The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-05-01
things" We saw mean white

IL
the proceedings and our Mr.. Houtf' expe-
rience will show honest union men in the
Valley, what this party aims at. We came
to this conclusion, from ill we saw and
heard; The negro is inclined to do right
and stick by our people, but he ID led off
by mean white men, because our people
have not and do not act You must rouse
yourselves to the Importance Of the crisis;
you must register and vote AND VoTE FOR
A CONVENTION, or we are lost!
There is but ono way to'saye the negro
and our people. It is toshow him we are
his friends, by acts as well as words. All
the conservative speakers, we have listen
edto, have failed, because they didn't come
to the point. They talked about the past
and show mean the yankees were" Bah
the negro don't care cent for that he
wants something plain and practical now.
Show him, at once and in few words, that
# the Southern armies, aotM the united
,cealM and resources of the South, back
ed by organized slaue labor, could not cope
nth the FREE WHITE LABOR of tie acorld;
that 1t crashed as, hoc idle II is for four
million negroes to e.rpcct to resist its on
acora s'ceep; show him, as you easily can
that the only barrier between him and this
avalanche Of free whhe labor is the sym
pathy Of his own white people, who EN-
ploy him because they are used to him and
his ways show him that the free ar7ite Ia
Dor Of the world wants his place, in every
department, and prove to him you have his
interest at heart. Then you can control
and, perhaps, save his race from the fate
of the Indian. Do this, do your duty fear
lessly and, whatever comes, no guilt rests
upon your souls.
In conclusion, (and We wish every man
in the State could have witnessed thescenes
in the Richmond Convention,) we warn
our people to throw off their deplorable
apathy and organize. See that every man
registers, and votes for Convention and
good men. The enemy is pressing us on
all sides, with spirit, energy and deter
mination which demands of us all the acork
We can possibly do. It is in the power Of
the white men of Virginia to save their
State from ruin by work and proper ac-
ton. If they neglect to use the means at
hand, they prove themselves UNIV orthy Of
those who died for them and, must we say
it? deserve any fate the radicals of Vir-
ginia meet out to them. But enough, the
clock warns us that but few hours remain
for sleep. Richmond sleeps and the no
bic James, roaring, growing and tumb-
ling over the rocks, wasting itself for want
Of machinery to propel, is the only sound
to be heard. 1t seems to growl out action
action and so-good-n!ght.
The Petersburg Platform of Principles.
The large meeting IN Petersburg on
April 10th, adopted unanimously the fol
lowing resolutions:
The citizens Of Petersburg, Va, IN public
meeting assembled resolOe and declare
1. That We agree to accept and perform
in good faith the terms and conditions pre-
scribcd by the Congress Of the United
States, as the terms and conditions upon
which Congress has agreed torestore Yir-
ginia to her place in the Union.
2. That we recognize and accept, as an
essential part of said terms and conditions,
the proposition that the political power OF
the State, which has heretofore been WELD
ed by white men alone, shall henceforth
be possessed and exercised by white and
black men alike.
3. That we will therefore insist that a
new contitution shall be framed for Vir.
GINA, which shall provide that all mep,
white or black, without reference to pre-
yious condition Of servitude, shall be per-
fectly equal before the laws, both in respec;
to political privileges and power and OF
civil rights and that all laws creating dis
tinctions or differences Of any sort between
persons Of different races shall be uncon-
stitutional. null and void.
4. Thatwe will support no candidate for
the Convention who will not pledge him
self to carry out in good faith the forego-
ri 70 hn1,
ton as part ofthe fundamental law Of Va,
and we will cooperate cordially with all
good men, white Or black, who honestly
desire the same result.
5. We invite the colored men of Peters
burg, freedman and the born-free alike, to
join us, to attend our political meetings,
to participate in our deliberations, and ex-
press freely their opinions and wishes
and we assure them that they shall receive
all the consideration and respect to which
they are entitled, as equal participants
with us in political power and legal rights.
Mr.. Lyon explained that these resolu-
ions mean, among other things, too hume
y to mention.
'o1 -. That white men and black men
sha ~ 49, ! ION the same and equal terms
and none 9th. .on ond h,.o1- NAV
I'd. That white ueu anu Daa Sa ,a. vl
shall hold Office upon u sa"' 1l4N VI "'
none other. -...
Sd. That no tax shall be asses, sou apon
c,olored men unless a similar tax =. 40
esseo upon the white.
18th. .i.'dat not one dollar ofpublic mo3
-, l.l1 h. annronriated for the educatiok |