Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-09-22
"T,et rs Have Peace"

Away down In the State of Maine, says the
Lynchburg VTgiaian, they seem to be lmbued
with Horace Greeley's idea OF the best means
of making peace between the North and South
They Justify the wrongs and outrages that have
been inflicted upon the white men OF the South
by the party in power They "speak good
words" to us like Rehoboam did to the people,
when following the advice of rash and wicked
counsellors. They say, in effect: ''Those who
have gone before us made your yoke heavy,
and we will add to your yoke: They chastlsed
you with whips, but we will chastise you with
scorpions. Our little finger shall be heavier
than their loins" And, having said this, they
add LET us have peacel" Of course we
shall have peace, for nobody wants war. But,
what Of that kindness and good will which are
the true basis of peace and concord? Can we
feel these in our hearts towards the men who
thus declare that our punishment is just and
they will not tighten it? They act brutal
part towards US, in that they support the au-
thors of the greatest crimes against civilization
that have been committed In any age or coun
try where the spirit of Christianity prevailed.
"What concord hath Christ with Belial? or
what part hath he that believeth with an inf
del?" About as much, we answer, as 1t is
possible for the Southern people to have with
those who would ''shed the blood of war in
peace and crush ont the last remaining hopes
Of ruined and almost Gespairing people. We
trust, however, that no Southern man will ever
humble himself at the feet of these people
We have had enough Of that, and now let
Shem do their worst.
It is we'll remarked in the last number of the
Political Pamphlet, that prevailing error is,
ito confound the resentment Of the South to-
wards a political party, With hostility to the
rightful authority of the government. The two
sentiments are widely SEPARATE and yet how
often do we see some indignation which the
South has exhibited of Radical rule, busily and
lngeni0usly misrepresented as an evidence of
.dssloysity. sign Of rebel impatience and
coutumacy. The mistake is constantly made
even by some honest. but thoughtless people
1t runs through the newspapers itisthe famil-
lar failacy of the Radical party and * has been
imposed on the popular mind with an effect
dlshonorable to its own intelligence and ruinouS
so the South" And the misfortune il, that
long possession Of power almost unlimited, and
authority without stint, even to a course of leg
islation outside and Irrespective to the Consti-
tuition, has emboldened the leaders to impress
ueon many of thei" followers, the idea that
Congress as the government, and that the Ex-
ccutive is its creature and the Judiciary subject
10 its orders. There are thousands of Radicals
who entertain this opinion, and who have no
proper conception Of the Federal government as
organized under the Constitution.
Two gentlemen from the North who went to
South Carolina to speculate in loyalty have been
doing splendidly. One got elected delegate to
the Constitutional Convention and the other
has got into jail for bigamy The Convention
man has also been elected member of the
Legislature and stands indicted for a criminal
offence