Year: 1863

more than we have here. We had thought that the
existing revolution had destroyed the two old par
ties and that the only difference now was as to how
| the government and the war should be conducted,
and whether shall have, at the close of the
lution that liberty under a written Constitution
which Americans have been accustomed to enjoy.


In this State we have one great party called Con-
serUGtiUe aud faction called DestructiDe-the latter
acting in opposition to the State administration
The former is composed Of about forty thousand
old Wings and thirty thousand old Democrats; the
latter is composed of about thirty thousand old Dem
ocrats and ten thousand old Whigs-this being the
full vote of the State. This division into parties
was forced upon the Conservatives by those who
had possession of the State government when the
war commenced The Conservatives struggled in
vain against It They were forced to submit to it
even in the midst of war, or quietly consent to be
prescribed from all places of honor and trust both
civil and military, and to be marked, with their
children after them, untrue to their native land
though they had contributed and were contributing
more men and more means to the common cause
than their opponents. Thus forced to organize
themselves into party, they entered the campaign
for Governor and members of the Legislature, in





| ciples: -
"Resolued, That the partyism, favoritism, inefi-
cheney and misI ule which have marked the admin
istraton of public affairs in this State since the
commencement of the present war, deserve the
stern and unqualified rebuke of the people and
that change in this respect is Indispensable to the
preservation the credit and character of the State
and to that unity of sentiment and spirit much
to be desired, and without which the efforts of our
brave soldiers and people to establish indepen-
dence, must be- sooner or later, seriously embar-
rassed


ResoIced That our Constitutions, both State and
Confederate should never be violated on any pre-
tence whatsoever but should be sacredly observed
by all whose duty it is to enact, expOund and en-
force the laws


ResOIred, That the people are the source of all
power; and that they, and they alone have the right
govern through their representatives duly chosen


ResOLced That it is the duty of the legislative
and executive departments to retrench and reform,
far practi cable, in the administration of the
government prudent economy is especially ne
ceSSary at this time with an increased public debt
and heavy taxes on the people. All useless Offices
should be abolished and no more money should be
expended than is absolutely required to carry
the government and to enable the State to contri-
butte her due proportion of men and means to the
common defence


ResOLUed, That the military power should always
be subordinate to the civil power, whether in war
or in peace; and that martial law should never be
declared, the writ of hdbeus corpus suspended
except when indispensable to the preservation of
civil society or of the State itself"


They triumphed by an immense majority
These, in BRIEF are the principles of the ConserVa
tyes Of this State, sanctioned by the people at the
polls and by a large majority in the army, and
carried out by Gov. Vance and the Legislature.
The Conservatives are stronger now than they were
when Gov. Vance was elected and there is no
ground for apprehension that their hold on the
people will be impaired Notwithstanding the at
tacks so constantly made upon them by the organs
of the Destructives and mere handful Of their CO.
adjutors which may now and then misead certain
parties and presses outside the State. 1t was
| charged by our opponents during the campaign,
tina: Gov. Vance and his supporters untrue to
the South; that they would divide the people into
factions, and thus injure, if not mperil the
and that their policy, if such was not really their
design, would deliver up the State to the Yankee
hordes. The Examiner can see for itself that all
these charges were unfounded The people of the
State we're never so united and harmonious as they
| are under Gov. Vance's administration, and never
more determined to maintain all their rights against
all enemies whether at home abroad. The Con-
federate cause has not been injured but it has been
greatly promoted and nvigorated in this State by
the triumph referred to.


We have no disposition to intermeddle in the af-
fairs of the people of Virginia; but we may say to
the Examiner that party lines are distinctly drawn
in this State and that former Democrats and former
Wings who are Conservatives, are as thoroughly
united and harmonious in their action as either of
the old parties ever were. The same remark ap-
plies to the DeStructives. We are satisfied that q
vast majority of the people of Virginia conser
vative in their character and that they approve the
principles above set forth, which embody the sub.
stance far they CO. of those fundamental prin-
ciples of free government contained in the first in-
augural address of Mr.. Jefferson. We have been a
constant reader of the Examiner, and we think we
not mistaken in assuming that these principles
are the same which have governed that journal in
its brilliant and useful course. We should rejoice
to see the people Of Virginia range themselves on
the side Of Conservatism at the ballot.box. What.
ever may happen in the future, the destinies oi
Virginia, Ohe mother of Ststes,) of Tennessee, 0he
daughter of North Carona,) and Of North Carolina
must ever be the same. They are indissoluby
bound together by similarity of interests, by con.
tiguity of territory by natural and artificial means
of INSTRUMENTATION, by the memories of their
glorious dead ofpast time, and by the blood which
has been shed in this second war of independence


In the language of Mr.. Graham, of this State, in
his great speech in our State Convention on test
oaths and sed.ion, "there seems to have been a
general acquesence in the doctrines of Jefferson in
his inaugural address" While we do not approve
of all that Mr.. jefferson ever said or did, yet re-
cognze him as one Of the wisest and most iustrOus
founders of free government and we stand i'm
movably as a Conservative on the following princ
pies, announced in his first inaugural address
These principles ought to be printed in gold, and
read and observed everywhere. They are peculiarly
IL Al.