Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-02-23
Address Of the state Central
Committee Ofthe Democrat
ic Party TO the People OF
Virginia

Resolved. That a convention be
held in the city of Richmond on
the first Thursday Fourth day. of
August, 1881, and that in every
city and county there shall be one
alternate for every 200 voters and
r,ction of 200voters exceeding 100
cast in such city or county Tor the
Hancock and English electoral
tickets in the late presidential cleo
ton and all that supported Han
cock and English on either ticket
are invited to participate in the cleo
ton of delegates to the Convention,
and we assure them a hearty well
come and an earnest pledge that we
will in good faith cooperate with
them all in striving to unite the
Conservative Democratic party to
save the State from the Radical
Republican party in the November
election.
Pursuant to this resolution the
Conservative voters Of Virginia, il
respective of past differences on
whatever subject, are invited to as
semble in their various counties
and cites, under the direction ofthe
local authorities of the Conscrva-
ty, party and choose delegates to
speak their will inpublic convention.
In accordance with the uniform
policy ofthis committee, and its
duty as it has ever understood it, it
summons to participation in this
choice every member OF that great
party to whose keeping the public
interests OF Virginia have been COM
mitted for so many years.
Last, almost, among the South
ern States to escape the mailed
hand OF military despotism, Virginia,
under the wise counsels Of this par
ty, was the first to resume her place
as a self governing Commonwealth !;
and while tempest of corruption
and robbery, Of social terror and
public discord, swept over her un-
happy sisters, she marched steadily
onward in a career OF peace and
happiness, pursued by methods
that were the models on which those
less fortunate States painfully and
slowly won the heights which she
reached, through conservative tri-
umph. at a single bound. And now
that menace 10 the supremacy in
her government of the virtue and
intelligence of her people confronts
us more fatal than any we have en-
couniered since the yoke of the I'm
derwood Constitution was lightened,
let us meet it In that spirit of unity
and Cancellation never heretofore
invoked in vain. Our party had
its birth in the ihroes of supreme
act Of compromise. 1t has waxed
mighty, nOurished by cancellations /;
it is the child of sacrifices it has
not lost the capability of concess
ion, and never before has the need
more urgent. Encouraged by our
divisions,the republican party,whlch
eight years ago made but a feeble
struggle for the prizes Of govern
ment. and four years since fed from
the field, suddenly sprang into for
midable existence in the late cleo
ton, and under circumstances the
most discouraging disclosed a
strength which with slight increase
would have swept the State.
What republican triumph in a
Southern Commonwealth means let
the wretched record of fifteen years
attest, 1t signifies, in word, the
dethronement of the virtue, charac
ter, intelligence and property of the
State, and the erection OH their
ruins OF a dynasty Of proAigacy, ig-
norance, and malice, whose unvary
ing fruits in Southern States have
been social degradation, universal
robbery. continued disOrdrrs-the
undoing, in orr case, OF the toll
some labor OF twelve consecutive
years.
Higher, in our judgment, than
any other issue that can be present
cd to our people is the preservation
OF their civilization and the mainte-
nance of white snpremacyin their
government; this is the life of the