The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-08-20

QOne Tor the district. What ne Las Done was
not done from principle, but for his own ag-
grandizemant, and to further his selfish ellJs.
Sener knew he was representing Conserva-
tive district and he was trying to make friends
among the Conservative PARTY"
Here we have an unqnalitie admission. that
the representative in Cong ess. whom he seeks
to displace, has been II ost faithful one, that
he has done much for MS constituents, that he
has secured numerc lis fAyors for them from the
National Goverpment, bat then, says this sci
oquent' tooter. he did not do it from princi-
pie y WHAT does the man mean? What
'.pr''cerse" would he have q Congressman act
upon i nos to render faithful service tohis con
su.aenfs? Upon what principle OF eloquence,
morals or craftsmanship does he found the
judgement that it detracts from Mr.. Sener's
. merit in doing so, that those upon whom he
conferred the most benefits, were also his po-
litical enemies-those who had voted against
him once, and would probably have no better
sense than to vote against him again, and for
one who would be powerless to help them at
all! Ought he not rather have praised Mr..
Sener for his course: for is it notespecially en-
joined upon Christians to return good for evil
| to do good unto those who curse us and de-
spitefully use us?' And, moreover, what
| right has this blow-gun OF an extinct state of
things to impugn Mr.. Sener's motives for doing
confessed good? Is that ''gentlemanly?" 1t
may be that Mr.. S. did do it for ''his own ag
grantlizement,' in the sense OF desiring the APP
probation OF his people, and to gain their votes
for reelection, bat is that an ambition worthy
Of censure and opproblium?
This eloquent man continues his refined dia-
tribe, as follows:
''Sener was traitor to his party and he was
going to show him up in his true colors. An
army officer was asked if he were to catch Ar
mold what would he do with him. He said he
would bury his wooden leg, and cut Off and
hang the other. lie did not know what part
OF the traitor, Sener, he would cut off, bus he
of the resurrection would never be able to reach
| him.
''Sener is traitor to his party has the
characteristic inaecuracy of statement, of the
apparently not very ''astute" Douglas for,
whether the treason was perpetrated by
Sener against the Republican party OF which
he is a member-in which case, methinks, the
Douglas would rather admire tor whether
the treason was perpetrated against his (the
conservative conglomeIate) party, is not made
clear by this wonderful orator who uses words
with such chivalrous disregard Of the precis-
n IL
ropos is the introduction OF that ancient anec-
dote about Arnold and what a perfect non Sc
gutter is its application to Mr.. Sener; but we
can easily understand, how awe-struck with adj
iniration must have been the Convention, at
the sonorous rounding of the sentence about
burying Mr. Seners s'cdrcass so deep that the
hand OF the resurrection would never reach
him. - powerful Douglas y first, because it was
in such good taste, then from its being so origi
nal albeit, some might have dreamed thai
they had heard it before, and il a Republican
had uttered it they would have even venturec
to pronounce it hackneyed and commonplace
but as it was Douglas, of course it could only
be eloquent and profound.
But the concluding sentence, the wind-up OF
the wind of this remarkable Grafton was thus
This is, must and shall be a chHe-man's
government and the people would never sub
NIT to live here and allow ignorance and vice
to reign in high places"
Passing over with contempt the clap-trap
phraseology about Ignorance and vice. being
exclusive to any party, the first clause Of this
sentence invites some serious comment.
No one but Demagogue would use such
language, and the men who would listen to it
and not feel their intelligence insulted by its
use, are under the reign of an ignorance that is
intensified by the ''vices" Of prejudice and
passion.
! Whate men are in the majority in this coun-
try, north and south, and in Virginia, and,
therefore, in the numerical sense, s'ths is, must
and shall be White-Man's Government
Mr.. Douglas knows this; and that it can new
er be otherwise.
| But, he makes the otherwise deliberately, for
a selfish purpose, after he shas duly gagged, as
he thinks, the intelligence of the average ''Cen-
sentative mind.
| The Vinous, that it is the interest vitality, of
the people Of his District to be in accord with
/ the party that controls the National Admins
tration, which builds lighthouses on their
ssNecks,' dredges their rivers and harbors, and
which, besides, is the Party Of Progress and
Popular Privilege, against old-time Conserva-
tive 1aziness and aristocratic pretentiousness.
He knows, that unless he arouses in these
Underwater People, their pride of white color,
their hate of black color, stirs up rampant pre-
iudice and every passion which war begot and
poverty in peace nourishes, there may lie dan
ger to the empire OF CONSERVATIVES dema-
goglres over them. through their coming to see,
that their true interests-the true interests. in
deed, Of all Virginia present and FUTURE, will
not be subserved by their putting such mouth
| ing orators, as he is, in fat federal office.
where they are entirely useless for good or evil,
but rather will be aided best by placing or con-
tinuing in power such practical men of the sas-
| tute'' stamp of James B. Sener, who has and
can again serve them.
1t is, therefore, to substitute passion for rea-
son, that white ignorance is sought to be in tlis
way claimed lest negro votes should determine
a doubtful election in favor of one white man
over another white man; for that is all this
''White Mans Government cutlery amounts
to, boiled down from the resino,ls sapof trans
parent fact into the concrete black, tar of sCon-
seryative'' phraseoloey.