The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-09-10
~, -,,,,,nst man. a depra-

man, a thief equal To all honest man, a depia-
vca Mag equal to a vlrluolsS man, ana "l!lch
cal enforce aSntcrcourse between any t"o
OF more men :. .aiilst the will and consent OF
each. Tic Republican party, as party. aims
at nothing more than making the laws JUST aiiu
equal in their operation to all men and classes'
rich and poor. black and white. Having done
this. they are willing to leave the questions OF
equality and Intercourse to depend upon the
character OF individuals, and upon the Will anu
choice of their fellow men. AS to such law
Us General Beauregard "a good Conservative
proposed in Louisiana, and such law as Mr.
Charles Sumner proposed i'll Congress, which
Mr. Greeley advocated; these are not republican
measures, nor are they recognized rs such. Ii
Mr.. Summers bill had been a Republican meas
| IRE it would have been passed long ago; for
the Republican party has had a majority in
each house Of Congress since 1861. Mr.. Sum-
ner's bill has net passed, though advocated by
Mr.. Greeley; because it has never been Re-
publican measure. And I am convinced that
Gen. Beauregard's proposition will never as
seme the form of an enacted bill Of the Virgin
fia legislature by the agency of the Republican
party OF Virginia. We want all men to rise in
the social scale, and we make laws encouraging
them to do so. But it is not the policy of the
Republican party to force social equality or So
cia intercourse. .fl
If General Beauregard be 2 representative OF
Conservative purposes, and Mr.. Greeley and
Mr.. Sumner be true representative men OF the
| Conservative party in 1878 as they were in 1872,
| there might be danger Of such bill passing
the Virginia legislature, by Conservative pro-
curement Such Conservative policy finds no
| favor even--n the. sight of the colored race
| That race voted unanimously for General Gram,
who is not for MIR. Summers bill against Mr..
Greeley, who was for Mr.. Summers bill. The
colored people are not for that bill the Repnb-
| lican party, as a party, is not for that bill;
! General Grant is not for that bill. Who is for
it? Why, General Beanregard is for it. who is
Conservative; Mr.. Sumner is for it, who in
1872. WAS a Conservative; and Mr.. Greeley was
| for it, who was the presidential candidate OF
| the Conservatives last year.
No; the Republican party, unlike the Gree
ley party. has no thought of forcing equality or
intercourse. It. was bound to reconstruct the
government on right principles. 1t was bound
to re-establish the government on the basis OF
equal rights, equal laws. and equal liberties to
all. 1t has discharged its duty in that regard.
| If the colored race derive benefit from its &C
ton, it is glad of the fact aud it will stand by
its acts through good and evil report glad
that the colored man is q recipient of lite bene-
faction. 1t aims to establish Justice, to provide
for fair administration of Justice, and to en-
act laws of which the poor as we'll as the rich,
| the humble as well as the exalted, the lowly as
well as the proud, shall receive the benefit
That end accomplished, its whole wish is a.
chieved 1t has no purpose OF disturbing those
relations of society, which depend, OF right,and
of necessity, upon individual worth, character
and department. IL .Ir tl.if .ft.,s
These sentiments were proclaimed by Col.
Hughes from every stump from which he spoke,
on at least sixty occasiouss, throughout Virgin
ia. He pursued this policy in spite of the OPP
| IT, tI,o
Republican party by emissaries from the North,
on account OF his hostility to the Sumner bill.
IN his letter to Col. Early. written after the
election, and published in the National Repu6-
licdn Of Washington, he alluded as follows to
the sacrifice of votes which this opposition had
cost him. He said:
s'Our platform of 1873 contained no more and
no less of negro equality and negro rule than
4 both parties had espoused i'll 1877.
4 Out course was prejudced in parts OF the State
bv some c0lored man who came out from Wash
| ington, and, in addressing his race, complained
of my denunciations of mixed schools, object
ing to my structures upon legislation seeking to
enforce equality and association of races by
law, and claimed that his race would not be
satisfied without the most thorough social and
political equality of races should be established.
OF course he was in the pay OF the Conserya-
tiyes. tl.
A friend in Washington wrote me that let
tiers had been received there from colored men
in the State complaining OF my hostility to
mixed schools. and OF my criticisms OF MIR.
Summers Civil Rights Bill, and saying that #
they were published they would cost me 3O-O0O
coored votes in the State, unless should pub
lish preptiatory letter. | refused to yield,
and stood upon my declarations reiterated eE-
erywhere, on those subjects [ do not know
L l,oxx, tag net
quence OF my obstinacy."
| Such is the record of the Republican party
of Virginia on the Civil Rights Bill as made by
it's candidate for Governor in the last canvass.
At the late session of Congress, its course was
equally as clearly defined. True it was, that
Mr.. Platt and Mr.. Stowell voted for the Civil.
| Rights Bill hut the three other Republican
members of the House, and Senator Lewis.
four in all. voted against it, which was an e2-
preston of TWO to one against the measure.
We also happen to know that the influence
Zct the party's late candidate for Governor,
,dgc Hughes, was sought and obtained, during
the session, against the Bill. At the solicita-
ton Of friends he wrote strongly and earnestly
to the President and General Butler against
the Bill, and against the expediency Of passing
it. declaring among other things that its pas
sage would break up the free schools system in
the South. The President sympathzed fully
in his views and was averse to the passage OF
the Bill. All that could be done with General
Bntler was to prevent his pressing the Bill to
passage in the House until very late day of
the session, when it failed to get through that
4 branch of Congress-.
We think upon the foregoing facts that any
fair-minded man Of intelligence will acquit the
Republican party OF the nation and the Kepub
lean party OF Virginia, OF the charge of advo-
eating the Sumner Civil Rights Bill. We doubt
now whether it will ever pass the House But
I if it should pass Congress by the votes Of a ma
| jority Of the Republican members Of that body,
the President will not be bound, as the head of
| the Republican party of the nation, to sign it.
The party, as party, has never endorsed this
Bill. Members of Congress will mot vote for
! it, by virtue of any party behest, but only
! on their individual sense OF duty. So the Pres
ident will not be bound to sign the Bill by any
party, dirty or command, but will be at perfect
liberty, as a member Of the Republican party
of the Nation to veto it if he thinks proper to
do So We believe that if the measure goes to