Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-11-12
Conservatism VS. Negro Suffrage.


lished in Harrisonburg, Rockingham county,
the editor of which, DR.. George K. Gllmer, was
a candidate for the Constitutional Convention,
expresses surprise and regret that the Iunkers
of that great county did not vote in the recent
election 1t expresses surprise because, from
some unaccountable cause, it had fallen into the
strange and erroneous opinion that those who
had been opposed to secession and the attempt
ed disruption of the Union would approve the
unconstitutional Radical scheme of reconstruc-
ton, the sole object of which is to perpetuate
the power of the Radical party through the in
strumentality of aniUersdl negro Suffrage; and
regret because its editor confidently expected
that the votes of that respectable class in that
county would be cast for him.
Among the ablest and most determined OPP
ponents of the Radical scheme OF reconstruc-
ton in the South are those who were most de-
voted to the Union and most opposed to the
nolicv of secession. Those who are in favor of
the Union as it was before the war, and as it
came from the hands of the great and patriotic
men who founded it in wisdom, are necessarily
opposed to the Radical scheme of reconstruction
which would radically change the character OF
the Union, and the Government, from what
they were, and were designed to be. Those
who were in favor of the Union and were the
friends of the Constitution, if they have pre-
served their consistency to this time, are neces-
sarily opposed to the Radical plan ofreconstruc-
ton, because that scheme changes the character
of the Union and violates the Constitution Its
authors and chief supporters acknowledge open
" that the Constitution furnishes no authority
for the legislation Of Congress which adopted
that hagitious scheme of outrage. No Union
man, in the true sense of that term, and no
man faithful and true to the Constitution, can
be in favor of that scheme. It is moral i'm
possibility.
IF the Thinkers had supported that scheme at
the polls, and had voted for Radical candidates,
we would have considered it, among strange
things the most strange. It you'd, indeed,
have been strange, passing strange" They
are the friends of the Constitution and the
Union as framed by their wise and patriotic
founders-they are not Office seekers an4 place
hunters-they look not for spoils-their mo-
tives are not those of the selfish politician and
demagogue-their motives are pure and patrl-
otic-they desire the preservation oflibefty and
the conservation of the Government as origin
ally famed-they have no motives to sacrifice
principle-to be faithless to the Constitution
to profess change Of opinion-to bow down
and worship the Baal ofRadicalism. They are
intelligent Union-loving and Constitution-loying
freemen who know what the Constitution is and
what the Union should be. They are anti
slavery it is true. and SO are those In the North
who have arisen in the majesty oftheir strength
and set the seal of their emphatic condemnation
upon the Radical plan Of reconstruction, the
cornerstone of which is negro suffrage. The
question of slavery and anti-slavery is now OBJ
solete, as slavery has been abolished and no one,
North or South, advocates the reinstatement
of those who have been freed. The abolition
of slavery and negro suffrage are totally differ
ent subjects. There is no inconsistency in ia
voring emancipation whilst opposing negro sui
frage. Our women are not slaves, yet they
have not the privilege of suffrage. Our sons
are not slaves yet they cannot vote till they ar
rive at the age Of tWenty-one years. however In
telligent or well educated they may be. 1t by
no means follows that because the negroes have
ceased to be slaves that it is wise to confer the
privilege of suffrage upon them. Negroes who
were free before the war could not vote, and
those who have been freed by the war should
not be allowed to do so. The result of the cleo
tons in all the Northern States where this ques-
ton was made even remotely an issue, shows
that there are no stronger opponents OF negro
suffrage than those who are anti-savery in their
sentiments. Nothing could surprise us more
to see the Thinkers voting in favor of negro suf-
frage.
Of no class of people is conservatism so mark
ed characteristic as of the Thinkers of the
Valley of Virginia. Of all our conservative
people they are the most conservative. Their
religion, their habits, their manners their poll
tics are all conservative Collectively they con-
stitute the embodiment, and individually the
personifcation of conservatism. To cease to
be conservative, would be to cease to be Tun-
kers.
The Alexandria Gazette says that some OF
the Northern papers, kindly disposed towards
the suffering white people of the South, wonder
how patiently they take the wrongs inflicted on
them and how quietly they bear the indignities
they endure by the operation of the system pur-
sued towards them An old fisherman was
asked once, if he did not think it was cruel
process to take the hides from cells. 'Why,
Lord bless you,' was his answer, they are
used to being skinned, and don't feel it much
now p The application is obvious. The Skin
ming" has been going on all through the late
war, and up to this time, and, no doubt, it is
thought that by this day, we ought to be FUSED
to it., and not mind it much ~
The Washington correspondent of the New
York Herald continues to speak of the attitude
of portion of the population of the South, and
of the lengths to which they have been hitherto
suffered to go, by the military commanders, un-
til the hour has arrived when it is thought for
bearance has been carried too far. He says in
his last dispatch that the matter has been dis
cussed in "a Cabinet meeting" and that de-
termination is expressed to strengthen the mil
itary force in the South, in anticipation of any
further incendiary proceedings or disturbances
of the public peace.
Confscation.