National Republican., 1881-07-26
What Shall We BE Fors

" hhi wv hoA
It would be q good idea for tke wise
men of the Republican party to look up
something for the party to be in favor Of
What grand public purpose now animates
its members2 What consuming thought
forces its way into their brains? What
wrong do they seek to right? What
right are they planning to preserve? Did
we accomplish everything when we car
ried the November election? What
pledge made to the people on the stump
and in the press is now absorbing large
attention, and what plans are on foot to
carry it out? Was it the protection of
American labor? Where are the men
who are standing guard on that line?
How many meetings are being held
now to educate and to warn? The
pledge to the black man that he
should have equal political rights with
us was the chief plank in our platform.
What has become of that? Have we
made friends with his enemies? Are
we all quite as fierce against the Bour-
bon Democracy since the election us we
were before? Are we indeed band of
'brothers-more hostile to the common
enemy than to each other? Have we
considered that for years we have carried
Northern elections as q rebuke to Bour-
bon hostility to the blacks? Congress is
not in session, to be sure. But have we
fostercd the strength which dwells in
unity in order TO be able to legislate
when it does meet? Virginia is to
choose Governor and Legislature this
summer. Have we done our best
there? Are the sixty thousand
white Readjusters of 1879 assured
of our aid in their deadly crap
pie with the Bourbon Democracy? 1t
was the opinion of the thirty-seven Re-
publican Senators with whom General
Malone acted last spring that he and his
ex-confederate followers were the pio-
neers of great political revolution at the
South and worthy of Republican support
The black men of Virginia recognize in
them true and powerful friends. They
have made the Fifteenth Amendment Il
reality in Virginia, which the Republicans
were not able to do. We hear of desperate
efforts to induce the Republicans
to vote separately from the Re-
adjusters The blacks have in State
convention declared against this How
many white Republicans are there in
Virginia? Ten thousand? If sharp
manipulators could control Republican
State convention against coalition, that
would only make Bourbon success more
probable. Everybody knows that the
blacks will, cs general thing, follow
General Malone against General Wick
ham, straight ticket or no straight ticket.
Who is looking after all this? 1t is a
grand opportunity to break down Bour-
bonism. 1t may be the last. The Pres
5dent cannot think or act on this.
Who is conveying his advice and
opinions TO those in Virginia who
will be the promptest to act
upon them? The summer work, il
well done, will yield splendid harvest
in Virginia: civil and political liberty
for the negro, who ought to regard as his
natural enemy all who fail to strengthen
the hands of the builders Of new South
The Virginia campaign opens something
that our party can be in favor OF, and an
anti-B ourbon victory there will be worth
much more than the empty robe of oul
greatest Republican Senator, which is
J thus far the only trophy of the battles
fought since the 4th of March.