Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-11-23

In these times, when the great safe guards
of the Constitution and Government of our
country, intended to protect the small and
weaker States from the aggressions of the lar
ger and more powerful are lost sight of in the
frenzy of Northern or Radical supremacy,
when the great principle Of States rights has
been swept aside by the voice of the North
to make way for Federal dominance ON all
questions, not for the sake of perpetuating
the principles Of Republican Government,
but rather to perpetuate the power Of ru-
ling faction, representing far less than one
half of the body-politic of the country, it be-
comes question Of importance to the South
ern people what to do. We can and should
expect nothing from this ruling faction. 1t
is therefore patent fact that the South must
reach forth its hands for no extraneous help
but must carve out its future for itself. Can
she do this? With scarcely no desire to med
die with the present fruitless schemes Of pol
itics, which, whatever we do, seem to pro-
duce extra burdens for us to carry, the South
is in the best possible mood to accomplish her
true destiny. Within her broad borders she
has a most productive country Astounding in
inexhaustible mineral resources and supplied
with the finest water-power in the world. 1t
now remains for her to take advantage Of
what nature has placed within her reach
She must produce to the utmost extent of her
capacity. She must delve in the bosom of
mother earth for her hidden treasures and,
not content with bringing them to the sur
face, she must make use of her vast water
power and construct at home the various me-
chanical contrivances SO needful in recupera-
ting our devastated and depleted section
We must lay aside the idea of commencing
largely at present with abundant capital, mot
at our command, but begin in small way
and increase our manufacturing facilities as
the demand requires. Thus will We lay the
foundation sure Of future prosperity, furnish
ing large field for skilled labor, an invita-
ton to capital and immigration that can not
be withstood, a ready market at home for a
vast proportion of our articles of production
and the circulation of our means, obtained
largely from abroad, within ourselves, with
out being necessitated to purchase as at pres
ent from those who by their words are pro-
fessed friends, but by their acts show them
selves to be our malignant and unrelenting
enemies. The degrading conditions sought
to be imposed by the North on us, and the
taxation on some Of our staple products, which
furnishes vast stimulus to Their, production
elsewhere, may be productive of greater good
than we have heretofore anticipated. If it
cause us to turn our attention to ourselves
and our future, and force us to make use Of
the advantages we possess, then what was
intended as a curse will be blessing indeed.
No people under the sun were ever urged on
to do by such stimulus as we are.
Let us then foster each and every project
among us by our influence and our patron
age and the depleted South of to-day will ere
long not only exhibit an unwonted progress,
due to an untiring energy which she posses
ses, though long derided as devoid Of, but
by the potent influence of prosperity will de-
mand that consideration, which she must,
otherwise, now and for years to come, seek
in vain in the muddy pool of party politics