VIRGINIA. 



the uniiuiil lial)ilii'u-s. In M:u\ li f 1870, Gpv- 

 U'alUi-r ivi-iiinmi-nili-d tho ivorjrani/.atioii 

 of tin- Stato -l.-bt by funding all tho lial.iliti.-s 

 i-x.-.-|>t tho sterling di-ht, inrludmg prinri|.al 

 ami intiTi-it, matured and maturing, to -lan- 

 uary 1, ls71, into tho unit'.. nil rla-> .!' B6W 

 l>on. Is Lairing that date, and to run from ten to 

 thirty yours, at tho option of tin- Sta?.-, with 

 intiT.-M |>ay;il)h' si-mi-aniiuully in New-York 

 City; tho ii.-w issuo to bo coupon bonds ro- 

 tvhahlo for all dobts and demands duo tho 

 State. In December ho reviews tho various 

 plans suggested as a solution of tho financial 

 problem, and maintains that " there is but one 

 sovereign remedy for tho evil which afflicts 

 us, and that remedy is a strict fulfilment of our 

 solemn obligations." For tho purpose of ap- 

 portioning the debt between Virginia and 

 West Virginia, it was recommended that the 

 question bo submitted to arbitration, each State 

 to select one disinterested arbitrator, and tho 

 two thus selected to choose a third, whose de- 

 cision shall bo final and binding on both 

 States. 



The people of Virginia have accepted in 

 good faith the results of congressional recon- 

 struction, and during tho present year both 

 political parties have been reorganized in har- 

 mony with tho new condition of affairs. Early 

 in July a conference of the conservative mem- 

 bers of the Legislature was held, to consider 

 measures for the organization of the Conser- 

 vative party of tho State. The committee, to 

 whom was referred the question of organiza- 

 tion, having decided that it was " inexpedient 

 and unnecessary to call a convention, in view 

 of the fact that there were no State offices to 

 be filled at tho next election," made a report, 

 containing tho following recommendations : 



The committee are of opinion that it is of the ut- 

 most importance that the Conservative party of Vir- 

 ginia should be thoroughly reorganized for the ap- 

 proaching full election. They, therefore, recom- 

 mend: 



1. That a committee of twenty-three members bo 

 appointed by this caucus, constating of two members 

 from each congressional district in the State and 

 seven members from the city of Richmond, who 

 shall be the Central Executive Committee of the Con- 

 servative party of Virginia, to continue in office un- 

 til superseded by a regular convention of the people, 

 and that seven members of the committee shall con- 

 stitute a quorum for the transaction of business. 



2. That the organization of tho Conservative party 

 maintained during tho last gubernatorial canvass bo 

 revived, and perfected upon tho basis of the ^lan 

 adopted by the convention held in the city of Rich- 

 mond on the 12th of December, 1887, except as here- 

 in otherwise indicated, and to that end that the coun- 

 ty and city superintendents of that canvass, or such 

 others as may have been substituted for them, call 

 meetings of tno Conservative party of their respec- 

 tive counties and cities to assemble at their August 

 courts, or at such other suitable time as they may 

 designate, for the appointment of county and dis- 

 trict superintendents, and to adopt all measures no- 

 cassary for the perfect organization of tho party and 

 to contribute to its efficiency and success : and whore 

 there are no county or city superintendents these 

 meetings may be called by any Conservative voters. 



8. That it is recommended to tho people of such 



counties to present candidates fi>r every office to be 

 nl!.-.l nt tin- Approaching elections, to be supported l.y 

 the Conservative party at the polls. 



I. Tina primary meeting* be held in each town- 

 hhip nii.l \\urd to tend delegates to a county and city 

 i-iiiM-niiim to nominate candidates in each county 

 an. I .ity,.iind that tho county and city conventions 

 appoint delegates to a convention for the oongres- 

 Hioiutl district to nominate a candidate for Congress 

 to bo supported by the Conservative party of its dis- 

 trict. 



The " Central Executive Committee of tho 

 State of Virginia," appointed by this confer- 

 ence, published an address to tho people of the 

 Stato, on the 4th of August, recommending a 

 State policy in the coming canvass. It was also 

 recommended that suitable nominations bo 

 made for the representatives of the State in 

 Congress, so that tho "favorable regard of 

 Congress may be asked to the relief of the 

 South by a more just and equitable distribu- 

 tion of the national currency ; the relief of the 

 great staple, tobacco, from ruinous specific 

 taxation and those galling and oppressive re- 

 strictions which depress and deter tho fair 

 dealer, while they tempt the unfair to fraudu- 

 lent evasion; money appropriations for tho 

 internal improvements of the State, bringing 

 them in connection with the great transcon- 

 tinental lines of communication, and an equal 

 share in all the benefits of general legislation 

 for tho Union." Comparing the prosperous 

 aspect of affairs in Virginia with the less 

 ordorly condition in some of tho other South- 

 ern States, the committee say : 



It is inseparable, perhaps, from the human dispo- 

 sition to overrate the evils of the present, which are 

 sensible and felt, compared with those which are 

 past, and of which the memory has become obscured. 

 No revolution, however successful, ever brought with 

 it the unmixed good which, in the ardor of hope, it 

 was expected to achieve. The triumph of Conser- 

 vatism in Virginia is no exception to the general law. 

 It lias not, in some unexplained way, relieved the 

 people from tho pressure of debt, nor repaired as by 

 miracle the desolations of war. It has not, unaideu, 

 built up our railroads and canals, nor developed tho 

 hidden wealth of the field, the forest, and the mine. 

 Hercules, as of yore, will aid only those who put the 

 shoulder to the wheel. But we were strangely in- 

 sensible not to acknowledge such blessings as the 

 restoration of civil law in the place of irresponsible 

 military power ; the pure and equal administration 

 of justice by judges of our own choosing; the reign 

 of general quiet and order ; the enactment of laws 

 and their enforcement by a Legislature and an Exec- 

 utive freely elected ; in a word, the autonomy of a 

 self-governing people. Were incentives wanting to 

 value such advantages at their proper worth, we need 

 only survey the condition of those unhappy States 

 which, in their struggles with radicalism, have been 

 less fortunate in throwing off tho incubus of that 

 gross and truculent domination. 



For the purpose of reorganizing tho Repub- 

 lican party of Virginia, the Republicans of the 

 State held a convention at Richmond on tho 

 2Gth of September. A largo number of col- 

 ored delegates were members of the body. 

 Tho committee on party organization recom- 

 mended the formation of a Stato Central Com- 

 mittoo consisting of twenty-five members 

 three from each congressional district, and 



