Year: 1871

the situation, it is the duty of the po.


litical leaders of Virginia to sustain and


support the President, by keeping him


"posted" as to the condition of our party
and its future prospects in Virginia. That


we, who are free from bias, on account OF
holding no office and seeking none, are


better qualified to view the field less pre-
JUDGED, none will deny


That Virginia is as thoroughly Repub-
lican as Massachusetts, we have no doubt
and that she has failed to exhibit her Re-
publican strength, is owing to the decep-
tions and frauds practiced upon her people
by members of both political parties.


We have no word of censure for any
for the past and its errors-for it will do
no good but for the present and future
conduct of each party, we should hold
ourselves responsible did we fail to keep an
eye ON their proceedings and give timely
warning OF their probable results. If the dart
strikes home and wounds members of our
own party, it must be accepted as blow
of kindness for we intend to spare none,
nor will we do SO, when the interests of
our party and country are injured by their
actions.


We have already declared that we are
in no way the organ Of any ring or clique !;
our paper has been recognized to stand up
on that declaration. We now avow we
are no mans friend when convinced that
he stands in the way of our party inte-
rests therefore, we are free to admit that
when occasions arises-.and we doubt not
but they will arise--men must stand from
under, or unequivocally put on the party
harness to work for the party, and not for
themselves or friends. Events of great
Importance to the Republican party are
transpiring around us every day. Our
adversaries are sharp, cunning, selfish,
and unscrupulous-the are willing and
ready to resort to any means to defeat us
in the fall, and a defeat then, amounts to
repetition in the Presidential election.


Not only as party, are our enemies
industrious, but individuals of prominence
and ambition are already batting their
hooks and fishing in the waters where
SCHOOLS Of Republicans gather.


We catch the breeze from the southwest
and the southside, and its very breath
comes ladened with fair promises to our
party, that il we will do 50 aud so, certain
things will be done for us. Away, forever
away, with any entauglng alliances; let
no Republican listen to the syren song of
the deceiver. The "Walker Movement
should convince us by this time, that any
compromise with Democrats results only
in gain to them and loss to us. Let us
then awake to the necessities of the hour
let us as individuals perform our duty
then, as party march to the fight then
we shall be prepared to demand of the
administration that it perform its part


We need not go out of Richmond to see
the party divided in sentiment and action;
but, if it was necessary, we could prove it
the case generally throughout the State
These facts, some will say, should not be
told our enemies, We dispute it, and be-
lieye it necessary that they should be men
toned, and an effort made to remove the
disturbing causes. We do not care who
knows them, provided good can result
from their exposure.


There are men in office, in all sections
of the State, who are worthless to us as
party men--who, by their willingness to
make love to the Democrats, are in the
way of our success. Why, we ask, should
the party be sacrificed for them Are in
dividuals of more Importance than the
success of the party? There are still 9TH
crs, who, by continual croaking and dis
satisfaction because they can't lead and di
rect things their own way, destroy their
own usefulness and injure us. There are
those who would sacrifice Influential aud
hard>workers of the party TO crafty some
friend who is, perhaps, a stranger, and un-
heard of before to the people. This class
of men must go down, must give way,
for the general good, and the President
must see to it that they be disposed of.


You can never correct the wrong other
wise, for to attempt to retain in office and
correct the conduct of person who has
the disposition to do wrong, is an absurd
ity. If the shoe pinches it must be worn ;
we have not made it for any particular in
dividual we are fighting alone upon gen.
eral principles, and they are, that the Of
fees of the country which command the
means and influence to control elections,
must be taken from the drones and put
into the hands of efficient workers, and un-
til the party can unite as one man upon
this question, it is useless to attempt fight
with an enemy whose watchword is
"union" in all except that of our govern
ment.


We shall continue to write what we
know and believe upon the subject, hoping |