The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-03

future attempt TO array the colored race as
political combination upon any principle of
antagonism between the races" This admir-
able and statesmanlike view of affairs on the
part of the Governor OF the grand old State,
spire hope in every lover of his country.
Then, in the defamation of Governor Kem-
per that Virginia will not be chained to the
car of any party, but will give its support to
those who are intent on promoting
peace, harmony and equal rights between
the North and South, we see
the dawn of better days coming. There can
be no doubt that the Southern people gen.
orally will respond to this declaration. for the
radical party has wronged and deceived them,
and their old democratic allies have neither
been able to help them nor to offer them a
platform on which to stand. The South
needs friends, and it will support those who
prove themselves to be such. AS we have
intimated before in our editorial columns,
this state of things indicates a change in the
political affairs of the country. The South, if
we mistake not, is on the eve of taking pretty
solidly an independent course, and will,
probably, unite with the grangers and free
traders of the West The South and West
have interests in common, springing from
their agricultural pursuits, and they are not
likely to continue much longer the hewers Of
wood and drawers of water for the radical
protectonists of New England. The time is
not distant when political issues must turn
upon the material interests of these vast Sec
tons of our common country.
While commencing the views and temper
of Governor Kemper's message in the matters
referred to above, we cannot approve of the
policy he advocates for the federal government
to assume the debt of his State. Admitting
that Virginia is in peculiar and exceptional
condition D. EsgeSds its debt IL consequence
of the division Of the State by the federal gov
eminent, it would be better that relative
proportion of the debt which East and West
Virginia should bear should be determined by
some means and be paid by these States If
the government at Washington should open
the door to such claim all the States might
demand that their debts be assumed in like
manner This would swell the national debt
enormously, and would lead to that very con-
solidation which the Southerners have always
resisted 1t would be dangerous innovation.
Let the several States work out their own re-
demption- Let them depend upon their own
energies. Arbitration might settle the diff
Guilty between East and West Virginia. The
clo;y, tho Govorc or mo hos for MORA curropcu
in proportion to the population and needs of
the State is reasonable enough. The South
has not had its due proportion. This could
be granted without increasing the volume of
currency in circulation, and by a more equit-
able distribution. The message, as far as it
relates to political matters, to the conservatism
and disposition of the virginians and to the
negroes is worthy of all commentator.
A Happy New Year-The Reign Of
Crime.
It is melancholy to note the long list of
crimes which ushers in the new year. Scarcely
had the chimes of the merry bells announced
that another year was born when the young
nurseling received bloody baptism. The
dangerous classes seem to have run riot, and
on the slightest provocation, or with none at
all, the ready knife sought its victims. In all
the long list of stabbings and cuttings there is
not one where the shadow of q justification can
be shown. In every case the knife was the
agent of cowardly and unmanly vengeance
There seems to be only one effective way
of putting an end to these murderous
outrages which are becoming alarmingly
frequent, and that is the infection of con-
dign punishment. Even in self-defence the
use of deadly weapons ought not to be con-
doned, except where extreme danger to life
can be clearly pleaded in extenuation. The
application of the law on this subject has been
altogether too lax, and there has gone abroad
among the class of roughs an idea that being
worsted in fsticuffs is sufficient justification
in the eye of the law for the commission of
murder. 1t is only by dealing with the ut
most severity with all men proved to have
used or attempted to use murderous weapons
that life can be rendered safe in our city. It
is matter deserving the serious attention of
our courts
The CoMANcHE INDIANS are at their old
work of raiding on the Texan stock raisers and
farmers, with the usual bloody results.
Washington despatch reports the particulars
of raid in which some thirty white men were
killed and large quantity of stock run off,"
The attacking band numbered only forty In
dians, but as they fell on the settlers in detail
the number they managed to kill will not ap-
pear startling When pursued by the troops
from Fort Clark the cowardly cutthroats ran
for their lives, and unhappily succeeded in
carrying some of them away With such In
dams there should be but one policy-namely,
determination. These ComaDche Indians
range the banks of the Rio Grande and make
themselves at home on both sides of the river.
The greatest vigilance should prevail on the