Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-06-16
Friday Morning, June 1e, 1871.

Our exchanges have had great deal to
say concerning the speeches Of Mr.. Jeffer-
son Davis, in the past few weeks, and es-
pecially our Northern ones. We think it
would have been better if Mr.. Davis had,
like Gen. Lee, kept strictly silent on politi-
GAL subjects, for then he would have given
no occasion for perverting what he uttered
in order to make political capital.
Having spoken and touched on political
subjects, We do not regard his utterances as
do a majority of those who have discussed
them, and most Of whom have condemned
him severely. We regard his declaration
that he does not "accept the situation" as
fina!ity, as but the expression of the feeling
and sentiment of nine-tenths of the whites
Of the South. That he meant as a timazity
is evident from the fact that he counseled
acquiescence in and obedience to the laws
&c now in existence. He expressly repu.
dated the idea Of any further resort to arms
on the part of the Southern people to secure
their construction Of the constitution and
theory Of Government, and not by single
sentence or word does he proclaim his wish
to see the situation changed except by
resort to that peaceful arbiter, the "ba!lot-
box Not the Southern ballot box, for he
especially urges the Southern people to leave
politics to the North and turn their atten-
ton to building up their pecuniary affairs.
Is there any Southern man who accepts
the situation, or expects, much less hopes
for continuance Of the present state of af-
fairs While we are all willing to obey the
laws now in existence, do we not look for.
ward to the day when the returning sense
of justice Of the Northern people will by
peaceful means-by their votes-remove
the sectional Legislation of the past ten
years and restore the Government to what
it was when the constitution was acknowl.
edged to be supreme? In other words, when
the States were supreme in their local af-
fairs, and the General Government took
cognizance solely Of that especially delegated
to it =? We believe the Northern people in
very few years will be as strenuous advo-
Gates of this as the most ultra Southern
man. The tendency to Capitalization has
not effected them yet as it has us, but it
will, and they being in different position
politically will refuse to submit to the "situa-
tion," and by peaceful revolution Of the
sentiment Of the North, will restore the
Government to its constitutional track, and
leave the States untrammeled in their local
affairs as they were in the good old times
Of the past. This is what Mr.. Davis looks
forward to, as do, not only the majority in
the South, but thousands in the North. Mr..
Davis is, therefore, not singular Every
denunciation Of him is felt by large ma
jority in the South as denunciation Of
themselves, for in their inmost hearts they
entertain these sentiments, and long for
that peaceful return of the condition of af-
fairs of the past when this whole country
was as truly the Gland Of the Free" as it
has proven itself to be the ''home of the
brave"
While we believe Mr.. Davis only asserted
what nearly all Of us believe, yet We were
confident that his language and sentiments
would be perverted, and would be used
by the Republican party of the North for
political effect, as they have been and re-
greet that he did not preserve a studious
reticence on political questions, and thus
avoid the opportunity to those who are dis
posed to cavil, no matter what he might say.
On Monday night last an attempt was
made to rob the Charlottesville National
Bank. Mr.. A. P. Abel, Vice President Of
the Bank, happened to be passing between
II and 1 o'clock and went in to get paper,
when the burglars rushed by him and made
their escape. They left lot Of burglars
tools, from the character of which they are
supposed to be professional cracksmen,
and doubtless some Of the New York bar
glars who are reported to have come to Vir-
ginia to operate on the vaults of our
Banks.
The Key-hole Of the vault lock was filled
with powder and other explosives, and, but
for the accidental stopping Of Mr.. Abel, the
successful robbery of the bank would have
been accomplished