Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-11
SATURDAY. ....... APRIL IL. 1891
The RAnnhlican Party.


Republican Leagues of Virginia. These
proceedings were of the kind usual with
the men who compose the Republican party
In Virginia. We notice in them nothing
very remarkable. And yet we must not
omit 10 call attention 10 the contrast
which is presented 10 the mind when we
"look, here, upon this picture. and on
this when we compare Democratic
State Convention with n Republican State
Convention. Tho "sold men Of Boston
did not in Mr.. WEBsTER's day present
greater contrast to the classes who some
times opposed him than the real solid men
Of Virginia present 20 the Republican poll
ticians who on occasion assemble here in
Richmond and denounce in strong terms
Democrats the latchets Of whose shoes
they are hardly worthy TO unloose.
The Virginia Republican State Conven-
ton Of Thursday declared that the ma
tional Republican party in all of its his
tory of more than thirty years had been
the friend of the people--the champion
OF the rights and liberties Of man. When
we recall the history of that party we are
tempted to say harsh things in this con-
neetion. Mr.. LINCOLN was the first Repub-
llcan President Of the United States and
knew, if anybody did, what his election
decided as TO "tho rights and liberties Of
man." He had declared upon the stump
in every part of his own State that he did
not by any means regard the negro as the
equal of the white man, nor desire to see
him invested with all the rights Of the
white man. Whilst President he declared
that if by setting tho slaves free he could
save the Union he would set them free
or il by refusing 10 set them free he could
save the Union he would refuse to set them
free. He knew he had no right to set them
free. but this knowledge did not control
his action. He did not even consider ne
groes rs fit to serve as jurors IN the
courts. In fact, like his party, he was
willing to leave the negroes interests en-
trely out of the question when he was
confronted with the choice between dis
solution of tho Union and tho emancipa-
ton OF the slaves.
The Republican party is the worst party
that ever succeeded in gaining the control
of the Government in this country. It's
candidate for President of the United
States in 1860 was elected, not by the peo-
pie, but by the Federal Constitution; that
is TO say, the opposing candidates received
together u majority of about million of
the popular vote, and Mr.. LINCOLN was
chosen by electors, technically SO called, |
and not by the voters. The Republican |
party was responsible for the war between |
the States. Up 10 the time when Mr. LIN |
COLIN called upon Virginia for troops she |
had stood for the Union by 40, 900 majority. |
And if the seeding States had been |
allowed TO depart in peace 1t would not |
have been FIVE years before their people |
would have compelled them TO return to |
the Union. Thus the right of the people |
TO govern themselves would have been |
vindcated in the eyes of the sections of |
the world, and at the same time the Union |
would have been preserved. Then the |
taunts Of Monarchlsts that we had to en- !
ploy force Just az they had TO employ it |
would never have been heard, but our |
republican form of government would |
have been TO all the world as "a city set |
upon O hill" Error is harmless where |
reason is left free to combat it," Either it |
would have been "a we have just said or |
else republican government Is delusion |
AMI snare Either the people are capable |
of governing themselves or they are not,
All may be summed up in the words;
Either the Democrats were right in their |
teachings in 1860, and over since. or else
the people have neither the right nor the |
ability to govern themselves.
Or if the Republican party had ratified |
its agreement or treaty entered into by |
General SHERMAN and General JOE JoHN-
sToS Just as the war was about to close, il |
would have made for itself an enduring |
fame. But no. Malice had not done its per-
feet work. Pharoah was not yet willing to |
let the children of Israel 60. They must |
first perform imposslbilities. They must |
make bricks without straw, or in other |
words, build stable. good government
upon ignorance and crime and prejudice. |
The oHSsToS-SHERMAs treaty would have |
ended in 1865 the war which 10
still going on. The bogus amend |
ments to the Federal Constitution,
never constitutionally ratified, would |
never have had a place in that IN
strument. Isn't il becoming in Virginians
10 lsud the party which foisted those
amendments into the Constitution and |
tried to whitewash the negro2
Or if after the war had ended so far rs
the soldiers in the field were concerned. |
and the southern States had sent members |
Of the House of Representatives TO Wash |
ington, the Republican party had admitted |
them TO their seats and thus proved that |
the rebel States had never been out of the |
Union, that party would have entitled |
itself to the gratitude of mankind. But |
alas, this party, instead of playing role
creditable TO it, excluded the southern |
members of Congress from the halls of
legislation and proceeded to pass statutes
which had not the approval Of one rebel"
State or ono member from one "rebel"
State. and, having the army at its back, en-
forced those statutes as if they had been
constitutional laws. Surely Virginians
should never become weary in sounding
the praises of such party
But enough. We need not pursue the
subject. A sectional party can never be-
come patriotic party. Sectionalism and
patriotism cannot both be characteristics
Of the, same party. This one fact deprives
the Republican party of all title to the sup
port of either NORTHERN men or southern
men. Its end will be the end of sectional
ism.