Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-08-11
ANDOAH HERALD AND VALLEY ADV EEeIISI1T.

life insecure; systematic libel and detrac-
ton, designed to provoke the commission
of crimes, that they may DO proftably
punished popular elections suppressed
by fraud, chicane or force persistent
Misrepresentation at Washington Of the
wishes aud purposes of the people, that
they may be kept or brought again under
military rulo such, with little variation,
arc. the incidents which have marked their
experience for five weary years In North
Carolina. as is we'll known, the govern
mcnt of the State is in Radical hands, and
there the government is this moment
| engaged in an effort to prolong its pc wer,
by sitting and overawing the voice of the
people in State election, which, left free
would pronounce its doom. 1.-The s ate
judicial power" it is proclaimed, Though
in the hands of energetic. learned, and
upright men, has not been able 10 bring
criminals to justice y and upon that
false and shameless pretenee whole eoun-
tics are declared to be ina state of ''ia
surrection, and are overrun by military
violence confounding all the inhabi-
tants, men, women. and children, in one
indiscriminatc and lawless prescription.
HD5cas corpus is stricken down in the
teeth of the constitution. and ruilian
Governor and corrupt Judge collide to
deny its benefits to the people. We feel
for these, our unhappy brethren, with all
our hearts. Wcpray God to hold up
their hands in the contest with their ter
riblc enemy. But let us also lay the
warning to hearts. 4 hat better or worse
would have been the condition of this
Virginia people. had Conservatism failed
in the great struggle in which their all
was imperilled, and wllat fate Is now IN
reserve for them should its efforts be re-
Taxed !? elea-5 e
In reviewing our situation, as it was
and as it is, simple justice requires Us to
acknowledge our obligation 10 the Ez-
ecutiYe and the Legi ...t'lro Of our choice
for the capacity. integrity all. Zc4. with
which they have discharged their arduous
and responsible duties. Rarely have
public representatives been placed in
situations SO novel and difficult Theirs
was not the common, easy route through
ways madQ smooth before them by pre-
cedent and routine, but rather the rough
course of the woodman, who, axe in
hand, blazes his way through the track
less, unbroken forest. Society itself had
been disrupted; political institutions sub
verified and every want and interest of
the community called for tho exercise of
wise and careful craftsmanship IN the
ordeal through which the State passed
again into the Union Gnvolving the
attempted cxaction Of the testoath from
the Legislatu-e); in resistin-s the rcasser-
ton of military authority in the organiz l.
ton Of government under the enabling act;
| in prudent and ~ c,,g s:Scciqrs y7ceaIcada-
tons to the Legislature and sound views
Of State policy in the just and con-
stitutional construction of the novel power
of the veto the humane yet firm and
considerato exercise of the power Of par
don, as in the general administration Of
his Office, the Executive has fully met tue
expectations and redeemed the confidence
Of those who placed him in power. In
the composition of the Ilesisatu e, the
prevailing political disqualifcations SO
narrowed the sphere OF selection, that
there were necessarily many members
who we're young Or untried III the forms
| and functions of legislation, Is It they
quickly mastered tho difficulties of their
situation. Zeal, energy ana conscientious
ness marked their deliberations in which
some, before unknoHn in public life,
shonc with ability such as promises high
distinction and usefulness in tic future
councils of the State. To say that in
dealing with subjects so deep,y involving
conflicting interests and passions, they
have done everything that is passing. and
nothing that dissatisfies, is simply to affirm
an lmpossibility-what meyer occurel in
the proceedings of any such council in
the world. But let all that has been
done, and the difficulties of doing it, be
fairly and candidly estimated, and then
let those who know they could have done
better cast the stone of censurc. Upon
the Legislature of 1852 was deyolyel the
Legislation made necessary by the adap-
| tod of a new Constitution for the State.
1t eat from the 18th of January to the 18th
Of June following, and then took recess
to the ed Of November GLOWING
When it reassembled it was congratulated
by the Executive upon returning TO its
labors refreshed By few months Of
recreation, and aftef fall and fair IN
torchangc of opion with its constituents. y
1t sat theneeforward until the 11th OF
April following, being about six months
Tor It's ilrst session and five months for
its second. The present Legislature,
under circumstances far more difficult.
began its working session on the 7th OF
February, and took Its recess on the 1th
of July. Of these five months several
weeks were necessarily consumed in the
clestion of judges. In the short remain
ing time, there was crowded an amount
of important legislation which justly wins
for it the merit of being working body
q harged with the duty of promo ting
the efficiency of our organ ization, We
warn you ear ncstly that what VIC have
achieved by such arduous labor must be
maintained by equally enduring and per-
| slstent effort and the common but fatal
delusion must be avoided of undertaking
the vigor and resources Of beaten adver-
sary; for the Radical party was beaten,
net conquered last year. We have
"scortched the snake, not killed it," Fig
ures show Gin round numbers) that of the
1O1 900 votes cast for Wells for Governor
/ 81 200 were colored votes, solidly cast,
leaving about 5 900 whites as the ere
publican party" so-called for the poor
negroes were the Unpaid capitat' with
which they boosted they would gin the