The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-01-31
OUR PAPER-ITs AIM.

We have heretofore stated that our
main, and necessarily our first object,
is to solve the important problem,
whether it be possible for literary
man in the South to make a cOmforta-
bic support otherwise than as an hire
ling. The problem is important, be-
cause, i'm the new era which Is upon us,
the literary class must become far more
numerous than it has been; and its
liberation from piece-work and jobbing
by the day is, we think, a matter of ne
cessity, if, creating literature worthy
our fame in the past and equal to our
fortunes in the future, we would con-
test and carry off the palm Of letters
from the North.
In the second place, we desire to
keep alive the memories and the Gus
toms of the good old days, so that they
may enter into and make part of the
new times, tempering them and giving
them grace and tone unknown, hith-
erto, in the free societies of this coun-
try. This we believe to be quite posi-
BILE /; for it is not conceivable that ira
ditions and social habits fixed during
nearly two centuries should be destroy
ed in a moment; and If, in the pro-
gress of time, they should be measure
bly, effaced, we have still the softening
Influences of climate to save us from
austerity in manners and, we trust,
from corruption in trade. 1t will be
seen, then, that '.we accept the situa-
tion," in the only way in which, as we
believe, it should be accepted, to wit,
by the sincere adoption of the require
ments which the war has imposed on us,
namely-the intellectual and Industrial
development Of our country, as contra
distinguished from that social develop
ment which was the marked feature of
our slave system. "Civilization" with
all its boosted splendor cannot dazzle
those who have known what we have
known-the charm of Southern country
1ife-but it cannot be escaped; and,
since this is so, we hold it to be the du-
ty we as know it to be within the easy
power of Virginia to take the lead in
industry as she has always done in po.-
itics. We must progress" but our
progress need not and indeed cannot
we'll be anything but virginian.
In the third place, we shall advocate
in politics those measures which con-
Guce to good and permanent govern
ment, under which life, limb and pro-
perty shall be really secure, and by
which social order shall be strictly main
tanned. For the present, however, we
shall look more to individual men than
to parties. 1t may be that we shall get
another Constitution and liberty again
regulated by law. Mean while, it is
above all things desirable that we have
&C the helm a just and courageous man;
and it would be well tor that man to
hold place for two or three Presiden-
tial terms (his reelection being as near
ly as possible Unanimously until some
thing is settled. Such man is -
-. 1t follows that, while our pa
per is to be popular and humorous
one, drawing from the past that genial
spirit which made the Old Dominion
30 famous, it is also to be paper of
ideas; advocating advanced but not
radical opinions, legitimate and stable
progress, not destr uction Of whatsoever
conserves and keeps society and the
body polite in harmonious order.
To those who desire to promote the
aims which we have avowed, we would
make no personal appeal or solicit
aught on the score of favor. We hope
to give more than we receive, but at the
same time we would have our friends
remember that just and liberal en-
couragement is the sharpest spur to
laudable exertion and the best surety
of an honorable success.