Year: 1873

DemecratS-hOpeS l0r tne Latter


From the Montgomery Advertiser and Mail.


We presume the general assembly
will adjourn to-day sine die, in accord
ance with the concurrent resolution of
the house and senate. While we rejoice
that the long and expensive session of
the legislature, for which, unquestion-
ably, the Radical politicians are re-
sponsible, has now come TO an end by a
voluntary dispersion, we nevertheless
confess that we part with great reluet-
anee from our Democratic and Conserv-
atiVe friends as individ ssis to most of
whom we are warmly attached. 1t Is
unfortunate that everS member of
the legislature has asen made
10 suffer TO certain extent during
the recent five months session
here, with those most stsilty In having
caused the anomalous state of things at
the capital. But itsGfsassss us gratifiea-
ton to say, in a spirit Of ruth and just
ice, that the great body u the conserva-
tives have exhibited a. much patience,
patriotism, fidelity and efficiency in the
performance of their duties as could rea
sonably, under the circumstances, have
been anticipated from them. They have
constantly served IS a powerful and
effective check upoA all the prohigate
tendencies of radical legislation, when
ever such tendencies may have been
seen cropping out. 1t is also


HIGHLY GRATIFYING


to know that our party has not been in
juriously divided on any question at all,
and only immateriaily divided in an
expression of legislative opinion on two
questions of Importance during the en-
tire session. One Of these, the civil
rights senate substitute, has been, by its
defeat, removed from the issues of inter-
nal party dissension, and, in fact, re-
manded to its original conditions, as
they were before the senate Substitute
was brought forward. The other, the
railroad relief bill, has become law
by the Governors signature, in
strict conformity with the reg
ular forms of legislation; and II the pres
ent legislature, fabricated by the attor-
ney-general of the United States with
the connivanee of the radical governor
and his political associates, can be re-
garded as lawful legislature, this law,
however imperfect or uRwise it may be,
cannot, either in itself or in its effect, be
now avoided or ignored. II certainly
was not and is not any measure of the
Democratic and conservative party, al
though many conservatives voted for it.
It is, on the contrary, especially in


IT'S MOST OFFENSIVE FEATURES,


strictly radical measure. The conserv-
tives in the house vainly endeavored to
amend 1t in some of its more objectiona-
BILE provisions, and actually succeeded
in curing some of its defects, but it was
introduced as an administration meas
ure, and was supported by the entire
radical party, with two or three excep-
tions, in both chambers. 1t is true one
or two noisy but uninfiuential radical
papers professed to be opposed to it, but
their opposition does not appear to have
influenced anybody either in or out of the
assembly. We repeat, then, that the
four thousand dollars q mile bill, so far as
the sixth section is concerned, and so
far as the section Is concerned that
makes the South and North road a ben
eficiary under the bill, must be consid-
cred an exclusively radical affair!
Democrats and conservatives finally
voted for it, because they believed it was
necessary to save the State from ruin by
some proper arrangements, and falling
to amend the bill they at last accepted
it rather than have nothing done. But
we have not intended TO discuss these
matters to-day. We have referred to
the


RAILROAD RELIEF BILL


because we desire to inform all conserv-
atives throughout the State that there
has been here no elimination or recrimi-
nation in our party in the legislature,
and that neither portion of the party,
those who voted and those who refused
to vote for the railroad relief law, enter
tain the least doubt of the general good
faith of the other; nor have our COM
mon organization, or common platform
of action been in the least impaired or
changed. Certainly, now that the issue
is no longer an open one, it would be the
hight of folly to think of applying a
test of conservative orthodoxy to any
democrat who either voted for or against
the bill because Of such vote. We
should not be perfectly candid were we
not to admit that


THE DEMOCRATIC AND CONSERVATIVE


PARTY OF ALABAMA


does not occupy the high and pure po-
sitiOn in which we vehemently sought
to place it after Lewis's instruction, as
sisted by the other radical conspirators
against the constitution and laws of the
State, he and some of them had sworn
to execute and obey; but it is our very
confident impression that the organiza-
ton of our party is unimpaired, its unity
not sensibly disturbed, and that its pop
ular strength has been increased through
out the State, since, the days of the dis
graceful and damaging scenes we were
forced to witness with so much anger
and disgust. The more recent cleo
tions in the State indicate it be-
yond doubt. We part with our political
friends in the legislature, therefore, with
much personal reluctance, but with the
satisfactory assurance that they have
horne their part faithfully and well for
the most part, and that nothing has oc-
CURED to prevent our certain triumph at
the next election, when we shall be
Joined by host of the white taxpayers
of Northern Alabama, provided we
manifest good, honest eOmmon-sense,
and proper liberality of sentiment to-
ward each other in points of compare
- -sa1