The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-06-03
The Only Issue before the People.

s,,. AAnxADrxE Joaxsas,@ OF R1cHMsxp CITY.
The Only Issue before the People.
We have waded through an ocean Of stuff
% this Subjective have tried q bg, excited
over the! impeachment We have ezer,
cised ourselves to get up .. sensation" over
the rumofsd charges In the Cabinet" and
the proposed lying down Of the "hion and
the Lamb tugether"-the sweet bed of roses.
in which Andy johnson and Congress were
to wallow inharmouy and peace--sall for the
good Of the country, &c. In fact We have
actually heard of the nomination Of Grant !
and Cplfs4, for President and Vice President
by the Radicals at Chicago upon: bitter
radical platform, and still we are so apathetic
as to remain quiescent, and in this feeling
We are so presumptious as to believe ma
jority Of the people Of the United States
coinoide with W.
What Is the matter! Can't the people be
reused! are the freemsn Of America lost to
Al, feeling and is the Nation to rush madly
ia destruction and no hand or voice 5e raised
to check the rapidly speeding train OF events {
Thus Queries some imhecile, some poor weak
creature who does not perceive, in the pres
ept column, the gathering wrath OF an out
ragged people.
The only issue now s:-= >,
Shnu Constitutional Goverm"ent--snoa
tbs Government of Law and Right % per-
,etvatsd or shall it go doom
The Radical party say that Il shal1-wltn
THAR nlatitudes about equal rights, "union
&C., they mean that it shall, If they e,ee,
Grant and continue in pover. Mr. lhao
Stevens says boldly that his party Sis acting
outside Of the Constitution outside anu
above the written and unwritten law handed
down to US by the proud and devoted ia'ner,
and founders Of this Republic. Stevens ana
his satraps are the soul and body Of that par
~ and their word is law, or rather force 10
it, for law, nothing they say can be called
Il is not the simple degradation or e1term'-
nation Of the people Of the conquered States
the equaliiy--the citizcnship-the honor
I'd birthright of every American that IS at
stake. It is not the fate Of the 3,ooo,ooo
moor deluded negroes, less in number than
the free Indians we drove before us-ls Is
the fate of 3, 800, 900 white Americans that
hangs in ths. balance. An Al:-wise and
hspi6cent Creator-the Eternal and Everlast-
iue God, never gave people such heritage
NOR did he ever place before them such an
i.sus-xords fail in attempting to express II
only the hsar. Of the people, inspired py
Him can.
But solemn sense of duty, as public Journ'
sl;sts. a conscientious conviction Of what ii
right eompels US to say what We think, and
our judgement is based upon residence o.
vears in both sections of our now distracted
country. The Democratic partJ-that Is al
the elements opposed to the rule and ruin pol
icy Of the fapaticaI radical, meet IN convsn'
ton il, n. T., July 4th, 1868. That Conven'
ton will if it does its duty, represent the mast
Of the law abiding, God fearing people Of
this country, and fearful responsibility VII
rest npon its members. 1t is no holiday work
NO old time party caucus no "cut and dried
political maneuvering that they will be called
upon to do. The tate of a people, tor veal
or voe-the honor Of the martyred dead
on both sides hangs in the balance. 1t ls
words Of solemn and awful inportl.
Shall Constitutional Governnlent-shdl
the only Governmentof Law and Right 6e
perpetuated or shall 1t go1dopn?
This is the only issue, and TO- accomplish
the object Of every honest man but one thing
ia to be done Its, ovnrt1roao the party non
in po.uer at the polls in November. Little
side issues; about 'sClemency," about I'm.
psacbmsnt," about Reconstruction" about
"Nsgroes," Il i'd omne genus, can be attend
cd to hereafter. The main question pow-tAe
only questions to nominate the men on the
above ticket who can beat Grant y Colfax and
who are for the Constitution and the Law
1t mattsrss.a toths people whether they
were .Aar'' or "psacs'' Dsmecrats-Whether
"Whigs," Rebels" or what not-all the
mass w;eh is theioyerthrow Of that party Of
rule and. ruin. The, Southern people care
not-shey. will ever homer their dead and glo-
~ III their ast4-bat they. xapt peace and %
their rights, as tree Citizens If The Republic
Free eitizens Of the North and Westssyil you
drop prejudice and passion and do your duty
or Will ysp, like Sampson Of old, destroy
yourselves and the Temple of our hopes!
A mass meeting for Augusta county will
b held at sIaunton on Wednesday, june
18th, pad will. be addressed by Colonel Robert
e. Withers, General James A. Walker, John
L. Marye, Jr.,. Esq, Colonel Marmaduke
johnson, Coleman Yellott, Esq, of Rock
bride; Hon Shelton F. Leake, of Albmarle.
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