The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-08-07
having accepted them 10 1869, and by hav-
ing stolen and promulgated them as their own


ing stolen and promulgated them as their ow
in 1872
AS political parties derive their chief. if nc
\ their only merit from the principles whc
they honestly maintain, it would seem tina
tho Republican party had conclusive right b
1.-the support Of the Virginia people, whose an
cient motto, through many glorious year
was, principles. not men"
$50. t. HOW ABOUT ITS MEMBERSHIP.
But our political adversaries, at fault il
finding any legitimate objection to the Re
! publican party make opposition to us on
4 somewhat fastidious ground. Their objection
4 is, to the personnel of our organizations
Their indictment against our party is, that i
is composed Of ignorant negroes and non ma
tiyes, whom they call carpet baggers, and the
whites who dare to advocate Republican priu
ciples in company with the colored people.
] THE cARPET-BAGGERs.
| have no apology for those ofice-holder
whose only tenure Of residence in the STATE
has been their tenure of office. Unqestiona
bly,, we had too many of this sort during The
period of reconstruction But they are gone
and those non-natives who remain rightly
claim to have become. acclimatizei and dom
ieiliated. They are able to plead the five
years Statute Of Limitations to any indiet-
ment which may be brought against them
for vagrancy. Aud, as Vireinians, we are
bound TO sustain the plea. For we ourselves
are the most universal carpet baggers in the
known world Our best young men have
gone abroad since the war in search Of en-
ployment; aud by no people have they been
received with a more generous hospitality
than by the people of the North to whom
they have borne letters OF Introduction from
| Ii we look as far North as BOSTON, we shall
find that an audaeious earpet-bagging Vir-
ginian there has had himself elected toJon-
gress from the very precincts Of Faneull
Hall. IF we look into the halls of Congre S.
we shall discover that rpet-bagging Vir-
giniaus have been sent there by nom pro-
serlptive constituencies from every point in
the compass Of this broad Union. For the
sake, therefore, of the host of carpet bagging
Virginlans who are scattered all over the
world, We 1aust exercise some Indulgence to.
wards the non-natives, who have cast in
their fortunes with our good old Common
wealth; aud take care not to make Virginia
the only State in the Union, and only country
in The world. Except China and Japan J
notably inhospitable and repellant to stran-
gers.
THE NEGROES ALL REPUBLICANS.
But how shall meet the other objection
of'our opponents, who complain that the ne
groes flock 10 mass to our party, and make
/ III ~ har -, Tc h.,
/ mere factso humble station a sufficient oh
lection to the man in a land Of free insttu :
tions Is it wealth and erudition alone chat
make the citizen here? Has it ceased to be
true that s.aporh makes the man and want Of
it the fellow ?" Is it what mas has, or what
he IS, that gives MIN title to consideration in
this age apa country?
Study TIE character of the lahoring pop
ulation all over the world, and where will a
laooring class anywhere be found so exemp-
larry 10 their conduct, or so elevated in their
morale, all things considered, as the negro
population of Virginia When people of
such approved character flock in body to a
political party, is that al argument against
that party or for 1t
What would have become CT al, the great
reforms of history, if they could have been
put down on account Of the social position Of
those who engaged in them? Il is the rule
with deep reforms, that they are rejected by
panlpered aristocrats and pedantic Rabbs,
and accepted only By the humble in station.
RUMBLE STATION NO, OBJ EcTIoN TO TIE
MAN OR HIS CAUSE.
christianity itself would have persisted in
itsinfancy, if it had depended on the learned
and exalted for the acceptance Of its simple
tenets. Were its doctrines the less right
eous because their only supporters were fish
eruen tent-makers, and uDlettered poor peo-
pie? Was it an argument against their pu-
rIty o. against the berefcence of the Chris
tan dispersation, that they We're rejected by
the educated and influential, and accepted
only by the huaaole and Lowry To the eye
OF the Pharises and S .dducee. the followe s
Of the Man OF Sorrow, were Infinitely more
despisabie. than the humbiest of men with
US, slack or white who advocate those doc
trines which SUM up in restored Union and
loyal Virginia.
1t is a credit to our party that the poor,
humble, helpless members of society nestle
to its. side, aud seek there that relief from
misfortune aud aid in distress which they are
hopeless Of Obtaining from any other source
always feel sense of pride when [ hear
the Republican party denounced as negro
party; because the denuncia'ion implies that
the down trodden negro man looks up to it
as his friend and benefactor. 1t is the glory
Of our party that the laboring class every
where leans upon it, and upon it alone, for
support. That the poor cling to it in their
weakness, and the rich eschew it in their
power, is a pregnant argument to ITS honor
and their dishouor.
Oh what shame upon the Conservative
party of Virginia does the fact proclaim, that
it has driven the negroes in a body from its
protection that it is houading them into
their chosen refuge with all the venom Of
race hatred; and that it is assaiiing their
friends because they are their friends with
all the enginery Of political and social pro
scrjption
1t is not our fault that the wealthy and ed
ucated classes do not join the Republicans
party. If they make a sorong state Fittings
by refusing to join party Of right princ-
pies aud aims it does not lie in their mouth
to blame US because they are not of US.
1t SQUADS badly for the gentry of Virginia
that, as body, by their own confession they
have abandoned to "carpet- baggers and seal
awags" the cause Of the negro laborer in this