The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-02
The Contest Of This Year.

II will indeed be happy day for this
country when the people both Of the North
and Of the South shall have forgotten al
sectional differences, and shall have reach
ed such conclusions as to the respective
powers OF the State and the Federal Gov
eminent ns will justify them in dividing
upon po'itieo-economica Questions. Bu
when we behold all the prominent men o.
the Republican party in the Nortf
who profess TO believe in free trade
banded solidly together and still lead
Ing The forces OF the part which de
mands southern subsection 81 northern
prejudices. aud so int.midates even tn
northern Democrats that they dare moi
nominate southern man for President %
Vice. President Of the United States--thi
prescribing the people Of sixteen States
1t were folly indeed for the southern people
TO divide on issues less important. Even
now many northern Republican journals
are daily filed with ibcls Of the southern
people. and are continually appealing tc
the low prejudices and passions born oil
the war. such conduct on their part pre-
cludes fair discussion, and produces no.
thing but bitter fruits in either section.
We say it will he happy day for the
country when these bad passions shall have
been forever quoted, and the banner OF the
bloody shirt shall have been folded up and
laid away. never again to be brought to
light: but we say this not as fearing that
such Injustice as we complain OF will DAM
age the Democratic party In this section OF
the Union, or cause success in elections
State or Federal. to be less easy OF accom-
plshment. "On the contrary, quite the
reverse" For so long as the northern
Republican politicians persist in their
unjustifiable attacks upon the peo'
ple of the South, and keep them
under the ban Of prescription because
twenty wears ago they or their fathers
were "rebels," so long will 1t be easy Tor
the Democrats to carry every southern
State-so long will the South remain solid'
Feryent friendship would soon dissolve
that solidity. Calumny cannot but cause
il to remain indissoluble.
Nor does the cruel crusade OF the Stall
warts against the southern people seem TO
be productive even in the North OF the re-
suits which the crusaders intend and en-
pect to follow their unfounded imputatlons
upon southern patriotism and pbilan-
thropy, and their uniustifiable libels OF
people rs good as themselves. In 1874 all
the leaders of the Republican party OF the
North waved the bloody shirt for months
preceding the congressional elections. The
most blood-curding stories Of wrongs and
outrages committed upon innocent freed
men failed, however, to effect Judgement
in the minds Of majority OF the voters. and
the Democrats secured large majority in
the House Of Representatives. That was
nine years ago when preiudices born OF
the war were much more potent than they
now are-wben the capitalists OF the North
had not as now magnificent railroad IN
terests. landed interests, mining interests,
interests. scattered all over |
the much-traduced section. Surely, then,
the Democrats have no reason rs mere par |
tisans TO fear the effect of the crusade
in 1884, though they may and
do regret that passion and prejudices are
again to be appealed to rather than calm
Judgment.