Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-27
WEDNESDAY. JUNE q. 1888.
The Sectional Party.

II cannot be too frequently repeated that
no sectional party ought to be above II to
control the Government OF the United States.
A sectional party IL necessarily an unpatri-
otto party. Nstionslism Is the foundation oil
good government. II would he a contradic-
tion in terms TO call Republican malignant
the President Of the United States, seeing
that according TO the creed OF his party and
his own outgivings he Is incapable OF being
the President OF the whole country.
The Republican party has always been a
sectional party. 1t began its career by
making war upon the South because slavery
was one Of her domestic institutions. The
war between the States was sectional war.
The abolition OF slavery was sectional
measure. The reconstruction measures
were sectional laws. The legislation Of
Congress, as far so controlled by the Repub-
lican party, has for twenty-five years
been unworthy o. party even pretending
10 DE national. The surest way to the hearts
OF the malienants Of the Republican party is
a speech denouucing the southern people as
unrec0nstructed "rebels," and charging
them with having committed all sorts OF
crimes against the elective franchise. The
names OF FORAKER and INGALLS, were cheer
Cd 10 the echo In a convention falsely claim
.ng to be "nauonal" for no other reason
than because sectional poison had been dis
titled in their mouths. The same cOnven-
ton, protesting to he "natienal," incorpo-
rated sectlonslism into its party creed.
Nor Is this the worst. Even the southern
Republicans, numbering several hundred,
were not ashamed to sit silent in the Chicago
Convention and hear their own people de.
nounced aud the heroes OF the South bera,ed
as II they had been traitors. The reports
sent ont from Chicago in this connection are
some Of them scarcely credible. Here is
one Of them: When FORAKER made his
bloody shirt speech on Thursday last, ard the
band played " Marching Through Georgia."
and a tempest Of fiery passions and dlabolical
feelings was raging in the cOnyention-sll
testiiying to an undying hatred OF the south.
ern people 80" MALONE, OF Virginia, jumped
into q chair, waved his hat and shouted "
SO says Chicago telegram I'm the New YORK
Herald. Isn't that Incredible? But why
notg .JOHS ;. WISE sat still and made no
protest when JOHN Brown, who was hanged
by his iathel, was held up by the president
Of the same convention as a model patriot
WORTHY TO be named IN connection with LIN
colin, GRANT, and LOGAN!
Last Friday, we BELIEVED it was, the Chicago
Convention listened with "entranced rap
ture" to am elocutionist recIting "Sheri-
dams Ride. "-SHERlDAN who devastated the
lower Valley Of Virginia and hardly left "a
lions for crow. Here, again, were hun
dreds OF southern men making themselves a
pArty TO the crime Of eyoking bitter
hatred OF the "rebels." We expected
nothing else and nothing better Of the
negro delegates. All OF them are
OF course untrue to the South in every Sec
honal 1tcst. They have no State pride.
il there were a corresponding class in the
North they would certainly be considered
as "traitors." what would JUBAL EARLY
have done il he had been present in the Chit
The negro LANGsrON spoke III the Chicago
Convention. OF course his speech bad the
usual sectional feature. lie said: "There
are seven millions OF negroes to-day in this
country, and they ask you TO nominate john
SHERMAN. All the poorer whites in the South
ask You TO nominate him."
LANGsTOx knows that the "poorer whites J"
in the South are rs much opposed as the
richer whites to any kind OF republicansm
or ohermanism that would class them with
the negroes. But nobody was surprised at
the declaration. II pleased the sectional con-
yenlion which he was addressing to be told
that there were In the South whites so de-
graded as TO be willing 10 be patronized by
= negro. Aud thus LASGsTOS made his
point. Perhaps he expects TO get the votes
Of some of those "pOorer whites" as a can
dldate for Congress.
These are only few instances OF the mani
festation Of sectional haired by the members
O, the Chicago Convention. We need not
hunt mp more Of them. The evidence is
abun'n mt TO convict the Republican party Of
sectiot.!alism without referring to these last
demonstrations OF that feeling. 1t Is a sec
tional and unpatriotic and therefore wicked
party. 1t has Outliyed its day. II is behind
the times. II ought TO be buried out Of sight
next November. 1t will never again pretend
10 be alive after CLEVELAND shalt once
more have consigned 1t to the grave. Let all
Nirginians do their part in this good work.