National Republican., 1881-08-18
PROGRESS IN. VIRGINIA.
The BendJusters ana the Bourbons-Tho
sItuntiou To-day.

Tho RendJustera ana the Bourbons-Tho
sItuRtion To-day.
Amid the din of battle and the clash
of arms in the Old Dominion at the present time
there are one or two points at issue between the
opposing which the intelligent wide awake.
progressive people of Virginia should never for
moment lose sight Of. For, although these points
may seem to the careless observer to be but
collateral Issues and aside from the main points
I'm contest, yet they arc of such overshadowipa
Importance as TO oyerwhelm In obscurity wha. at
first sight may seem to be the great questions at
ISSUE These collateral issues, If we may so call
them for the sake Of precise distinction, grow out
ofthe very nature Of the case-spring spontane
ouly from the character of the present
political situation in Virginia. Politicians
cannot ignore them ifthey would, and the people
should not II they could In these collateral
points is involved the future veal or woe
OF the people OF Virginia, and If they are
properly decided right decision of all the other
questions at issue will follow matter Of course.
few brief words will make this apparent to
the most obtuse.
AFTER THE SURRENDER OF APPoMATTox
the old Bourbon element took possession, by means
of fraud and intrigue, after very few years of
Republican rule From the very moment that the
Bourbons obtained control Of the State they have
endeavored to shape lis destiny solely with refer
ence to the issues Of the dead past Slavery was
dead, yet they persisted in chaining the living
State to its dead and fostering corpse. The Of
the rebellion was over, yet they, with q mulsh
stubbornish unparalleled in history, continued TO
decide the issues of the present with sole refer
ence TO those involved in that gigantic contest.
No man who did not believe in the divine right OF
slavery was permitted to have any share In shap-
ing tho deslinies Of the state, and no man who
repudiated now the right and justice of secession
was allowed to fill any post Of honor or profit No
m IN ~ IN xvaa H,f t,o hYt,t tnA ht,,s sI,n
DEAD ISSUES or THE FAST
was TO be considered true patriot, but was TO be
tabooed as traitor 10 the Old Dominion, no matter
how ofIen he had barred his bosom TO the leaden
hail OF war in support Of her honor ON the battle
field. Every man who was suspected Of turning
his face away from the buried past was at once
marked rs n suspect, who was to be always watched
but never honored or trusted. The past The
pastl Every man who did not turn his face to the
past when he said his prayers to be cast out of
the Bourbon synagogue and forever cut of from
communion with the faithful since the war.
NEW GENERATION OF MEN
has come upon the stage ofactlon in Virginia To
them the past Is but mere sentiment at the best
and their feelings and instincts naturally mpel
them TO unite with the more progressive portion of
the generation of men who preceded them These
two sections see with clear eyes the true situation
OF the Old Dominion. They see that she must be
taken out OF the ruts ofthe be placed upon
the new highway Of modern progress before she
can reach the position In the sisterhood OF States
her magnificent natural endowments entite her
to. They are determined that she shall be placed
upon that highway, and have seized upon the
State debt question as means by which they can
destroy Bourbonism forever and inauguratc new
era Of thoughts and methods.
THIS Is THE SITUATION IN VIRGINIA
to day The questions osenslbly are ovcrshadowed
aud overslaughed by others before whose gigantic
magnitude mere questions of dollars sink into
utter insgnifcance. Every man who hns spark
OF the spirit of the nineteenth century in him must
now show II by aiding in wrestling the Old DOmin-
ion from the control of the men whose hopes and
interests are NIL in the graves Of dead and buried
issues The appeal comes to the young men and
the progressive men, come and help TO place this
grand old State IN the vanguard of civilization.
Help us to throw of the chains of Bourbon immo-
bility that haYe hindered her progress since the
war, and help us to make these hills and valleys
throb with the bounding blood of new and
better life. The issue is plainly presented. No
man, 10 matter how obtuse,
CAN MISTAKE THE QUESTION.
Shall Virgnia-poor, weak, and impotent-sit
helplessy weeping by the grave of the dead past? 4?
or shall she throw Off the spell of past issues and
bounding to her feet and calling her children all
around her, once more place herself at the head
| OF the States of the Union, lead the way in new
| crusade which shall make the United States of
| America pre- eminent throughout the world for
their material prosperity, and their citizens the
pride and envy Of the whole earth because of their
general prosperity and individual freedom and
happiness? This is the issue presented in Virginia
to-day. As 1t is decided 80 will be the future of
that grand old State.