Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-11-16
Better Times Ahead.

All the signs, says the Enquirer, point to the
easy and speedy restoration of Virginia to the
Union. The howl of the unrepentant, but
we'll threshed Wells "rebels" in this State have
sunk into almost inaudible whispers, and the
current of true Republican" sentiment is
drifting the State steadily back to her ancient
moorings. Certain inquisitive gentlemen, who
have lately interviewed the President, re-
port that the camors of the Radical ''rebels'
who protested so loudly during the late
session of the Legislature, have excited no
more attention at Washington than they did
here, and that every friend of Grant is anxious
to crown the first year of his administration by
the restoration of all the Southern States
We may hope, therefore, for the speedy re-
assemblage of the Legislature, and the COM
mencement of the work of State reconstruc-
tion And when this labor commences the
Legislature Of Virginia will become of far
greater interest to us than Congress.
The whole Of our organic law must be vital
lied by statutory enactments, and so enforced
as to make it as little oppressive as possible to
all classes. We believe that the Conservative
majority in the Legislature will deal with es-
peoial tenderness and fairness with the colored
portion Of our people, and demonstrate the truth
white men of Virginia are the best friends of
their late slaves. We venture the prediction
that the future legislation of Virginia for the
protection, education and advancement of the
welfare of the blacks will be model worthy of
general imitation. 1t will so far, in liberality
and wisdom, surpass all that the abolition States
have done for the negro that our traducers will
blush for their calumnies. aaf
We have long entertained the opinion that
the complete demolition Of the carpet-baggers
was indispensable to the Inauguration of an era
Of good feeling between the races in this State,
and the information which has reached us from
all sections of the State confirms this opinion.
Since the utter rout of Wells demonstrated the
ability of the whites to defeat all the base con-
spiracies having for their object the political de-
posement of the white race, thecarpet- baggers
have had little or no inducement to prosecute
with vigor their nefarious work Of poisoning the
minds of the negroes 1t has no longer paid to
demoralize anddeceive thefreedmen, and, there
fore, they have, to great extent, suspended
operations Cufee no longer hears his old
friends DETAINED and villi6ed as he did for months
before the election.
Lying is not a sufficient luxury for a carpet
Dagger to skulk through the State from league
to league, INDUCING in that sort of special pre-
paration for Hades Hence cordial relations are
again springing up between the native white
and the black races ; and the land owners have
abandoned all thoughts of Furnishing the poor
negroes for that rebellion against Grant into
which they were led by the carpet baggers.
Now all this is precisely as it should be, and
We trust that in all their dealings with the ne
groes our people will visit upon them none of
the sins of those who led them astray. The
curse of the carpet Dagger will not aflict us
much longer, for there will soon be a general
exodus of the whole flock of harpies. For few
months there will be a general fight and futter
over the shreds which still cling to the carcass
of bankruptcy-a fierce battle for the scraps OF
the feast and then a fight of lean and hungry
adventures to other fields of pillage.
The old State thank Heaven, is blessed with
vast amount of recuperatlve energy, and she
will emerge from all her troubles somewhat
worn and battered, but with strength enough
left yet to make her influence felt as mighty
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