The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-10

II
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EXPLODED IDEAS ~
Some. fawning sycophant, or adept in
the art of fiattery, writing in the Rich
mond Republic, hasrevived that old, worn
out, and most disgusting cant about the
superiority of the people of Virginia, -
claiming that they are much better than
their equals, and are entitled to more
consideration than their fellow-citizens
of other sections. With all due respect
to this individual from abroad, who APP
pears so anxious to become toady, and
ingratiate himself into the favor of a few
vain, brainless, and unthinking young
men and effete old fogles, who still cling
to the idea that the soil of Virginia was
first peopled by demigods, while the
other States composing the Union owed
their settlement to an inferior race of
mortals, we beg to say that we differ
with him entirely. When he calls men
who have come into this State, who
have crossed the imaginary line which
divides Virginia from Maryland, Penn
sylvania or Ohio, aliens, we tell him
plainly and emphatically, that we do
not view 1t In that light. We look upon
thesestates as forming one common coun-
try and do not believe that State line
makesany difference In tie feelings ,opin-
ions, complexion, intelligence, or blood Of
the people. We have no doubt we HAYES as
good men in Virginia as there are to BE
found in Maine or Texas, but there are
no better men and no more of them than
any other State can produce. The several
States If wehave read history Alright, and
we think we have, were peopled from
the same source, and with precisely the
same kind of people, that ia in gener.
al why. This we assert, notwithstand-
ing the foulattack made by Mr.. Sumner
| and others upon the fair fame of the first
families of this State. when he so shame
fully and cruelty declared that the prin-
cipal portion of those who settled the
Old Dominion were criminals, and con-
victs, and vagabonds, from England
This we could not and would not believe
were Summer to bring a hundred native
Virginia historians to prove it, and he
did bring quite an array of such testimo
ny to establish his assertion. - 9'lI 50
We think it ought to be the duty q
every fair minded man and lover of hi.
country to endeavor to eradicate these
heretical and pernicious ideas rather
than foster and encourage them IN the
people Of this Commonwealth. The
Virginians, as we view the matter, are
as good as the people of any other State
not excepting New Jersey, but they are
no better. We have been much among
them, and our travels through the coun-
try have, extended from Maine to Texas,
and from the Pacific to the Atlantic
and we confess to our inability to per-
ceive the least difference in the habits,
customs, manners, intellectual acquire
ments, personal appearance, patriotism
or bravery of the Virginians when COM
pared with the people Of any other por-
ton of the country, North, East, South
or West. forget, there is one slight
difference, and that consists in their in
ordinate vanity, weakness, which we
regret to say, has made them the butt
for the SCOTS and jeers of the world. II
is not the fault of the thinking portion
of the people that whenever the high
sounding phrase IT ANA Virginianu Is
used it is met with an ill-concealed
smile by natives Of other States, and sub
jects the party using it to. ridicule.
Why is this SO? 1t is not the case in re-
gard to any other State. A man may
say he is Texan, a New Yorker, a
Louisianian, or Verrnonter, and the
announcement calls forth no remark
from those to whom 1t IL addressed.
Not 30, however, when the individual
pompously sets forth his claims to con-
sideration on the ground that he Is q
Virginian. Men laugh at his vanity,
and, Furthermore, inquire into the origin
of that claim to discover If It be well
founded; They desire to know the
grounds upon which this would be priv.
LEGGED class-thisV irginian ariotocracy-
build their assumptions of superiority,
and the investigations are anything but
fattering to the pride of our people.
If we would avoid unpleasant truths,
we should not challenge criticism. In
other words, when we live In glass
houses we must be careful how wethrow
stones. We repeat, for the benefit of the
Richmond scribe, that the people of this
country are one In nature, one in name,
and one in destiny, las they are one in ORR
gin, birth; rank, station, and condition.
There are different grades in society
everywhere; and the aristocrat of Vir-
ginia finds his counterpart in the aristo-
crat of Massachusetts, which State, by
the by, is very badly afflicted with the
same disease that has become chronic
here. The white trashn of Virginia
md .xubffo trash nf |