Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-07-20
Be Careful.

Both white and colored men must be eau
iious says the Petersburg Lader, not to make
any mistakes now in this the supreme crisis OF
their histories. White people, do not neglect the
opportunity to win from error and Ignorance
the inevitable sharers of your destines Col
ored men, do not fail to embrace the chance OF
peace offered by the more powerful race.
Toe the mark, fellow-citizens, you of all col
ors and denominations, and do it now Cou-
servatism of education and property is not al
ways to be buliied and harassed with impunity /;
neither can that conservatism, whose interest is
always peace, afford to court conflict There
lisa mutual welfare involved, mutual profit to be
evolved. A house divided against Itself cannot
stand One branch of the family must surren-
der Which shall il be? The strongest pro-
test against contest. Colored people, you are
the weakest: will you, when we ask for friend
ship, throw down the gage Of battle?
For Gods sake, not That is what your en-
envy, the arpet-bagger, would have you d.
That is what we, politically supreme now IN
Virginia, aud anxious to forward your moral
and mental growth, beseech you not to under
take Have regard for yourselves in the view
of policy as we'll as Of duty. Be freemen in fact
rs well as in name Discard the despotism OF
faction, be ruled only by conscience, and that
instinct of sef-preservation which is the best as
we'll as the first lazy Of nature.
We assert, says the Lyaclhhurg ptrg'n'an'
Gen. Candy to the contrary Notwithstanding
that, in the language of Gen. Grant, ''tEe off,
GERS elected under the new constitution are not
officers of the provisional government referred to
III the reconstruction acts, nor are they officers
elected under any so-called authority, and are
not therefore required to take the oath pre-
seribed in section 8, act Of July 10, 1857. -
And this is the opinion of the Chief Justice of
the United States. This election was ordered,
not by State authority, but by Congress and the
President. The election was not Tor officers OF
provisional, but permanent State gov
eminent, 10 accordance with the Reconstruction
acts of Congress- 1t is no fault of ours that the
constitution has not been accepted by Congress;
but We have accepted it, and met every require
ment made of any other reconstructed State,
there being only one condition precedent re-
manning to be complied with, viz: the ratlhca-
ton of the 18th amendment. That will be the
first business of the Legislature when it assem-
bles, and We have no doubt that it will accept
the situation and give our Northern friends
what they have laid us under obligation to give
them-negro suffrage.
But, how are we to get out of the dilemma
in which we are involved by this decision of
Gen Candy? That is the question. Perhaps
Sherman will give Candy the same instructions
that Grant gave Meade and Buchanan, under
similar circumstances or, the Legislature may
be allowed to convene, ratify the 18th amend
ment and adjourn to await the action of Con
gress 1t does not matter-judging by the past
whether State is in or out of the Union
when its ratification of constitutional amend
ment is needed but. We do not see what other
legal act the Legislature can do uatiI Congress
acknowledges the fact Of reconstruction