terfeld would never have been redeemed,
deserve some consideration? Are they to
be called bad names and driven off because,
feeling themselves aggrieved, they resent it
like men? That will never do. Let us
come together in spirit of amity and good
feeling and talk over the matter like breth-
rem. Let every man lay aside selfish asPi-
rations and preiudices, and listen calmly
and quietly to the grievances OF the sore
heads, and il there are any grounds OF CON-
plant let us remove them; il not, let us try
and persuade them back into the right path:
Pursue this course and all will be well. Ii
not, God help Chesterfield, for she will soon
be in the grip OF Radicalism.
la. III. ...,1:.., CONSERVATIVE.
INF. JIG. Robertson sends us the forego-
ing. We give him the benefit OF his article,
trusting that the Chesterfield Conservatives
may yet find some method Of securing har-
mony within the party.