Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-09-11
SPEECH OF Coz. WFrHERs.-Col.


E. Withers, who occupies the second
place on the conservative State Ticket,
addressed large and enthusiastic
gathering of the white people Of
Shenandoah county,at the Court House
Oh Monday last.
We regret that we can only give our
readers brief synopsis of his able and
eloquent speech. He said, FIVE years
ago as the standard bearer Of the con
sentative party of Virginia, he en-
deavored to show to the people of
Shenand. ali, the utter IN | irretrievable
ruin that would follow the adoption of
the State constitution as it came from
the hands of its framers-the ignorant
negroes with the manicles of slavery
Just stricken from their hands, and
their allies, the lean and ravenous
pet-baggers. In that great struggle
the lines were clearly drawn. 1t was
contest between the white people of
Virginia and the negroes, their former
slaves, urged on by miser able carpet
baggers. He then declared himself the
champion of the white mans party
against the black cohorts and their
white allies. To-day, he occupied the
same position. The contest was the
same. The lines were sharply drawn.
Shall the white man or the negro rule
the destinies Of the Statef
He said Col. Hughes, in his Lynch
burg speech said it was mean, cowardly
and unchristian for the white people Of
Virginia to wage this contest of color.
He denied that the Conservative party
raised this issue The radical party
was responsible. In 1865 before the
organization of the Conservative party,
the negroes to man formed themselves
into secret societies known as the Union
League-an organization hostile in the
greatest degree to the white people of
the State. In 1867 they framed Con-
stitution which unequiyocally raised
the issue between the races. Almost
every provision of that constitution
discriminate in favor of the negroes as
against the whites. Every white man
who was true to his state was dis
qualified from holding office or sitting
on a jury. No one, who could not take
the infamous test oath could vote,
In short, it was an instrument which
ostracized every true and honest Wiz.
ginian, yet made every negro in the
State, however, ignorant and dishonest,
eligible to every Office from constable
to the chief executive of the State. As
an lncontrovertible proof that the
Radicals are responsible for the contest
of color, Col. Withers called attention
to the fact, that when the Constitution
was submitted to the people of Vir
gina, with the privilege Of voting on
the DISTINGUISHING clauses separately,
the negroes voted as unit to retain
those clauses which, as he stated before
disqualified every true Virginian from
voting, sitting on jury or holding
Office, while over 100000 of the white
people of the State, voted to give the
negroes these privileges.
Col. Withers then drew parallel be
tween the condition of Virginia under
the Consel yative rule and that of her
sister States under Radical domination.
He spoke of the enormous increase in
local and state taxation in all of the
Southern States, amounting in some in
stances TO S11 so in the 500, - of the
fearful increase of state debt ofthe same
Southern States, and yet not one mile of
railroad was constructed, although-mil
lions of dollars ofState bonds were is
sued for this purpose. Enormous school
tax is levied and collected in these States
but not one Of them had free schools