The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-03-10

is great rejoicing III tne I4egislatufe over
the general disability bill, which passed
on Friday. The Methodist Episcopal Con
ference is creating much excitement and
interest in Richmond. Rev. Mr.. Handy
will go to the old ssStone Church, in Au-
gusta SOON The Chapman Sisters and
Bishop have gone. il
Cur Policy IN Electing State and County
Officers. e,.
The Haunting lie" has been removed from
Main street.-the Military Commissioner has
departed soon we shall be called upon
to fill our Offices by an election ir which ability
to take the "iron clad" will not be considered
a necessary qualification. We are exceedingly
fortunate in Rockbridgc in having a clear
Conservative majority which will increase
with each year. We are perfectly safe from
negro sheriffs, clerks. &c.
! But it is of the utmost Importance that we
select the right men to fill these places Of
honor and trust. We propose briefly to en-
qulre mho are the right men?
It is very clear that none Of the present
incumbents should be retained. We very
cheerfully admit that Rockbridge has been
fortunate in the military appointees that have
been put in Office. We freely accord to some
of these gentleman that they have shown a
knowledge of their duty and an honest effort
to perform it, for which they should have all
due credit. Under other circumstances some
Of them, perhaps, might have been elected to
the offices they now ell. But we lay it down
as a principle from which there should be no
departure The native Virginian who can
swear that in the late war he never gave aid
or comfort to his struggling people--who was
willing to take Office as the gift Of a military
despotism which by the the triumph of brute
force over Justice and right manacled the
hands Of the mother who bore him, that
man, we say, should neuer receive at the
hands Of our people any Office Of honor, profit,
OF trust. Weshould make clean saoeep Of
every officer forced upon US by the bayonet.-
These men have no right to complain of this
Whatever may have been their motives, they
took Office from military power against the
wishes Of the people they have nelsrepresent-
ed they have taken an oath that they were
enemies Of their native State during her bit
ter struggle-and now that the true men Of
the State have have the control again the
"scalawags'' ought not to expect, and certain
| " should not receive, even the lowest Office in
the gift of the people. We thiuk the people
| in this section are unit in this, and the pres
ept incumbents had as we'll begin to pack up
! their traps.
It is clear whom we ought not 70 elect
let us sec who should be our men. They
must be competent and honest. Never was
| this more important than now when we are
I Just ipaugurating our new system. But keep
| ing this steadily in view, we ought to make
our selections from the men who have stood
By Virginia in all Of her fiery trials-who
were ready to obey her call during her strug-
gle for frecdom-and who have not eaten
dirt during the long process Of s"reconstruc
I tom s.ss..a M f6.
And we 60 a step further, and say that
as far as possible we should select the men
who "worc the gray" we're true to their col
ors to the last and have never disgraced the
flag under which they fought. s;f
IF we had succeeded in our struggle a
grateful people would have been ready to be-
STOW upon these men their highest honors. s.
Do they deserve 1t any the less now that they
st-r,any Of them with shattered limbs, or
broker constitutions the wreck Of thet
fondest hopes Was it the fault of the SOL
diers of the South that we failed to obtain our
Independence? Men who staid at home to
make money out Of the life blood Of our cause,
while these noble "boys" endured the
hardships Of the camp. and the dangers Of
the field, may make adverse criticisms; but
| all who, love patriotism or admire true hero
ism enshrine them in their hearts and are
ready to do all In their power for their veal.
For ourselves; we meyer meet a true Confede-
rate soldier that our heart does not warm to
wards him we never see his hating gait or
empty sleeve that We 60 not feel like taking
off our hat in profoundest respect; and We
never think Of place Of honor or Of trust to
be filed that we do not ask sIs there true
| Confederate soldier competent to fill it," We
are glad to believe that our people agree. with
US, and that the three gallant gentlemen who
now represent Rock bridge in the Legislature
arc types of the men We wish to see filing all
Of our Offices
Let us not be misunderstood. We would
not elect an iGeompetent or dishonest man be-
cause he was good soldier; but keeping
steadily ia view the paramount importance of
capable, honest men. weshould rejoice if it
should so turn out that when a list of our
officers is made out it should not contain a
name thatdid not have place on the f'mus-
ter rolls" of some one Of the corps that com
posed our noble Southern army. Other things
being equal, we shall always go for the true
Confederate soldier ogaiastthe field. s.
elf this be treason, make the most oft. =
i Taryinaas Gazette; Feb'y is. -isa 5..
b To the Editor of the Virginia Gazette.
In the leading editorial which appeared in
your paper Of the 18th of February, you IN
dertaKc, not only to dictate the policy to be
pursued by the Conservative party in the
election Of County Officers, but also to pre-
scribe a rule to govern them in their selection
You not only tell us, who can, but also, who
cannot hold Office. We did not know chat
you arrogated to yourself such arbitrary pow
er. We did not know that The e Virginsia
Gazette y could make and 'unmake Offices at
pleasure, else we might have humbly bent the
ssupple hinges Of The knacV We did NOT