The Daily Dispatch

Plain Talk to Republicans.

General Mahone came so near capturing the Republican State Convention of 1880 that we have been inclined to expect the Convention of 1881 to surrender to him without a struggle. The Straightouts had the voters with them last November; but whether they have them now or not we don't know. We see that the Richmond county Republicans resolved that "the Republican organization should be controlled and managed by Republicans," and that they consider General Williams C. Wickham a Republican most worthy of leadership in the coming Gubernatorial campaign; but we don't know how many other counties have Republicans of the same Stalwart stripe, nor how many counties are controlled by the Half-Breeds. The Valley Virginian still pours hot shot into the proposal to sell out the Republican party to the Readjuster faction. We copy some of its remarks—as follows:

TO THE REPUBLICANS OF VIRGINIA.

The proposed coalition, and especially the manner of the coalition, between the Readjusters and Republicans is an insult to every Republican who respects the principles and achievements of his party. It is not only insulting, but it would be degrading were it to be accepted. There is nothing in the past of the leaders of the Readjusters which is sympathetic with the professions and the beliefs of Republicans. Their whole political lives have been one continuous expression of bitter hostility to the Republican party and the measures it holds most dear. They were the advocates of the most revolutionary and ruinous notions of finance, exhibiting an amount of ignorance and stupidity on that question only equalled by their reckless disregard of the integrity of the Government and the interests of the people. The Republican party was met at every turn and confronted with the wildest greenback theories by the Democratic party when the Government was struggling to restore the currency to a safe basis, inspire confidence in business, and preserve the honor and credit of the nation. When these leaders were of the extremest Democrats. They denounced the Republican party, as the representative of corrupt monopolists, the agency of the people's oppression, and the enemy of the people's prosperity. Not until the Republican party had established the financial system of the Government, rescued its credit from ruin and restored the currency to its normal relations to business did they cease their wild ravings about greenbacks and their crazy suggestions about the financial policy of the Government. And now no one knows where they stand, or what they will advocate. It is presumed they will pursue that course which will be the most likely to get them votes and pay, for their record heretofore has been nothing but low appeals to ignorance and cupidity that office might follow, manifesting no acquaintance with or concern for principle as it affects Government obligations, no more than they do of State obligations. Not a word has been uttered by them to indicate a change of conviction, if such a thing they ever had about the true policy of the Government in this respect.

That is true so far as the Greenback leaders in Virginia are concerned; but not true as to the Democratic party of Virginia. This latter party gives no countenance to loose notions on financial questions.

We quote again. The Virginian says:

"We have not the patience to calmly comment upon such monumental impudence. Their pretences and deception should be scoffed and scorned by every Republican in the State, for it is so plain that he who runs may read; the moving consideration with them is power and place, which they could not attain in the regular Democratic organization. They want Republicans to desert their own cause and principles and support them, when they have not the courage to announce that they either now or hereafter intend to coöperate or act with that party. They propose, with their record before the country, that Republicans shall entrench them in power, in consideration of their clamor about the whipping-post and the capitation-tax restriction, in advance of any modification of this work of their own hands, and with no other guarantee than a promise to aid in undoing their own mischief. Republicans must endorse their scheme to rob the State's creditors of one third of their honest dues; must accept their record in opposition to the financial policy of the National Republican party; must forget their active instrumentality in placing upon the statute-book all the offensive legislation designed to deprive Republicans of their constitutional rights and degrade the negro, simply because he asks what the laws of the country assure him; must ignore the fact that they still claim to be Democrats and have done nothing to invalidate the claim; that they have been the vilest and meanest of the maligners and defamers of Republicans, and have never repented of it; and all for the mere promise of reforms which they can never effect!

This is the bountiful feast to which Republicans are invited in the proposition to surrender their principles and party identity and bend themselves to the yoke of a handful of Democrats, calling themselves Readjusters—a deception of itself, for it is out of their reach to readjust anything except Republicans and Bourbons out of office and themselves in office. And that is precisely what they are after. Their ambition is no higher—their aims no more patriotic. It is simply systematic false pretense to attain to spoils and plunder, and nothing more. There is not a single principle or policy attaching to the Republican party that they hold in common with that party. There is not an inspiration which has nerved the Republicans to endure contumely and proscription in the maintenance of their cause that moves them in their insulting demands. If they were sincere in their pretensions they would at once bring their handful of Democrats into the Republican party and aid it in carrying into effect Republican policy. This would not do, however. Republicans must trust them to effect what they have ever opposed—must follow them to correct their own wrong doing— surrender everything, not only principle and party, but self-respect, upon the mere assurance that, after they have been securely placed in power, they will ask the people to vote for the modification of certain features of the Constitution which they themselves aided in engrafting upon it!

The whole scheme is so utterly corrupt and selfish that there are not ten thousand Democrats in the State who would sanction it; and we trust fewer Republicans who would lend themselves to inflict such degradation upon themselves, whatever the specious promises and the rosy predictions that may be held up as a delusive snare to entrap them. The Republican party of the country will not dare to favor such an infamous prostitution of political forces. The Republican party of Virginia will scout the whole plot, and show to the world that they have not lost all self-respect and respect for their past record and national identity. The Republican Administration will stamp it, as it deserves to be stamped, with the seal of its condemnation, when the scope and purpose of the plans of these hungry and unprincipled demagogues are fully comprehended and well understood.

Neither the Republicans of the North, the Republicans of Virginia, nor the Republican Administration can afford to assume such a load as this proposed coalition would involve. Already we see the evidences of this in the notification that the arrangement entered into at the extra session of the Senate must be abandoned and a true Republican chosen as the representative of the Republican party for Sergeant-at-Arms. This is but the beginning of the end. Men who cannot avow themselves for the Republican party, and identify themselves with the Republican organization, and prove their faith by their works, will not be permitted to assume control of its power and participate in its favors. Such alliance would reflect the absence of principle and conviction and arouse a protest from the heart of the great Republican party of the nation that would be fatal, if such a mercenary policy were persisted in.

Let the Republicans of Virginia take heart and enter the contest with courage. They have principles and a future to fight for, if they surrender now, all is lost. The timid and mercenary may falter, but those who believe the Republican party represents, in its principles and policy, the best interests of the country—that in their successful operation is involved the welfare of the people, and that the progress and prosperity of the nation are dependent upon its continued ascendancy—will stand firm to the last in the Lynchburg Convention on the 10th of August next. They will never consent to follow in the wake of the scheming frauds who are now posing in the characters of Readjusters—better Democrats than the Democrats and better Republicans than the Republicans—with not a single act of their lives or assurance of their political characters to inspire confidence in anything they may promise.