The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-12-30
Causes Of Vnginia's Prostratlon.

arn States which have visited Virginia, and re-
ported in glowing terms upon the wohaeriui
material wealth of the Commonwealth, the al
rractiveness of the climate ETC., and that has
been the last of them Coming down to- more
serious humor, our contemporary says W.
would have our Northern friends continue 10
c,me along in their excursion companies ana
would be always glad to see Them but we
would prefer that TIN y would come' hefe"itei'
with their cash bags, their tools Tor work. l''e'i
families and their goods and cllattcls, prepared
to stav with lis. Buy our lands, set to work
with their Yankee enterprise ia good earnest !
if they really mean business. In all que re-
sheet. that is what we should like to see llttie
more of in connection with these excursion
iaunts away down in Dixie"
There are various causes which operate
aoainst the ends the Gazette desires, ana SO
lono as the causes exist the effect will follow.
We conyerse;. with an intelligent Northern
gentleman few weeks ago, who hao peeh W.
specting the coal and iron deposits OF Virginia.
recognized their great value, and expressed Tue
opinion that they would be source OF great
wealth and prosperity to our section M some
future period. But it would be after, ne sai'i'
we had ceased to manifest, at every election,
rhe hitter sectio al spirit that cropped ont
whenever any national issue was Suggested
We stated to him that was not the real 1eeilhg
of our people-tliat the masses did not at leare
sympathize with the political demasognes III
springing the race question, and denouhc'hs as
carpet-baggers and scalawags those WHO sup
ported the national government ana the laws
Of the country. He responded that such might
be the fact. but that the citizens OF the Morrill,
who are reading people, had nothing else'to
Judge from but the sentiments uttered by lie
newspapers and public speakers, and these were
SO sectional and violent that Northern nleii'
whose opinions were in harmony with INC ma
onal spirit and feeling of that section, dlu
not care to invest their money where 1hey
could not with propriety and self-respect come
themselves and bring their families, and ENJOY
the same freedom of opinion and liberty OF ac-
ton, without prejudice, that they did at their
homes. This train Of thought has been assign
ed by numerous Other gentlemen, VINO nave
visited Virginia, as reason Tor not illVesti'is
and locating here. They have their opiiii"iis
about political questions-taey have been eau
Gated to express them without hindrance or
preiudce-and will not voluntarily encounter
the bitter denunciation that cilaracterlzes tile
disputations of the Conservative press anu
speakers of Virginia in every political contest
The surplus capital of the North IS largely III
the possession Of Republicans, and IL Is NOT
natural that they should seek Investment 1or
If. where to declare their convictions as to
public policy and public men. as freely as they
do in the North, would bring down upon them
epithets that gentlemen are not in the habit OF
giving or receiving.
Blinded by partizan passion, and governed
by shallow understanding of human NATURE
the leaders and opponents Of the Conservative
party OF Virginia are doing more to PROSTATE
the Commonwealth than IN invading army.
With undeveloped wealth vast enough to make
an enpiFe Of the State in all that goes to make
j people respected and powerful, we are left to
y with poverty, idleness
t&SA elx at:easse the neonIe WIZ
Il tgate l,fSF hi fa3f3Sei of the partlZan D9Ots
= W. Control the Conservative party The lie
nuh,iaat party Of the Asaeiona is recognized as
the true ffignd Of the government and its laws
The controllissg minds IN the organization were
true to the 1y1taa III sts days Of peril. The
impress Of their stia;otisna sna wisdom is left
upon the laws that nan been enacted and the
conditions that have bcsik imposels p the ad
istment of the diflicultics4sf the war me %
servance of these laws aud coio's constitute
the essence Of lis creed. 1t is rot eonsiue IS
treason, in the North, to be calIesMa hepuo''
can. 1t is not regarded as the cvidensSs< n "
worthy citizenship to act iii concert WNfs (
party whose history is illustrated by so may
testimonials of national feaity, and devotiepNS
tn. best interests of the country. The Repab@
lican party of Virginia is a part OF this greao
national organization-the same adherence TO
natural ideas-the same identity with the con-
stituuion and laws is its ambition-the same ar
guments adduced by its representatives to ell
tighten and convirc e the popular mind. With
this knowledge, the Republicans OF the North
cannot understand why Republicans in Vr-
ginia are not treated with the same respect
and consideration that is extended in the North.
and conclude that it is an under-current OF
hostility to the government, stimulated py sec
tonal annosity and sectional fanatlclsm. In
this they are confirmed, when they see such
denunciatory paragraphs as that which appear
ed in the Richmond Dispatch OF the 25th inst.
in reference 20 Gen. Sherman. because, III the
ardor of his devotion to national unity and ma
tonal honor, he chose, at recent banquet, to
say in substance that so long as the South re-
spected the Union and the constitution the cItl-
zens would be greeted with feeling OF ma
tional determination, but should there be mani
tested disposition to revive the issues decided
by the war and repeat the tragedy OF 1851,
they would be met by the same spirit that pre-
served the American Union, and crushed IFS
enemies in 1865. It had the appearance OF a
very slight prctext, for so vicious an assault as
the Dispatch saw proper to make upon the
General Of the armies OF the Union, and could
nationally be traced to latent hatred to the
cause he represented, rather than any crime in
the sentiment uttered by Gen. Sherman.
In keeping with this ill-judged spirit mani
tested, not only on this occasion, by the Dis
patch, but whenever the least imaginery provo
cation is given, was the utterance of Rev. j. j.
Lafferty in referring to the remarks of Bishop
Haven. He could not content himself with
simply dissenting from the language of Bishop