The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-09-20

/ 1SieQ III our country. MAINTAINING opposite
| theories OF government. One has asserted
/ that the Onion is Union Of the people !;
/ the other that it is a compact between the
/ States One has believed that the General
4 Government should protect AL its citizens
i'll the enjoyment of life, liberty and prop
1 erty, and should actively promote the de
velopment of the whole country; the other
| has denied its power to do these things.
One has acknowledged supreme allegiance
4 to the Union, and has believed its perpe-
tuity to be the only safeguard of liberty ;
the other h:is declared that every citizen
owes supreme allegiance to his own State,
and that any State may nullify the VIII OF
! the people of I'LL the other States us repre-
/ scented by the General Government.
THE FORMATION or THE CoNsERv ALIVE
ssH PARTY.
AT the beginning of the civil war these
parties were called in the South the Wing
4 and the Democratic; in the North the Re
1 pubican and the Democratic.
With peace came the policy OF Recon
struction. Parties were formed on the Old
4 lines in the North. In the South it was
different. Amid thepassions OF war party
/ lines were obliteratcd. Those among lis
that favored Reconstruction entered the
| ranks and accepted then of the Repub-
1 lican party. What was the course OF those
that opposed Reconstruction Did they
4 Join the Democratic party and accept It's
/ leaders and principles Ashley ga2ed upon
their shattered fortunes and realized III u
ruined country the logical sequence OF
Democracy, did they even submit to be
called Democrats ? FelloWcitizens, you
remember how, in 1865, the people OF
| North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia
refused to accept the name, principles OF
/ I -. ~ .1nl IuaI
/ the Conservative party. During the mem
orable years of 1868 and 1869, not one
. word was heard about 1.-THE glorious ira
ditions of the Democratic party OF "a
| long line of Democratic statesmen and
| PATRIOTS OF .sthe time-hOnored principles
of Jefferson and jackson" Even that
fragrant DOGMA "a tariff for revenue
only,'' was no longer odorous. The old
Democrats that had SO loudly preached
State-Rights and secession were driven to
! the rear, while the old Wings and Union
men were given the leadership. The wis
dom Of this policy was fully demonstrated
| bv the speedy and marked success OF the
| Conservative party. From 1868 to 1874 it
grew and 'prospered, until, by the free and
uncontrolled suffrages of the people, it
was firmly established in power. This re-
| suit having been accomplished, the old
| Democratic leaders took hope again, and
began cunningly to thrust themselves for
ward.
THE REVIVAL OF DEMOCRACY.
In the year 1874 one of those sudden and
unexpected political revolutions, which oc-
cur at rare intervals, swept over our coun-
| try and carried the National Democratic
party into almost universal power. Then,
| for the first time III North Carolina, the
name Conservative began to be dropped
and the ''time-honored" phrase, Demo
cratic, to be cautiously applied in localities
where it was supposed to be least offensive
From that hour to this the work has gone
bravely on. To-day there is no Conserya-
| tive party in North Carolina. Ever Con-
seryative who was unable to stomach even
! the name of Democrat in 1865, is now re-
| quired to swallow its old-line leaders and
principles and methods. The absorption
| of this large element of our citizens into
the Democratic party was sllllfully planned
and boldly eXecuted-especially when we
remember that the persons so absorbed
were the lifelong enemies OF Democracy,
and that the Democratic party is to-day
| the same that it was in 1850, except that
slavery is dead and secession, which was
| then ivingprinciple, isnoW only a sacred
sentiment.
THE ISSUES OF THE WAR AND RECON-
|
Reconstruction, which in 1868 was the
occasion of the formation of the Conserya-
tive party is no longer an issue i'll politics.
| The Democratic party has endorsed it, de-
clarng its devotion to the amendments
| to the Constitution and its gratitude to
| the soldiers of the Union army, who put
| those amendments upon the country. IL
| any credit is to be given to professions OF
political faith solemnly made, the Demo
| cratic and Republican parties are III per
| feet harmony on al the issues growing out
| of the war Aand Reconstruction. Upon
these issues alone did the old Wings and
! Conservatives of the South disagree With
| the old Wings and Republicans OF the
North. Upon these issues alone was an al
.Iiance possible between the Conservatives
and Democrats of North Carolina. These
| issues having been forever settled, and ac-
ceptcd as settled by all political parties, the
| time has come when it behooyeS every man
that allied himself to Democracy upon
these issues, and who feels not nor has ever
| felt any other sentiment in common With
| that party, to join the political party which
more nearly represents his views on llVihg
issues. But for the DISTINGUISHING section
of the 18th amendment to the Constitu-
tion. I should have Joined the Republican
| party in 1865. 1t would have pleased me
| to stand on the. broad basis OF universal
| freedom and universal suffrage.
| BY inheritance, by education and ny
reason am opposed to the well -establlshed
principles and practices of the Democratic
party.
| SOME REPUBLICAN PRINCIPLES.
| accept the following as political truths ::
1.-The tariff should be levied with q view to pro-
| tect American labor and capital. e,..4o.,
2-The Constitution of the United states is q
| nv NJ
boundary between the powers delegated to the
General Government and those reserved by the
| States, is to be determined by the NatlonM ana
| not by the State tribunal.
| at is the right and duty of the General Gov
| eminent to maintain National banking sys-
1T is the right and duty of the General Gov
eminent to maintain II generous system oI IN
5Mit is the right and duty ofthe General Gov
eminent to foster, by pecuniary aid, humane
system of public education.
No genuine Democrat can subscribe to
these principles, which are held Washing
ton. Adams and Hamilton, OF the Federal
party by Webster, Clay, Badger, Gilmer,
Graham and Morehead, of its successor,
the Whigparty and by Seward, Chase and
| Lincolns of its successor, the Repubhcall
palty. / might therefore Withdraw from
the Democratic party on the ground that
upon the fundamental principles OF gov
ernment | am totally ut variance with It's
present position, ana am llliy Ill accord
with the Republican party.
SOME. DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES.
| might also justify my withdrawal from
/ the Democratic party on the ground that
since | became voter, in 1868, it has first
embraced and then abandoned every lead
inc principle known to American politics.
For example:
struction as Revolutionary and void" In 1876
| it declared 'its devotion to the amendments to
the Constitution
. Eiuance--In 1868 it declared in favor of the
| tn xation of Government bonds and for the pay
| ment of the same in greenbaeils. In 1877 1t de
| cIared for IL speedy return to specie payments
| and the sacred maintenance OF the publecredlt,
| in 1876 it denounced the Republican party Tor
| not having resumed specie payments "for all
| these eleven years of pence, and actually de-
| nounced the Resumption Act rs ~ hinderance
| Ia specie payments,N and on that ground 'de-
manded its repeal III $780, the Republican
| party having resumed specie payments by vir-
the Of the Resum ption Act, the Democratic par
| ty declared for "honeSt money, consisting OF
| gold silver and greenbacks.o
| 4 The IdIib.--In 1865 il declared for "such in
| cidental protection 10 domestic manufactures us
, will without impaiI-ing the revenue, best pro
! | mote and encourage the great industrial inter
| esfs Of the country In 1917 it lodged, dncIar.
| our midst honest but rreconcilable differences
of opinion with regard to the systems of protec-
| ton and free trade, we remit the discussion o.
| the subject to the people Ill their congressional
districts" In 1876 AMI i'll 1889 itdeclared for
s.tariif for revenue only.
Thus, III the last fifteen years, On Tho
great questions of Reconstruction, Finance