National Republican., 1883-03-15
Virginia In 1854.

We deeply sympathize with the distress
which Gen. Mahone's political course gives
our bourbon neighbor We all remember the
kindness shown to Gen. Malone by the Post
and its bourbon friends in Virginia at the
time that gentleman was elected to the United
States senate in 1870. They denounced him
for everything that was vile, and every man
who voted for him was by them classed as some-
thing much more dotestable than radical"
Indeed they offered to give their votes to Gen.
Wickham, pronounced republican, If the
negroes in the legislature would join them.
Think of the proud bourbons of Virginia beg
ging for coalition with negro members of the
legislature to elect Wickham, radical, to the
United States senate! Fortunately the hon
est negroes spurncd the profered alliance
The Post need not exercise itself unduly as
to what the readjusters will do in 1881. 1t is
asking too much of that overworked journal
to expect it to regulate the democratic party,
keep up an organized democratic wing of the
republican party at tho north, encourage and
develop straightout party Of Ham Carter
and Dezendorf republicans for bourbon uses
in the SOUTH and adjust the political aflilin-
tions Of the Virginia readjusters. The repub-
lican party Of the country is receiving great
deal of advice on the subject Of Virginia
politics. President Arthur has given the
whole weight of the administration in sup
port of the Virginia coalition. Some north
crn republicans have opposed it, and charac-
terized Gen. Malone and his friends as "the
repudiation wing of the democracy" We
shall not here argue the question thus pre-
sented, We only mention the fact.
The republican party has had no national
convention at which it could decide as be-
tween President Arthurs liberal southern
policy and its opposite. 1t would be impossi-
bic for the readjusters of Virginia to say at
this time what will in 1884 best promote the
ideas for which they contend, viz: freedom
of elections; fidelity to the cause of
general education; promotion of homo
industry by tariff for protection obedience
to the laws of the nation and the state q
restoration of national feeling and the subor-
dination of provincialism and finally absolute
honesty toward the creditors of the state and
undying hostility to the swindling schemes
for robbing the state under the guise of pay
ing fraudulent debt issues. If these objects,
bravely contended for by the read busters and
! b.rt f,;t ,c,1I
both in the state government and in con-
gress, shall seem to the republican party of
the nation to have been of more value, al
though attained in the namo of liberalism,
than would have been the name of republi-
canism in u state campaign, although pre-
served at the cost of their defeat,
then the republican national convention will
so declare. This would be an Endorsement of
President Arthur's policy in Virginia, and
would make the pathway of the rcadjusters
and of all southern liberals very clear. If,
on the contrary, the republicans for whom
the Washington Post speaks should be able
to persuade the republican party that Vir-
ginia bourbonism is preferable to a union be-
tween Virginia republicans and rcadjusters,
then of course the southern liberals would not
be hidden to the feast. The NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN has no fear but that the Vir-
ginia coalition will be cordially and heartily
indorsed by the republican national conven-
ton. Until that body shall act the readjust-
ers cannot well pass upon the result.
Will tho Post now reward our labors by in
forming us whether twill support the repub-
lican candidate if its advice is strictly fol.
lowed by the republican party with regard to
Virginia affairs?