Year: 1873

MUD-THRowINa and bad names hav


always been favorite weapons with tn


opponents of our party. When it wa


feeble in numbers in the north its foe


attempted to smother it with the mud o


contumely and consume it in tho fires o


persecution. Every vile epithet was heapet


upon it. The people were told that Re


publicanism meant marrying negroes thai
il it succeeded the freed slaves woult


swarm over the whole north and crowd


out the white labor from the country,


Every raw-head and bloody-bones


was pictured to frighten away


the timid aud to hold together the


old worn-out parties disintegrating under


the mighty touch of truth. Yet despite


calumny and faIsehood the new party


grew into power. Its magnificent aud all


conqueriug march illustrates one of the
most brilliant epochs in our history. Its


enemies are powerless against it. Its


pretended friends even cannot greatly


harm it, for its vitality comes from the
grand principles which it holds, which ore
q part of Gods eternal truth, and cannot
be harmed. In time marked by gigan-
tic frauds and enormous greed, it throws
off corruptions and comes out stainless and
whte-robed to challenge all comers.


Here in Virginia the experience of the
early Republicans is being repeated. The
combined opposition now seek by social
ostracism, threats, and ridicule, to prevent
the great change in the convictions of
men which is surely and steadily re-
cruiting our ranks These are the
patented weaponry with which old
falsehoods and abuses always seek to de-
lay their doom. These are the cowardly ex-
pedients of cause, which God and man
have con demned, and upon which the age
looks as on an unbu,ed corpse, long since
fostering to dc cay.


Let no man who joins us think his case
over hard. Here in Virginia we must re-
peat the experience Of the North. There
is no miraculous translation to the heaven
of success possible in this world. We
must fight and struggle and endure braoeIy
TO the end. Our foe is the same that we
met twenty years ago in tho early days OF
the cause at the Noifh. He fights here as
he did there. Blackguard names and
taunts, instead of arguments inllammatory |
appeals to the mob the arrogant |
of superior social standing and
always the terror ism of negro supremacy.
These are all they have to ga'van'ze dead
corpse into life and resist the oncoming
march of that Republicanism which Jeifer-
son first taught aud which has swept the
land in triumph. These puny efforts have
failed before and they will fail here. The
people are sick of the miserable garbage OF
abuse and denunciation. They ask reason
and moderation. They are tired OF
This eternal repetition Of stale
nalignity. Tired of the empty
boasts of responsibility and chivalry and
courage from men who have left the finest
state on the continent to grow up into
savage wilderness in the very heart of civ
lization. They are tired of the role OF SUI
Derannuated old fogies. They are weary of
men, young in years, but in whose veins
here is no drop of youthful blood
which aspires to improve the conditions
If living, and seeks to keep the state
IN the highway Of progress. They kaoW
hat the terrorism of "negrs supremacy"
Ind Radical rule is baseless and generally
also insincere, and they will not be driven
by it into the support of petty that has
nothing to commend it to that confidence.
As the National party has before
,riumphed over those silly cries and sinister
SO here in Virginia, onr cause
viii win its way, and bring with its triumph
peace and prosperity long prayed for by
ler people.