The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-09-25
THE VALLEY VIRGINlAN
st A U N TON, VA.
Thursday ------ Sept, 20, 1870
Tho bnrtban of the speeches of the va

The burthea Of the speeches Of the Va
rious speakers at the two Kemper Clubs form
ed in this City last week, was the negroe
and poor South Carolina. When it is re:
membered that the negroes have practical
majorities in only ten counties in the State
the sincerity of the apprehensions OF the con-
servatives can be appreciated. Having DIG
tinctly made the issue Of the white man against
the negro for party purposes they now sayteey
had nothing to do with it, but that it was fore
ed upon them. How was it forced upon them!
Because the negroes would not vote the Oon-
servative ticket, and assist in placing in pew
er the class Of men, who have brought the
State credit to the lowest ebb, piled stupen-
duous debt upon the people, sqnandered
S25. 900 900 of available State assets, and
paralized public enterprise by driving away
foreign capital and immigration. The poll
ey is openly proclaimed Of driving tho negroe
u,
party which has accomplished these results.
Of course this will be the spirit that is to
greet all others who choose to differ with the
Conservatives as to the best policy for the
development Of the State. No man will fee
free to come to Virginia, and no man ofspir-
it and enterprise will come who is not willing
to be led by these men Its the old "know
Nothing spirit reviewed. It was America
for Americans" in 1855, ard now it is "Vlr-
GINA for Virginians," and those who do not
think this fatal policy that which is best for
Virginia, are to be ostraciyed, denounced,
and debarred social and business privileges.
We know Of a number of Northern gentlemen
who came to the Valley Immediately after
the war, purchased lands and have been I'M
proving them. Then party lines were not
defined Now that they are, and they have
given preference to the Republican party as
representing their ideas of progress and pros
Aerity, they are snubbed. These gentlemen
have determined to sell out and leave the State.
They say they can go to other States, where
their social aud political rights will be respec-
ted and where a man is judged by his intrin-
sic merits. The same spirit that gnimates
the conservatives in warning upon the labor
element of the State, denouncing intelligent
and useful immigrants as "carpet baggers,"
and natiye Virgipians, who will rot allow
them to do their thinking, as 'scalawags,"
will constitute an eaectual bar against all APP
preachers to Virginia territory, by the cap
italists and enterprise Of the North and West.
The negro is simply voting to sustain the
constitution and laws Of the country. He Is
doing precisely what the Conservatives
pledged themselves to DO, but which pledges
they are violating. What evidence of bad
citizcnship has he given? Mona under the
heavens. He is denounced just as the white
immigrant, and the voters who do not sup
port the Conservatives are denounced. The
identical spirit that develops in organized
hostility to the negro, is applied to the i'm
migrant and the native Virginiau. It is
party intolerance and despotism. It is the
contemplate assumption Of superiority,
by men who have never shown any evidence
of their practical intelligence in the manage
ment Of the affairs Of State. They know
that there is no danger of any other than
men DEVOTED to the true interest Of Virginia
getting control of the State by the election
Of Hughes. They know that no legislature
that it is possible to elect, would legislate
more harmfully to the interest Of Viiginia,
than they have done themselves. Their cou-
trolling motive is to continue to hold the Of
fees, and squander the money oe the people.
It is not the honor, the present interests or
the future prosperity Of Virginia that they
are looking to. It is the offices, and the
privilege Of still further Expressing the peo-
pie, by squandcring every cent of revenue
that is gathered by the tax-gather from the
impoverished taxpayers.