The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-10-02
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA. THURSDAY OCTOBER g. 1873


cry principle and sentiment which had beer
implied in their oaths of allegiance, taken il
1865. But when the vote came on to b.
given in 1862 they found, then, what they
are beginning to find noaO that the people
would not join them in the gross breach OF
faith they were committing towards theil
oath of allegiance. In the spring of 1869
they found that the people would not jor
them in voting down the State constitution
witch the Republican party lad framed, moi
aid them in preventing the re-admission oil
Virginia into the Union. In this strait, what
did this party of most punctilious consisten-
cy do? Did it push on its white-man's
movement, aud stand fast to its secession
platform of 1867 and 1858? No; it chang
ed again. It dismissed Colonel Withers, and
took up carpet-bagger as candidate for gov.
ernor-a circumstance which explains why
the Colonel has had carpet-bag so badly on
the brain ever since. The carpet bag gov
ernor which the party, now so consistently
denouncing carpet-baggers, then made its
candidate was Gilbert G. Walker Its plat
form was equally remarkable. The white
mans party Of 1868 turned complete SOM
ersault, and adopted, in the following words:
| THE WALKER PLATFORM OF 1869:
g We believe that large majority of the in
telligent and rejecting people of Virginia, who
have permanent interest in the prosperity Of
the state, are becoming convinced that soisdom
and sound policy alike demand that they shall &C
cept and carry out, in good faith, the measures
proposed by Congress for the reconstruction of the
southern states, and are DESTROYS of adopting the
| great principles enumerated by the Republican
party of the country
| 1t would require Ross telecope to discover
the smallest speck Of state-rights-ism and sehte-
man. .party-ism in this platform. What did Gov
! ernor Walker himself say of his movement and
| his platform in his opening speech of the cam
| paign of 1869, delivered in Richmond? He
said:
! Fellow citizens; the men who have placed
me in nomination are we'll known to you and to
the people of this state. They are men of sub
| stantial character, men of broad catholic views
and liberal principles. They are Republicans
| am l. x x X
There is but one road which you and can travel.
We must execute the reconstruction laws of Con-
gress promptly and in good faith"
These words were true, and our consistency
party not only supported Walker for governor
but Hunicutt for Congress, both carpet baggers
of the genuine type. One of the objects of the
of our present state constitution. The Conserva-
tives made its adoption as it now stands their
leading object. The two leading clauses in that
constitution standing out of it like the Peaks of
Otter from the landscape, were the following:
81. That this state shall ever remain a mem
Der of the United States of America and that the
people thereof are part of the American nation.
aud that all attempts, from whatever source or
upon whatever pretext, to dissolve said U ion or
to said nation unauthopizpd nd
| ought to be resisted with the whole power of the
state.''
81 That the constitution Of the United States
and the laws of Congress passed in pursuance
thereof, constitute the supreme law of the land,
| to which paramount allegiance and obedience
are due from every citizen, anything in the con
stitution, ordinances or laws of any state to the
contrary notwithstanding"
Could there be a more complete reputation of
state-rlghts politics than is here made? The
vote of the people on these articles (Conserva-
.tives joining in the voe 2l0, $50 for and on
ly 9,l36 against them. Was not here change
of front? These articles of our state constitu-
ton embody in words what was implied in the
tenor of the oath Of allegan which we all took
in 1865. l consistent in voting for these
articles. We're the Conservatives? They a2ere
conslstant with reference to their oaths of alleg-
ance, but were they with reference to their
platforms of 1867 and 1868? When Zenith and
Nadir come together, then can these platforms be
reconcied with the votes of the Con ervatives for
the aboveetwo articles, given in 1869, and their
oaths taken in 1861 We pass on to the winter
J of 1870, when this party of "Grant Admins
tration Republicans, went to Washington to Sc
cure the admission of the state into the Union
Its representatives there did great de al Of dirt
j eating On the occasion. They were wonderfully
profuse of pledges of good behavior, which no
body exacted of them, but which they gave with
( 1I
who had heard their ranting on the stump
against the Underwood constitution in 1868
| Speaker Zeph Turner at the head of committee
from the Virginia legislature, signed, sealed and
delivered written pledge on their behalf. 1t
concerned the state constitution against which
they had made almost as abusive campaign in
1868 as they are now making against me. 1t
contained these words, wonderfully consistent
with those of their party in 17G9;
CONSERVATIVE PLEDGE OF FUTURE GOOD BEHAVIOR
IN 1870.
" Having complied, as we intended to do, and
believe we have done, with every requirement of
the law and, by our conduct in the immediate
past, given the highest and most solemn assur-
ances OF our future action, and because 1t aooU5d
promote eSery interest IN the state X x X The I'M
dersigned pledge themselves and those whom
they represent, that the constitution of Virginia,
voted for by the people on the eth of July 1869,
SH0D Oe JUttHfUIGy 0GTTle0 0W IN SpUat Gnc IN
letter."
Governor Walker followed up the Committee
with equally emphatic assurances and pledges
In his address before the committee of recon-
struction IN Congress, he said, among many
other things.
'sREITERATED ASSURANCES AND PLEDGES OF THE
CONSERVATIVES In 1870.
"We have been in canavass, and it was said
to the colored people that we would accept the
constitution and abide by it, and stand by their
rights, and show at all times that they should be
defended in them. X desire it
known everywhere that the people of the
state in earnest about this m after; that they
are sincere, and have adopted this constitution
and approved the acts Of the legislature under it
honestly and sincerely, and that they will ac-
cept it in entire goodfa IN e' ery particular.
:" the people of Virginia have solemnly pledged
themsevesto maintain the cuI and political rights
Of the colored man, AMI in my opinion there is
not the slightest doubt but that they will faith
fully fulfill Msir pledges. They have said it, and
they will abide by it,"
The people of Virginia did say it, and they will
abide by it; but the Conservative party are not
the people of Virginia, as their present conduct
shows, when tried by the declarations of Cover
nor Walker. Since the first of April last their
continual cutlery has been against the negro.
We come to the year 1872 Do we find the
leaders of this remarkably consistent party boast
ing Of themselves as :. Grant administration Re