The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-08-07
What are We to Do {

ure. But weshould not despair, or give way to
natural feeling of Indifference, for has He
not blessed us most bountifally with the good
things Of this life and heaped our garners high
with the products of his footstool? If He
has punished us severely for our manifold
sins and wickedness," has He not s'tcmpered
justice with mercy" in providing for all of
our material wants, and does not this fact bid
us be Of good cheer bid us work with renew
ed hope and firm reliance on Him who holds
the dcstinics of Nations, and Of men in the hol-
low of His hand? 1t strikes us that this
should have wonderful influence on peo-
pie protesting to be christians, and that even
the weak and sinful should be strengthened
by these manifestations of God goodness and
loving kindness.
But "what are VIC to do" how are we to
save ourselves from the evils present and to
come-how can this people do right, act hon
cstly and be relieved of the terrible oppression
and uncertainty of the present and future p
Aching hearts ask this question every mo-
ment. Every thinking and reasoning human
being in the South feels the dead weight of it
on his life, and anxiously looks about him,
for the light that is to guide US out Of the trou
blesomc sea of our misfortunes. As mass
we believe no people ever thought so earnest
ly and tried to do their duty more faithfully,
than have the Southern people, white and
black, and no people haye,met with so many
difficulties, or overcome them 90 heroically.-
Take out vile, low, Hellinspired set of agi-
tators, called Radicals, and we find the great
mass, honest in the desire for peace and de.
termination to do everything, consistent with
honor, to obtain that great blessing bless
ing appreciated only by the war-worn and
weary.
This being the true feeling of the great mass
of our people, it well becomes them to ask
"what are we to do" Many schemes have
been proposed and some honest men believed
until recently, that "co-operation" with Hun
nicut and his 'right bower" Bolts, would
save us. The action of the Convention ESQ
called) in Richmond last week must convince
all honest men, white and black, of the fallacy
Of such hopes. Hunnicut, and his rule Oh
ruin mob, took charge Of that Convention, and
; one Of the truest Union men of this County
Mr.. Fultz, was so disguised at the whole pro
cccdings that he returned home after the frs
day. We regret that We can not publish thu
full report Of that Devils own gather
ing in Richmond last week, but it is sufficient
to say that the most extreme Radical views
we're carried out, and that allideasof Conser
vatism were rudely trampled under foot
The Radical party, led by Hunnicut is de
termined to rule or ruin the State, and so con
fdent were they of success, by the assistance
Of low white men and by dcluding the colorec
people, that they iutiagly and defantly re
pulsed all efforts at Cooperation" made by
some of the first men of the State While We
honor the motives of the gentlemen who at
tempted this Cooperation movement, We
can not feel sorry at its complete failure fol
it will show the honest masses Of the State
where the Hunnicutfactiond desires to lead then
and stir the people up to act as men should
when all they hold dear is at stake.
"What are we to do after all this is
still the anxious enquiry, and never was ques
ton so hard to answer never in the history
of the world had conscientious Journalists SC
much difficulty in directing their readers to
the right path, regardless Of past prejudices OF
the temptation to indulge in indifference OF
despair, as natural to them as to all of our op-
pressed people. Still, to the independent press,
their only voice, now that our old leaders are
struck dumb by the awful present, the people
look for an answer to this ever present qucs-
ton, and we would feel ourselves false to them;
disgrace to the position we hold, did we not
answer it, honestly and frankly, to the best OF
our knowledge, with the lights before us.
Looking over the muddy, miry, roads left
for the people Of the South to travel, we can
see but one, that gives hope Of reaching a
safe camping ground at its termination. 1t is
to accept the Military Bills as a fnaAty from
the powers that be, and hold them tott 7 heir
great aim and object is to build up a Radical
party South, and it should be ours to defeat
them. Let us look upon it Gas great bust
! ness transaction" in the language Of one of
their organs, andmake clean work oft. There
are enough honest men, white and black, in
the Stateto carry out those bills and defeat this
internal party, if every man will work. In
doing this we defeat every plan Of our worst
enemies and aid our friends North, for if they
refuse to admit US on Constitution. conform
ing to the Military Bills; if they repudiate
their own orders, then they are lost North
IF they admit MS, we hold the balance Of pow
er and, any way, We can't be hurt by trying
it, 70 remain inactive is TO give the State to
Hunnicut Bolts & Co., and that is ruin. To
act, to strike home in conformity with the Mill
tary Bills, as a guarantee to the North, saves
our State frcmthe fate of Tennessee and places