Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-10-03

THE CAMPAIGN IN AUGUSTA


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THE CAMPAIGN IN AUGUSTA
QArHsRINe AT rHB CouRr HousE--SPEEcHns OF
CIV KruprR AND Col. WIrHERs-A Hot Re-
VIEW OF RADlcALIsx 1t HAS DONE AND
10 Trying TO po--TAxATIox BY THE RADICAL
PARTY,
TO-, &cn &C,
- The Courthouse hare was packed on
Monday last, to hear the Conservative can
didates-General Kemper and Colonel
Withers, and the audience was noticea-
BILE one, from its character as well as It's
numbers. There were persons present
from SO miles off, and among the promi-
nent veterans were Colonel William A. Ter
,riil. of Bath county, DIR. McChesney, aged
Re who had come Is miles, and Mr.. James
6 Lesley. aged 10, who had come ten miles.
There were gentlemen present, too, VINO
I had not attended political speaking for
veara. There was so large number OF
neople outside the building, unable to hear,
shat proposition to 60 into the open air
was made. but in view Of the inconve-
nience Of the removal, the proposition was
not,acceded to. There were about score
Of negroes in the gallery, who looked on with
$ the stolid, stupid air Of men who didn't
understand what was going on, and didn't
care whether they did or not, as their
minds were already made up which was the
truth. Colonel NJ. G.. Hartman, who pre-
sided over the State Convention which
nominated General Kemper, introduced
him to the audience, and the General was
received with loud applause.
- GEN, KEMPER's SPEECH.
General Kemper said that it was true
that sooner or later, in the history OF every
community, crisis came which settled It's
fate. and it was no less true that we are
now on the eve of a conflict as decisive OF
our fate as were the battles of Waterloo or
Yorktown, or Gettysburg, decisive OF the
questions which gave occasion to them
In this momentous struggle, the citizens
of the proud old county Of Augusta stood
as the defenders of the civilization OF the
future. of himself he had not one word to
say Born and reared under the shadow
of Montpelier, the beautiful home OF that
plain and honest Virginia statesman-Jas.
Madison-he had it almost from the dying
lips of the venerable sage that the Govern
orship of Virginia was place that shoulo
neither be. sought nor declined, and had the
distinguished gentleman at his right. Col.
withers, prolonged applausel been noml-
mated for that position, he should have given
him his earnest and hearty support. He
had always obeyed the call OF his country
, whether in peace or in~war, furious ap-
plausel and should DO so now. The audi
ence must not misunderstood him. lie
had never been for war. In that little
county on the other side of the mountain,
which had been called the South Carolina
of Virginia, be had stood before the people
before the war and proclaimed that the
election of Abraham Lincoln was no cause
for conflict, and he had come now, after
its end, to
JOIN HANDS FOR THE PRESENTATION OF
THE UNION.
He proposed now to investigat calmly the
truth, the justice and the philosophy OF the
great questions before the people. They
do not relate to Federal affairs, nor to the
election of congressman who are to take
part in them, but simply, and it is our
good fortune they do SO, concern the gov
eminent of our own State in affairs which
il has been determined by the Federal
! Constitution belong alone to the State.
i He was. not afraid to refer to the head
of the National Government, Presi-
dent Grant, now installed for another
term Of four years, nor afraid to say that
it would be well for him and well for US it
he 50 administered the affairs of his office
that at its end, judging him by the impair
tial standards of truth and justice, we
might be- able to say to him, well DONE
He should not stoop to attack the personal
record Of his opponent for the Governor
ship; but his political record he should I'M
veil with free hand.
sswHo COMMENCED THIS ROW 7"
The charge now made by the Radical
party that the Conservative party of Vir-
/. ginia had arrayed the whites against the
negroes, was false from their own testimo-
nv. General Grant, himself, when he
made tour through the South after the
war, wrote in his official report that ad-
yenturers from the north had banded the
negroes together in political leagues against
the whites two years before there was any
political organization in Virginia at ALL
These leagues were oath-bound, and among
them the idea, according to General Grant 8
report, was encouraged that the negroes
were to get land. This arraying the blacks
was followed up by the Virginia Constitu-
tional Convention, the Radical members t
which were elected by clearly defined negro
maiorities After getting possession OF the
convention the black line was more deeply
drawn in the laws, and clause of the
Constitution was adopted DISTINGUISHING
nineteen out of every twenty white mon in
the State ;clauses which were voted for en-
masse by the negroes when the Constitu-
ton was voted on and finally Robert W.
Hughes, their candidate for Governor,
crowns the act by his speech at Lynch.
burg last month, declaring that the
NEGRO LABoRINe POPULATION IS BETTER
THAN THE WHITE
laboring population, and denouncing the
whites as mean, cowardly and rebellious in
their treatment of the blacks, whom he likens
to the holy apostles. He excuses them fol
attempting to- enslave the whites in theil
vote on the Constitution, on the ground
= the whites had held them in slavery. Nc
story could better illustrate the matter