National Republican., 1882-07-28

report of the proceedings of the meeting
at Portsmouth, at which John r. Dezen-
dorf was proposed for Congress. 1t is
entitled to just as much consideration as
would be the report of similar per-
formances in each county in the second
district. The persons who participated
represented Mr.. Dezendorf, and he had
perfect right to invite them to meet
and go through their programme. They
had as much right to call themselves the
United States Senate as to call them
selves Regular Republican Conven-
ton" The regular Republicans of
the Norfolk district did meet in
convention in 1880, and nominated
Mr.. Dezendorf The same convention
appointed Congressional District Com
mittee rs usual. In 1881 the regular Re
publicans of the State, through their State
Convention, coalesced with the Read
justers. The Regular Republican State
Central Committee and the Readjuster
State Central Committee conducted the
campaign Of that year, and have acted
together ever since rs the joint represen-
tatives of the Coalition Administration
party of the State. No State Convention
has been held, or will be held, this year
by any political party, there being no
officer to be chosen by the whole State
except Congressman large. The two
State committees of the Coalitionists met
last month, and recommended John S.
Wise as a candidate for that position.
They also recommended that the
Republican and Readjuster Congress
sional Committees in each district
cooperate together in calling nomi-
mating conventions. This has been
done in every district, including the one
in which Portsmouth is situated. In the
last-named district the very committee
appointed by the convention which
nominated Mr.. Dezendorf in 1880 re-
Gently warned the Republicans against
the bogus gathering which was being
engineered by Callahan and Dezendorf.
Tie reason for this was that Mr.. Dezen-
dorf chose to differ with his party when
q coalition was decided on, and pursued
a course which, whatever his intention
may have been, had the effect to aid and
encourage the Bourbon Democracy. He
still maintains position of antagonism
to his party.
In the gathering which Mr.. Dezendorf
assembled together as above, he was, of
course, nominated as the candidate ofthe
men who prefer Bourbon rule to Liberal
or Coalition success. They know that
Republicanism by itself can do nothing
in the South but hold office at the hands
of President chosen by the nearly solid
North. They see probable defeat before
them in 1884 unless the South is divided,
and yet they blindly stumble on, helping
the Bourbons at every election.
At Mr. Dezendorf's little Portsmouth
meeting the Rev. John NJ Dawson APP
peared as delegate. At the meeting of
the rump of the Rump State Committee
of 1881, which is said to have met at
Richmond on Wednesday, this same Rev.
erend John NJ. Dawson was proclaimed
the candidate of the rump of the Rump-
ers for Congressman-at-large. Mr.. Daw-
son is colored Baptist preacher. The
Democratic Bourbons having nominated
Parson Massey, who is white Baptist
preacher, the question naturally arises
whether there is any friendly under
standing between these two clerical gen.
tlemen. Mr.. Dawson is said to be an
educated man and graduate of
Oberlin. A Northern negro may
live at the North again in case of Bour-
bon restoration. But we envy not the
man of that race who is willing to break
the present alliance between the colored
| people of Virginia and their new and
powerful friends. Mr.. Dawson and Mr..
Dezendorf know full well that the ballot
box and the school-room have been made
free through this coalition. They know
that in 1877, when there was no coali-
ton, the white Republicans Of Virginia
abandoned the field, although governor
was then to be chosen. There was no
straightout spasm of Republican exclu-
siveness. then. The whipping-post, the
capitation tax, the closed school-room,
and the unmarked grave of Virginia
Republicanism were the trophies of
Bourbon rule. In 1878 the Republican
majority in the Norfolk district was
counted out by the partisans of John
| Goode. Mr.. Dawson and Mr.. Dezendorf
must know that their present course is
pleasing to Mr.. Goodies party. In 1879
the Readjusters made their own alliance
with the colored voters, in the face of
the strongest opposition of the admins
tration at Washington, and the Bour-
bons sustained defeat in the election of
Malone to the Senate. If the Liberal
movement in Virginia had been under
stood in the North in 1879, and encour-
aged by the party in power, as it was two
years later, we have no doubt the alliance
would have been maintained in 1880. But
the Readjusters could not supporta candi-
date for the Presidencythen, whose friends
outside of Virginia had wholly misunder-
stood their purposes and opposed their
local coalition. In 1881 grand triumph
was achieved over the united and conf
dent Bourbons, despite the aid the latter
received from the so-called Straightouts.
And now, in 1882, when the Bourbons do
not dare to nominate candidate for
Congressman-at-large so badly are they
beaten in advance, and when the Liberal
party has proven its fidelity to the black
man, as well as to the whites, we see
small crew of disorganizers throwing
! themselves across the track on which the
car of Progress is swiftly moving. The
car will neither stop, nor be thrown from
the track. But the obstructionists will
be run over, and the color of Mr.. Daw-