Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1865-09-05
TO BUSINESS MEN AND ADVERTISERS.
DON'T LEAVE VIRGINIA.

DON'T LEAVE VIRGINIA.
We are sorry to see that some Of the
citizens of this State seem to be con-
templating repatriation and to be ma.
king preparations to emigrate to Brazil.
AS the rights properly due to them as
citizens Of the United States are at pres
ent denied to them, it is natural that
they should feel dissatisfied and desire
to emigrate 10 country where they
believe greater degree of liberty can
be enjoyed. We fully appreciate the
feelings of restiyeness experienced BY a
proud and liberty-loving people who
are debarred the enjoyment of their
constitutional rights. But whilst this
is the case, we would desire them to re-
main at home in the good old State Of
Virginia, believing that it will not be
a great while before they will be al
lowed to enjoy the rights to which, as
citizens OF the United States, they are
Justly entitled. Ifever, this is not the
time to "leave our own to stand upon
foreign SOIL" At this time, our dear
old mother, Virginia, desires all her sons
to remain at home. Misfortunes have
overtaken her, and she desires the pres
ence, counsel and a;d of all her chill
dren. She would be panied TO see
them leaving her affairs and fresides to
eek homes in foreign land. She
appeals to them with a mothers love
to remain with her and share her for
tunes for veal or woe. We believe
that there are but few Virginians who
will fail to hearken to her affectionate
appeal. The sons of Virginia should
be more devoted to her than ever be-
fore. Such was the patriotic conduct
of Virginia Immediately before the war,
so earnestly did she strive to preserve
the peace, and so noble and heroic was
her conduct during the four years of
bloody strife, that we are prouder than
ever before of having been born upon
Virginia soil.
We would caution the young, ardent
and imaginative against the fattering
tale which the siren, Hope, porrs into
their willing ears, like s1eprous distil
ment," wooing them but to betray. To
them, Brazil has become, in the lam
guage of the Richmond Commercial
Bulletin, "what that vast mysterious in
land region of Florida was to the adj
venturous and gold seeking Spauiard-
the En- Dorado of hope and promise.
Upon that land of great rivers and great
mountains-of golden-ti tinted fruits and
dark eyed maidens-of waving pampas
and rowing steeds, the eye and the
heart of thousands of our new Jasons
are fixed. Here, they argue, will they
find the Golden Fleece of Fortune
here the quiet and peace of al untram-
melled life. But do they take into con-
sideration the relentless chances that
environ their pilgrimage with failure
Do they reflect upon the mental and
social short -comings of those whose So
ciety they propose to seek-of the mi
rage that lures them on, and of the
frowns of prejudice and ignorance that
may meet them at the threshold of their
new homes9 We do not think that
these possibilities have entered into the
hopeful visions of those of our people
whose hearts are fixed upon expatria-
ton, and we would urge those Virgin
ians who contemplate a severance of
the ties that bind them to the soil that
holds the ashes Of their ancestors to
think calmly whether, after all, with all
the woes and desolation that hang about
herewith all her present plentiful lack
of work for mans hands and her plen-
tiful abundance Of woman tears-with
all her great history and honorable rec
ord-with all the many voices with
which she calls upon her sons to abide
with her,-whether Virginia, proud
and loyal and true, is not better far
than other lands to live and labor in
and, VIXEN the turmoil of life is over
and the recompenses of fortune hav no
further power to harm or change,
whether it be not better that her chill
dren should repose in her protecting b.
som awaiting the last summons, than to
lie in state even in the religious light
Of Santa Croce or surrounded by the
marble splendors of the Chamber of the
Dead in Westminster Abbey"