The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-08-29
PROGRESS OF RECONSTRUCTION.


aiely after the close Of actual armed HOSTILE
ties. The history Of revolutions teaches US
chat recuperation and rehabilitation are OF
slow progress, where the social and industri-
I'll sy.tcms have been radically disrupted and
the totality Of communities almost completely
annihilated. 1t was hardly to be expected,
where the "life Of the nation had been seri-
ously imperilled, that those precpitatns the
dagger should be recognized at once as the
safest guardians of that very life they had as
ssulted. Political economy imparts the les
son asd lays down the broad doctrine that
TO crime is comparable with deliberate
purpose and maturcd plan to jeopardize the
vitality Of the body polite 1t is not strange
then that the defenders Of this political life,
thould hold in distrust, at least to. reason
able time, the parties who were active, with
armed legions, in assailing, with a view to
destroying, the Union Of the States, and who
only relinquished that purpose By reason of
absolute exhaustion and physical weak ness-
There was no evidence of the abandonment
of the sentiment-no attestation Of mental
revolution, other than that superinduced by
the absence of the material resources necessa-
~ TO accomplish the declared object.
Taking calm, philosophical and unim-
FASHIONED view of the condition of the con-
duered States, remembering the struggle that
was made, the condition in which the close
6f the war found us, the prospect that was be-
fore US, and what we really expected, and We
thipk the history of the world does not pre-
sent more striking evidence of recuperative
power resulting from homogeneity Of race,
pursuits and interests.
The commerce of the country was never in
a mure healthy condition the mechanical
interests are Furnishing the manufacturing
operations are mere extensive and reDumera-
tive the laborer is more literally paid and
the agricultural pursuits more encouraging,
than ever before in the history Of the coun-
try. The credit of the government was ne
yer 80 questionable, aud the general pros
perity dlffused through every channel Of in
dustry throughout the Urion-take it as a
whoie-withont parallel.
10 some of the States conquered the shock
following the destruction IF the social aud
Industrial, and by Implication, the political
tystenls, was greater than in others. The ba
p.s Of their organism was broader in the de-
gree that the numerical power Of the slaves
was greater. 1t was that which. impercepti
bly, by reason of its long existence, entered
into and fashioned, in a great measure, these
systelns The overthrow Of that institution
reversed the education of generations, com
manGcd the mind to think in new channels
and adapt itself to strange and anomalous
condition OF things. This could not be ac
eomplished in day. The conquering pow
er, arguing from the ioductive process, die
not think it safe, in view Of the terrible strug
gle that had just closed between the embst
tied armies, to suddenly cntrust exclusive 10
cal power to those whose domestic and socia
relations had been SO violently and RADICAL,
torn to pieces. Hence she restraining powe
OF military sovernment-hence the impor-
tation OF swarm of political adventurers
and the gradual fastening upon some Of the
States of carpet-bag rule.
These seemed to be unavoidable results of
the war. The effects Of the revolt were only
fealized when the crimes of these exotic le-
gislators and rulers began to be developed. H.
They have reached their eliminating point
aud must now commence their decadencc.
When we remember and philosophical.
digest the terrible revolution that has occur
red Ia the Southern States the thorough plow
ing up Of the basis of the social and mate
rial fabrics. the embittered feeling that was
engeudered and nourished, it cannot appear
strange to the calm thinker that the recon
struction measures were insisted on and adop
ted by the conquering power. Slavery, the
cause Of the war, had been abolished by abb.
trary power, affleence with many had beer
succeeded by ,peuury, the acerbities of wal
had been thus aggravated; the former
"chattle" had been suddenly converted into 6
constituent element OF the body polite. 1t
therefore, become necessary in the estimation
Of party viewing these new questions and
relations from the standpoint they held, to
elHpioy the power Of the govern men: to regu-
hate aud harmonic these conflicting and non
adjusted relations. between the original rulers
and the newly eufrauchised element.
Taking all these facts into consideration,
and discarding personal grievances from view
We think the progress Of the conquered States
towards full participancy in the affairs of
the national government aud the control @!
the local governments is a matter of wonder
ss we'll IS congraiulation.
W. are aware that We will be met 10 this
ky'uervous extremists with reference to the
pluudering that has been perpetrated by the
carpet -basgers in several of the Southern
States. But what did we expect in April,
1865 There was not property holdcr In