The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-12-04

-T is
From tie Gspington zymss.
The Associate Continues his Talk with the
People Of Alleghany.
THE QUESTION OF LABOR IS THE ONE THAT
MOST CONCERNS US.
The result Of the war brings home to our
doors question which Europe has not been
able to solve satisfactorily, after the lapse of
ages-the question of free labor.
Slavery is abolished The negro is free.
Our large farms remain, and they must be
| worked. It can only be done by the impor-
tation Of foreign, or by making respectable
laborer Of tho negro. We are for Cnfee.
We were raised with him, owned him, re-
spect him. He was true to us in war, and
we shall be true to him in peace What he
wants in state of freedom or slavery is plen-
ty Of friend, Bagby's "bacon and greens, =
and not "yankee school-marm" with "cate-
chism" and "psalms," and hymns, and spirit
ual songs, and wooden bacon hams" served
up with the Fright of suffrage" He, to be
sure, has become little spoiled lately, by his
associations, but he will soon learn to keep
better company, and be wiser and better
man." Bear with his follies and his fooleries
yet little longer. He sought neither free
dom or suffrage. His greatness has been
thrust upon him. He'll survive it, and, like
water, seek his level, and his cold masters
home" again. We must be patient with him
until the yankee gets tired Of insulting us,
by making a fool Of him, and look after his
welfare. By SO doing we will ultimately take
care OF our own interest "The bottom rail
cannot remain on top" He must resume the
"banjo" and the shoe" and We must try and
make him happy, contented and prosperous
laborer. How is it to be DONE? Let US forget
the elections for the moment, and look at the
question from standpoint worthy of Virgin
ians and ofmen. We know that it is no blind
instinct that attaches theidea Of responsibility
to the possession Of home and Of property
That the feeling=of the possession Of proper.
ty, of locus standi in the community, pro-
notes the feeling Of selfrespect and estab.
fishes standard Of conduct which conduces
to and gives claim to outward respect. We
must, therefore, sell him, at mere song, or
give him ten or twenty acres of land on the
skirts Of our farms. The possession Of home
will fix him to the spot, destroy the gregari-
business ~ his nature, keep him from towns,
and make him proud and industrious Hav-
ing home We must give him work, see that
he does it, and above all, that we pay him a
fair price for it. OF the 4 ,O00, 900 Of French
peasant proprietors they possess only an aver
age Of eight and half acres each, and Of
them Mr., Mills sayaA ~The situation Of the
peasant proprietors is propitious to every ele-
vating influence and to every moral virtue"
whilst Of the poor Irish tenant, who has no
moral status. because he has no moral stimu-
lus, he says-aalmost alone among mankind,
oAAS - ASAA SOVt1SA 40 III LIltst Ctl
scarcely be better or worse off b. aug act Of
hiss own. IF he was indsess So q praaa3sss.
nobody bat AZ snaord would Gin II 10 i
lazy o. insemperate, 4 i = his landlord's Il
psase. a aitlsfios snors devoid II notives
to either labor or selfeommand, imagination
itself cannot cSnceive." We improve, by our
plan, Sambo' s,condition over either the French
peasant or the Irish cottier. We make his
work profitable to himself and to u.s.
Make him quiet and useful citizen and not
drone and a curse. Answer the question
"What is to become Of and what will we do
with the negro, and increase the value Of the
landed property of Virginia without detri-
ment to Sambo or his former master, who had
the misfortune to be born white 7" We shall
be glad to hear from any one who has Thought
fully and honestly considered this subject.
RAILWAYS AND MINES
"Richmond on the James," and "Cincin-
natti on the Ohio, J" must be brought within
twenty -four hours Of each other. The Ches-
apeake and Ohio Railroad must become the
"Appian-vay" Of States to the Capital Of the
Old Dominion. The iron arms, stretching
East and West Of Richmond, must extend
from ocean to ocean. The mines of iron, Of
gypsum, Of gold, Of silver, Of copper, of lead,
and Of coal, must be opened and their trea-
sure must be thrown into the lap Of Virginia
and given to the world. The Times" viii,
therefore, urge the completion Of our great
railroad system, and the development of the
mines and minerals Of the mountains.
ACADEMIES AND SCHOOLS, ETC, ETC:
Anxious as we, are and ever have been.
that Covington should become Manchester,
we are still more anious that it should become
an Athens; and, whilst we have looked for
ward with pride and pleasure to the hour
when the city shall extend Its limits from
Pitzer's Wheel to Judges Bluff, and thence,
via Sadler's Still house and Rogers Deer Lick
% Burk's Orchard, and thence by Tumbler's
Cabin to the beginning, we have yet looked
With a prouder and more manly heart to the