Year: 1867

State are in considerable commotiOn
over n proposition to hold Radical
Convention, to organize for the Fall
Campaign. There is division among
the counSellOrS ~ 10 the prOpriety of
holding this Convention. The brethren
OF the rural districts, including the ed
itor of the Parkersburg Times, favor the
project. The Radical paper published
in this city, speaking, doubtless, under
orders from the relies of the Custom
House clique" regards the proposed
Convention with marked disfavor.


The showmans described an am
phibions animal rs "a critter which
can't live on land and always dies in
water" The existence of West Nir-
ginia Radicalsm is involved in similar
uncertainties, one authority claiming
that the 'critteI" can't live without a
Convention. and another asserting that
the Convention will surely kill it. Be-
tween the two the prospect is made
quite cheerful.


The papers from the interior have
found the underlined position of the
party in West Virginia upon the ques-
tiOn of negro suffrage, rather disasreea-
bic. They know very we'll how the
party professed To stand last year, but
they are not equally clear rs to its pres
rnt status. They know by ex-
the patient yesterday, is but poor
indication of the situation to-day, and
they want convoCation of the doctors,
another examination of the pulse, and
fresh diagnosis. They appreciate the
chief feature of the Radical system,
which is the utter impossibility "f de-
termining from the platform of"u" can
vasS, what will be the rallying cry for
the next. They understand their organ
ization TO be a party of expediency,
rather than of principle, and they
think some changes in the
creed are necessary, and some
somersaults and faciugs to the rear de-
sirable, in order that their success at
the coming election may be guaranteed.
They see the need of some action to
commend their party to popular favor.
They feel, they know that Radicalism
is waning, aud in order 10 rc-invigorate
its wasting power, they want to come
together and condemn what they have
heretofore approved, or approve what
they have heretofore condemned, ac-
cOrding as the one or the other course
may be deemed essential 10 success.
Especially are they anxious on the suf-
frage question. Having helped TO force
negro voters on ten States, they can
hardly deny their affection for the black
element, yet through the last canvass
they claimed to be anti-negrO men. To
set up that claim now would be to read
themselves out of the party, yet there is
no way of taking back their past declara-
tious and swallowing the dirt of &c,
save through the gullet of Conven-
tion.


The Wellsburg Herald differs from
most of the other Radical papers of the
State. Ii is of the opinion that West
Virginia Radicalism has no need of n
new platform. The old policy of favVr-
ing manhood suffrage" for the South,
and white suffrage for ourselves, if not
very manly and sincere, is, it thinks, a
very safe plan of procedure. 1t says:


We have no State
officials to elect this Fall, and, the Off
cials that we have to elect, can very well
stand Oh one of the platforms we have
already adopted. The Parkersburg
platform of last August is not vet worn
out. The negro question is all right if
left alone; and we are not so sure, that
il will he all right long if not left alone.
Better be shady on that subject. Don't
disturb il, at least during the dog days,
or it will smell. Let il alone. We, in
dividually, have high estimation Of
the rights of the freedman as "man
and brother" hut can't say that we are
in favor of elevating him just now,
higher than he can comfortably roost.
Let him alone, he will come out "all
right" in West Virginia, when his time
comes. There is no use in burdening
the Republican party with an issue
that is unpopular, or undertaking 10
carry any more than we have. Light
weights" is our motto now. We are
firmly persuaded that the result of such
a convention at this time, will make
mischief and we hope that our cotem-
pOraries will see it in the same light and
desist.


Its caution is praisewOrthy, though
we cannot say rs much for its honesty.
The freedman can't ride in the Herdlds
vessel for fear he may sink the institu-
tion. This is West Virginia Radicalism
fairly exemplitied. Governor FOREMAN,
when he was laughed at in the black
and-tan Philadelphia Convention, ex-
pressed similar sentiment to that of
the Herald. Principle is esteemed of
little value policy is everything. Con-
sistency may go to the dogs, and West
Virginia Radicals will stultify them
selves by approving here what their
representatives damned in Washington /;
in short, they are ready for all sorts of
absurdities and iacongruities, so their
politicalprOsperity be not impaired.


Although the opposition TO the Rad
ical Convention is, apparently, so in
significant, being limited to the Inteli-
geRoer and the Herald, we doubt very
much if the Executive Committee will
Issue the call that is now being urged.
The Radical party of this State is owned
and managed in the city of Wheeling
and that by as limited an amount OF
brains, and as large an amount of brass
as ever conducted a political enterprise.
few offce-holding and ofice-seeking