The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-10-02
THE VALLEY VIRGINIAN,
STA U N TON, VA.
Thursday ----- Oct, 2, 1873.

Thursday Oct, e, 1873.
| SPEECH OF COL. HUGHES AT CULPEP-
Err COURTHOUSE, SEPTEMBER 18TH.
Colonel Hughes opened the discussion in
Culpeper in speech OF an hour and half
| He begau by expressing the utmost conf
dence ip his election. He said the Republi-
can party represented progress and develop
ment. It represented the interest of the
country. It represented the principles Of
equal rights, equal laws, and equal liberties
on which the American government was
founded. It was the party of good feeling
Its speakers ana writers were not found abus-
| ing anybody, or any section, or any class or
race of people, Itinvited every man of cap.
ital and enterprise into Virginia, and was
liberal enough to allow all who came to pro-
fess any faith and to entertain and express
any opinion they might choose. It was a
strong party It held every department OF
the federal government and tnree-fourths Of
the state governments. 1t was likely to
hold sway in this country as long as the life
of the youngest man present.
| A party Of good feelings, good principles,
and good motives was likely to hold sway in
the country for all time. The Conservative par
ty Of Virginia, which is a party which rest
ed on hatreds, prejudices, antipathies, abuse,
and sectional ideas could not last long. The
American people and the Virginia people
we're good natured. They might tolerate a
PARTY of hates for a time; but, by 'and-by,
they were sure to give it up and quit it, as
the Virginia people we're now quitting the
Conservative party.
The Republican party Of Virginia was a
branch Of the Republican party of the ma
ton. Her national party, as the state party,
was in favor of internal improvement, by
i the general government, in favor Of univer-
sal education, in favor of justice to oil class
es without reference to color or condition,
and in favor of relief to the people from
the losses brought upon them by the war.
1t was not a negro party; nor was there
any danger of negro rule resulting from its
ascendancy Those who made this pretence
, knew there was no ground for it. They
made it only to deceive weak min ded peo-
pie There were 100000 whites to 100000
blacks in the State. Two thirds of the
counties Of the State had white majorities.
The last legislature had only about thirty
colored men in it. There were three hun
dred and fifty candidates for the next legis-
lature 10 the field, and there were not now
more than ten and would not in the end be
more than twenty-five of the three hundred
aud fifty who would be colored candidates.
The Republican convention at Lynchburg
consisted of one hundred and ffty-seven
white delegate to one hundred and three
colored; showing that the colored men were
not trying even to rule the "negro" party
That convention nominated State ticket Of
all white men by unanimous vote. The COL
ored people were not trying to rule the State.
All they asked was a just administration of
laws, aud some of their own race on juries
which condemned their own race to infamous
| punishment.
Col Hughes then went on to state the OBJ
jections which the people had to the Conser-
vative party. It was party of hatreds and
abuse. 1t sought to make Virginia a hor-
nets nest. Its policy and clamor drove out
all who desired to come in to swell our pop
ulation, wealth and resources. Col. Hughes
then took up the claims of the Conservative
party to consistency. He dwelt at length on
this subject:
| THE SEVEN DIFFERENT CONSERVATIVE PLAT
! FORMS.
The most Objectionable characteristic of
the Conservative party is its infdelity to
principle. Inconsistency be crime, then
is it doubly, triply, quadruply, criminal
| IT, hoe hod DC MANY nj. foru,s oincn tho yUor
as there have been elections. And so con-
scious is it Of its own infrmities in this re-
spect, that it feels it necessary to cry out
Justify and continually against my own in
consistency, to conceal its own many faults
in this regard.
I had been up to 1865, all my life, a
warm state-rights, southern man. 1t has
been the habit of my enemies to praise the
ability and earnestness Of my exertlons in
that cause down to the fall Of the Confedera-
cy. They now go back sixteen and twenty
years to hunt up violent articles in the Rich
moad Examiner (Which every one who is
acquainted with my style knows never
wrote. but for which own myself response
BILE if they were published between 1858
and 1857 } to show the extravaganza Of my
zeal for the southern cause. Yes, was
faithful to the southern and state-rights
cause as long as there was one ard no man
in all this land has ever impeached my fidel-
ity to it, or can impeach it,
But the southern people staked their
cause and their peculiar principles on the
issues of battle They fought gallantly, and
they lost the stake. They were overcome
in arms, and forced to pass under the eau
dine Forks Of the conqueror. Nay, they
each, without compusiol and voluntarily,
took an oath in these words:
PLATFORM OF THE CONSERVATIVES IN 1865.
81, James L. Kemper, do solelnnly swear
in the presence of Almighty God, that I
will henceforth faithfully support, protect,
and defend the constitution Of the United
States and the Union Of the States thereun-
der; and that 1 will In like manner abide by
and faithfully support all acts of congress
! passed during the existing rebellion with ref
erence to slaves, SO long and 50 far as not
repealed, modified, or held void by congress
or by decision Of the supreme court; and
that will in like manner abide by and faith
fully support all proclamations Of the Presi-
dent made during the existing rebellion hav-
ing reference to slaves. SO long and so far as
Mt ,nod;fad or dec1ared void bv decision oc