The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-13
rhe conservative Party

1-he CONSERVATIVES Party
s.,rhere ii nothing that succeeds Ike sue
eess y But there Is nothing that 30 tess :
many character as adversely so woen tae
snnsl, ine os psospersty spreads oxef.Laa.
,,:S6oIe no,ittcai andscape, ali who bask 20
1, are IN fine bumor and have smiles fof
ayery,,ody: br,t when the clouds OF adyeT-.
sity aarsen the heavens there are too feH
who can preserve their equaninity q ten-
Der and coclness Of Judgment even u tasy
keep the faith. II
we have INDUCED ia these remarks apro-
.,oe ~ tbe talk that IS now heard concern
Ing the fate OF The Conservative parry. VIC
mus. confess that the se-called triumph Oh
the Resdjusters 10 November had ever De
fore the assembling Of tho Legislature, I'M
messed as as betng anything more than 4 tbe
to.,,,norary and accideptI victory OF o Few
white men backed up By The negroes. we
have had the most positive assurances from
almost every quarter OF the State that that
victory. whatever else it was, was achieved
by the negroes. One OF the most rsspecatlaa-
HE gentlemen residing In Londoun county
assures us that the vote cast Tor the hsaa-
;usters in his county was made up I'm the
nronortion Of about three negroes 10
one white, and represented about one
tenth Of the property Of the coun-
~. This is a. specimen. county. rms
IL mentioned by way OF illustration OF tne
state OF the case in almost every county ID
the state which the Readiusters carried.
"Tbc exceptions prove The rule, saws the
old adage. And that there were q dozen OF
more OF exceptions we are willing to con.
cede. But after all due allowances are
made--aiter taking out the few localities 10
which majority OF the whi6 men Votea
with the Readiusters, the fact is none inc
less apparent that II there was victory ior
the Readjusters at the late election, tnas
victory was triumph Of the negro and the
defeat OF the white man.
We say we had never realized before the
Legislature assembled that the Conservative
party had suffered any other sort OF defeat
than was involved In the temporary ana
accidental triumph OF an unholy coa'ltiop.
We knew our men. 1t was confessed 'ace
that the Conservative candidates had re-
cevcd the support OF most OF what were
once supposed to be the best classes IN the
Common ealtb-tbat is, to state 1t In no
stronger language, that they had received
majority OF twenty thousand OF the white
votes.
But since the assembling OF the Legisla-
turc we have beard OF protested ConserVa-
tiyeg who think it their duty to change the
name OF our party--to haul down the nag
OF the Conservative army. III any man
ATTEMPTS 10 haul down that flag, shoot h'fh
on the SPOT" That flag foats over an army
composed OF the clergy, the press, the law
ycrs, and the Taxpayers, mot all OF them,
OF course, but large majority OF tbem;)
but we are to take it down to please the
leaders OF the faction made up OF negroes
and whites, and hoist in It's place one under
which these leaders will be willing TO
march. Defeat Is no disgrace. We would
prefer infinitely to be cternaily defeated
rather than to make an jgnoble surren-
der to the black-and-tan faction. But
those who imagine that they can escape
defeat by taking their flag out OF sight, as
IL the Readiusters were herd OF wild
bulls infamed to anger by piece OF red
bunting, are illogical and unphilosophical,
and will only invite the fate which they
seek to avert. An advancing army never
surrenders to retreattng one. The tie
that binds the masses to the Conservative
party would be severed II the name OF that
glorious party were abandoned; and the
disbanded soldiers might some OF them Join
tho standards OF the despised Readjusters.
Let us grid up our loins, friends. There
is no reason to doubt the success OF the Con-
servative party next year. The late triumph
OF q coalition between the whites and the
negroes connot be repeated. The white
people Of Virginia are sound upon thit
question. The present is mere fresh
The destroying waters are out Of the banks
but only for short period. The stream
will soon return TO its accustomed channel
leaving the dritt-wood upon the shore. lie
us by all means not be drift-wood.
But we IRE pressed for room, and vii
postpone further remarks to,another day.