The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-22
servatisn.

Gently that the Conservatism Oh the eou"Ns
,,ill. a. his opinion, defeat the Democratic
rsrsv uext fall. The remark may or may
not have been made by Mr.. scsuRs; out u
4 based upon = fact which every observan'
nan must have noticed-namc'y, tnat j"
che END tho conservative people. or II you
p,e,se conservatism itself, rules every conn-
try. -,
For many years after the foundation OF
our National Government properly guar
0c,s,on "a most or all OF the States OF 'ne
vr,,on operated as sufzcscat break upon
a.. ,,nec.s Of the new machine, and Sc
cnred conservative rule, or the rule OF con.
seryatjsm. Gradually, however, the sigo'
NJ sufIragc was extended. drst In one STATE
ana then IN another. until at one time every
sr,e white man In the Union over twenty
one wears old was. we thick, a voter. Az
forwards even the negroes were made
voters. Sill later, some Of the States IN
serted IN their Constitutions provisions re-
ouiring either property. tag, or an eau
cstional qualification. Aud this Is now tue
case in good msny States, our own
amongst them. Conservatism was In the
States In question too strong to DC kept
under.
California had a State Convention TWO
years ago, whose members when first elect
ed were supposed 20 represent anything
else but the property interests OF the state.
Yet. according to q writer In the last NO. oil
The Popular Science Monthly. the con'eh-
tiou proved to be conservative BODY, ana
the Constitution 1t framed Is marked by the
most careful guards thrown around proper
~. The conservatism Of the State asserted
itself, and the communistic element. II any
such there was, was remanded to obscurity.
Property still rules in California.
MAcAULAY predicted many years ago that
when the United States Government should
have disposed OF all its public lands, and
the population OF this country should have
become as dense as that OF Europe, our re-
publican institutions would need remodel
ling, or the National Government would
grow into a much stronger one. We have
already seen this prophecy fulfilled. Its
fulfIIment was greatly fastened by the war,
which wrought the changes in our National
Government that would certainly have come
In the end from the causes named by MACAU.
LAY. Our National Government is now as
strong as the strongest In the world. A
spurious conservatism, born Of the war, has
made II so.
Conservatism nominated and elected Mr..
TnDEN in 1876. Conservatism killed of
fiat.moneyism. Conservatism killed of the
scheme 10 substitute greenbacks for bank
notes. Conservatism will in the end kill of
all forms OF reputation, Conservatism is
so powerful that it sets up kings and EN-
perors in republican countries whenever it
sees, or even imagines that 1t sees, property
and property-rights 10 peril. Conservatism
has no doubt had much to do with keeping
the Democratic party out OF power ever
since 1860. Conservatism has feared to
trust that party sometimes for good, or
what it deemed good, reasons, and at other
times because OF an unreasoning t,midity,
which is one OF its characteristics.
But will the conservatism OF the country
defeat the Democrats this year? Hardly.
The Democrats have controlled both
branches OF Congress for two years, and
have so demeaned themselves rs to have
removed the fears OF the Conservatives OF
the land. The condition Of the credit OF
the Government is proof enough that such
Is the fact. The Republicans boast In the
Chicago platform that they have brought the
credit of the Government up to point
ut which 4 per cent. bonds sell at S10S.
But the fact Is, that the credit Of the
Government is better now than it was when
the Republicans controlled both houses Of
Congress. The city Of New York ought to
be the centre OF conservatism, seeing that
therein il centered so much Of the capital
Of the country. 1t Is Democratic. When
the capitalists are not afraid OF a
party, nobody need talk about "conserva-
tism" defeating that party. The bankers,
and capitalists, and property.holders are
now largely represented In the Democratic
party, which has framed platform having
in 1t no squirting at greenbackism, or fiat
moneyism, or anything else at which con
seryatism could take alarm. SO far as Con
gress IL concerned. conservatism Is no
afraid OF It.
The Democratic candidate for Vice-Pre
sident Is banker himself, and perhaps th'
wealthiest man In Indiana. Conservatism
10 not much afraid Of him. He represents
the conservatism OF property. Genera
HANCOCK, on the other hand, represents thu
conservatism OF the army, Of family pride
we might almost say, Of q privileged GLASS
The conservatism that would be afraid o
him would be inexcussbly silly. There Il
no such conservatism In this country.
II, then. General HANCOCK shall be de
feated, he will owe his defeat not to con
servatism but to some other cause-say, th
division in the Democratic party 10 Wiz
glnia. Will the people OF this Conserva
tive State suffer themselves to be so misle,
as to become participants In such wron
TO their own section OF the Union? VIII
they allow their prejudices to control thei
Judgments, their brains to play secont
fiddle to their passions? We are not vii
ling to believe II. Let Conservatism do il
perfect work aud there will be ne danger {
q result disastrous to the Democratic party
either in Virginia or In the Union.
~ -
Assistant Republicans.