Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-07-29
The Outlook.


possible, of course, to say with what interest
and spirit the people of Virginia will enter into
the contest But there is reason to believe that
the coming canvass will be conducted, on both
sides, with an energy and ardor seldom surpass-
ed in the annals of party warfare in the State.
And if SO, there can be little doubt as to the
result. If the Conservatives are as thoroughly
aroused before the 4th of November as they
were in the exciting campaign of SO, they will
achieve victory even more brilliant than that
they achieved then.
The relative strength of the two parties has
been measured mors than once, and, saving the
meagre majority for Grant against Greeley last
fall, there is not the slightest ground for the
most sanguine Radical to contend that the
stronger party is weaker, or the weaker party
stronger now than at any other time since the
two antagonistic organizations were first array
ed against each other. The electoral vote of
Virginia was cast for Grant, not because there
had been change in the sentiment of the peo-
pie on the subject of Conservatism not because
the Radical ranks had been increased by Access
slons, from the ranks of the other party; but
because there were thousands of the truest men
In the State, earnest and consistent Conserv-
tiyes, who refused to participate in the contest.
And they refused to vote, not because they were
more Indifferent to the cause which they had
previously upheld, nor because they were less
opposed to Radicalism than they had been, but
because they were so jealous, so mpromis-
ing, SO inhexible in their adherence. to their
own political principles, and in their opposition
to those of the other party, that they could not
be persuaded to support candidate who had
been identified with party obnoxious to the
Conservatives of Virginia. If those voters had
voted in the Presidential election, Greeley, and
not Grant, would have carried the State, and
by majority more than ten times as large as
that which can be counted for the ticket by
which it was carried.
In the approaching contest for the Governor
ship of Virginia, those anti Greeley Conserva-
tives will have no such reason for inaction as
they had last November. The candidate of their
party will not be Objectionable to them. The
most exactiug, punctilious and straight laced a.
mong them will find no cause of complaint in
the nomination. We do not know, of course,
upon whom the convention will bestow the
honor and impose the responsibility of leat ing
the Conservative party In this campaign; but
there is not the remotest danger that he will be,
or can be, in anywise associated with suspicion
OF being in sympathy with any man or any
measure having the slightest kinship with Rad
icalism. He will not be as Mr.. Greeley was,
>amenable to the unanswefable charge of being
fresh from the enemys camp, and coming to
us only as an opponent Of the EXTREMIST mea-
sures of the policy pursued and proposed by
those In antagonism to us. Our candidate will
be Conservative whose Conservatism is be-
yond question.
The white men of this State, the Conserya-
tive voters of Virginia, have an exalted duty to
themselves and to their posterity to discharge
in the approaching election. They have the
issue before them positively and plainly They
see the negroes all on one side in opposition to
them, and it is imperatively i'm portant that they
shall all, also, be united in resisting with their
ballots the effort Of the inferior to wrest political
power from the superior race.
The Conservative party has never had the
design or desire to deny the negro any of the
rights of citizenship with which he has been
invested by the cardinal laws Of Virginia, not
less than by the Federal compact between the
States. 1t has accorded to him all the advan-
tages to which he can claim to be entitled un-
der the new order of things recognizing his
rights as freeman. 1t has done all it could do
for him, except make the vain attempt to leg
islate him into an equality which by divine
edict has been forbidden to him. But with all
this the colored man is not content. He wants
more, more; his motto is higher, higher. :"
He knows he has tremendous majority in his
party. He knows that without him the Radi-
cal party in Virginia would disappear in an
hour. He knows the force Of his numbers, and
he means to use it.
With one race on one side and the other race
on the otHA side, it is too plain to require
argument to elucidate it, that there is contest
between them for the mastery in directing and
controlling the government of the State. The
great issue then is whether the white people or
the black people shall have ascendency in the
operative political power of Virginia. Let the
Conservatives of the State ponder this grave
question and decide it as they have heretofore
decided tin favor of the superior race. The
Conservative party has no ill feeling for the
negro. 1t has dealt fairly and justly with him
and it will continue to do SO.
It will sustain him in his rights, and protect
him in his liberties; but it will never admit that
he is, or ever can be, the white mans equal,
except politically. It will never admit that he
ought to have control of the legislation of the
State It will never admit that the black man
is, or can be, fit to be the ruler of the white
man.
The Radicals seem determined to carry Vir-
GINA at the November election, and will strain
every point to do so. 1t is stated that Navy
Department, at the request Of Virginia politi-
clans. has promised to order all work that is
necessary to be done between now and next fall
to the navy yard. This will necessitate the in
crease of hands at this establishment whose
votes will count heavily in the November cleo
ton.
In Charlottesville on the evening of the 2lst
inst, about 3 o'clock, Clarence, eldest son of
DR.. John Thornley,, surgeon United States navy
citizen of this place, accidentally shot him
II L, j L.