Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-02-12


SPECTATOR as it has much larger circula-
ton than any other paper published here.
State Elections-Policy of the South
As the people of this State will, in few
months, be called upon to elect both Federal
and State officers, it becomes them to consider
calmly and dispassionately what course wise and
enlightened patriotism dictates they should pur-
sue-what spirit they should manifest-what
the character of the officers they should elect.
The first demand of patriotism, at this time, is
to adopt that line of policy which will tend most
speedily and successfully to restore the admin
istration of the Government to the constitution
al basis designed by its distinguished and pa
triotic founders, and to restore to the people
oil the constitutional rights which have been
uniustly wrested from them. These are with
held from them by the Radicals now in power,
and these Radicals are sustained by consider
able portion of the people of the North whose
sentiments are based upon the prejudices en-
tertained against the people ofthe South, grow
ing out of the attitude of the South in the late
bloody strife, and these prejudices are kept
alive by interested Radicals in the North, and
their INSCRIPTIONS allies in the South, who be-
iieve, or rather affect to believe, that the peo
pie of the South are not sincere in their pro-
fessions of acquiescence in the results OF the
war-that they are disloyal and hostile to the
Government of the United States, and still
cherish secession and rebeous sentiments
The belief of these things on the part of the
masses, who have been imposed upon by inter-
ested Office holders, to great extent, have IN
duced them to elect Radicals to Office, and to
turn deaf ear to the appeal of the South for
equality of constitutional rights. The great
Conservative and constitutional party Of the
North, upon whose success depends the hopes
Of the South, relies for success chiefly, if not in
fact solely, upon the a1iSdon prudence, naoder-
alton and conservatism Of the South They are
watching the conduct ofthe people of the South
with the greatest anxiety, hoping that it will be
such, in all respects, as will disprove all the
charges brought against them by the Radicals
and their Southern allies. The hopes of the
Radicals, on the contrary, rest upon the COM
mission On the part Of the people of the South,
of such blunders or indiscreet acts as would tend
to confirm in the minds Of the Northern peo-
ple-too prone to such belief-the charges of
disloyalty which they SO persistently prefer
against them. 1t would be well to bear in
mind that it does not require much to convince
those whose minds are already poisoned with
prejudice against us.
"frifes, light as air,
Are, to the jealous, combinations strong
As proofs Of holy writ"
Impressed with this view, we regret to see
the course adopted by some Of the Press of the
State, in recommending the people to select as
their chief officers men who were distinguished
either by their prominence as leading, active
original secessiontsts. Or by distinguished mu}i-
tI'y service during the war; IF the people
should be SO unwise-we have no idea, howev
eT. that they will be-as to act upon this ad-
vice, and should elect persons to Office for the
reason that they were original secessioaists, Or
had rendered distinguished military service,
they would, in our opinion, commit that kind
Of political blunder," which Talleyrand said,
was worse than crime They would, by such
elections, depress, dishearten and paralyze the
conservative party at the North, whilst they
would give laid and comfort" to the enemies
Of the South, and cheer of rejoicing would
run along the whole line of Radical forces, for
their charges would, in the>ninds of the people
If The North, be sustained by
Combinations strong
Az proofs Of holy writ"
and the hopes Of the Conservatives would be
extinguished in the blsckness of despair.
The election of such officers, for the reasons
mentioned, would be misfortune, at least, if
not calamity.
We observe that one of the ablest journals of
the State, which, at the last election for mem
bers of Congress, advocated the debasing poll
cy of electing such only as would agree to take
all oath that they had never sympathised with
the cause of the South, and had never given
any encouragement, aid or comfort to any who
participated in the struggle for independence,
has ROW swung to the opposite extreme, and is
urging the policy we have been dep
recating. New converts are proyerbial for their
fervid and Incorporate zeal, and it is said that
o renegade is worse than ten Turks" That
Journal is now endeavoring to make amends for
tho degradation OF It's position at the ether cleo
ton. It is ashamed Of the quantity of dirt it
ate on that occasion when humbly crawling up
on Its belly, and is now acting the salamander,
and no food cooler than fire will be eaten by it.
The policy that journal now advocates is only
less reprehensible than that it advocated at the
former election. 1t is not a safe fle-leader, and
the soldiers, whose favor it is now currying, as
we'll as the people generally, will be too wise to
follow it-they are sensible and patriotic and
will not pursue course which would infiict
such misfortunes upon the country.
1t is useless to inform the readers OF the .Spec-
!ator that We would not favor the election of
any man who had not been, and was not still
true to the South. and to the Constitutional
rights OF the whole people. He should be a
patriot, firm, tried and true, man of fine in
tellect, With character for integrity, and pub
he and private virtue, sans 1eur ct sans re-
proehe, without fear and without reproach. I'M
impeached and unimpeaehable This State is
blessed with sufficient number of men of this
kind, who were not instrumental in precipitating
the conflict of sections, to FIJI all her chief off,
ces, and from this class, at this time, for the