The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-18

that appeared in the VIRGINIAN OF the
week previous, signed Barbarian. No
one would have thought of the effort OF our
contemporary in connection with barbarian,
had not the quotation been interspersed
through is paragraphs, preceded by verbal
declaration that q ''reply" would be made
to our correspondent. The editorial does
not meet any Of the objections raised by
Barbarian" to the Democratic party or its
policy in Virginia. 1t fails utterly to con-
front single point. 1t is not our purpose,
however, to enter the field OF disputation
properly belonging to our correspondent,
who is amply able to take care of himself,
and had not the VinGicdtor chosen, in order
to make up its space, to assault the personnel
OF the Republican party, VIC should not have
felt called upon to notice its presumptious,
unfair aud unjust assertions. 70 defame
the Republicans OF the county and State is
a chronic habit with almost every democra-
tic speaker and writer, when the fact stands
ont to the compt ehension Of every one who
desires to DC fair. that no class OF persons
are more entitled to the respect OF commune
ty, for inherent and substantial virtues,
than the native Republicans OF the Valley.
There are at least five hundred white Re-
publicans in Augusta county, and we VEN
ture the assertion that for intelligence, I'M
embarrassed wealth, steady, industrious hab-
its, and all the characteristics that go TO
make up the useful citizen, they have not
their superiois in like number OF their po-
litical opponents. But to inform our read
ers as to the style of argument the vindlca-
tor uses to discredit the Republicans of the
State, we produce from its columns the fol-
lowing paragraph:
It consists of three casses--the first and small
est being men from the Northern States, who
tion and association. who have not changed their
convictions since their arrival and are not eX-
pected to, though the majority of them vote in
State elections with the Democracy. while voting
with the Republicans i'll national elections.
These are regarded by the average Virginian with
respect for their integrity, but surprise that any
Democrat. The next class are the office holders,
who are the leaders. and who having changed
their party affiliations without the influence OF
education or association, are regarded with sus-
picion and distrust, though not a few of the A.
class is little selvage of white natives, who from
genuine perversity, or from preference to rath-
er be door-keeper in the house OF the national
ruling power than dweller in the tents Of
pected minority, or from the perspective hope to
satisfy from official pap minds always among the
stew pans have allied themselves with the Re-
publican party. This class is not regarded at all.
And the last class which is the class from which
| the party in Virginia alone derives its power.
and whose proportion in it is 10000 100000
groes to 5000 or 1000 whites 1--WE quote from the
Secretary of the Republican State Committee), is
| composed of lately emancipated blacks, without
education and without political information. and
actuated by natural and intense suspicion OF
| the white population. We submit to Barbarian,
| or any fair-minded man il there is any communi-
| ty that he knows of in the North West that
| would turn over the management CT their State to
party composed as this is, with the ignorant pre-
yailing as nine to one
In the classification Of the white Republic
cans and the scale OF Importance attached to
each class, there is an apparent ''perver-
sity'' of inference that is neither creditable
temporary. Certainly, it has not come un-
der our notice that Republicans from the
North draw distinction between State and
National contests, nor il the spirit OF pro-
scription and denunciation on the part OF
the leaders Of the opposition, governed by the
character Of the election contest that pre-
walls. 1t is always the same whether voting
for President or Governor, and unmeasured
villlfication heaped upon those who deem
it to be public duty to support the party
whose history is but q reflex OF the laws and
Constitution as they are. Why surprise"
should pervade the mind Of ''any man. be-
cause Democracy is not universal in the
South, is mystery to us, especially when
all the facts are considered. The people OF
the South have, by all the forms known to
our civil polity, declared their acceptance OF
the stuaton-which means the amend
ments to the Constitution and the laws for
adopted all that the Republicans contend
for, and why they cannot align themselves
with the party most intimately associated
with their origin and enactment, rather ;h;lll
with the party that has opposed and does
oppose them, is much more reasonable
ground for ''surprise' than that every voter
is not Democrat.
AS to another class, relegated to the office
''stispicion" because they will not continue
in utilization with the Democratic party,
whose policy is to practically nullify the
very laws they are sworn to support, if COLI
sidered apart from the partizan bigotry that
evidently animates our contemporary, it will
be found that their identity with the Repub-
lican party is the result of an education that
should have been more generally recognized.
They Use to seek to live forward and not
backward. They are DESTROYS that the dead
past shall bury its dead, and do not wish to
be constantly growing and snarling and
pining about what has been or might be-
They have declared their fealty to the Con.
stitution and laws, and propose to live up tc
them, and instead of seeking to inauguratt
an impractical policy of frutless and harm
full opposition, to urge the cultivation of +;
sentiment OF national attachment and re-
spect.
AS to holding office under. the national
government, we do not know that that is 6
crime. But how to please the democrats in
this respect is difficult matter. II non-na
tives are assigned to official positions they
are complained of as ''carpet- baggers. Il
natives are commissioned, and discharge the
duties, it matters not how faithfully, they
are greeted as the paragraph we are COM
inenting Oh Indicates. The only way to sat.
isfy them, indeed, would be for the Repub-
lican administration to appoint to all the
offices known democrats, who cannot sleep
well unless they implore cu-ses deep and
loud upon the heads of the ''thieves and rob.
bers,' as they are pleased to style them, who
control the dispensation Of patronage.
The little selvage of white natives,
whose genuine perversity'' according to
the indicator, causes them to rebel against
Democratic authority, so far as the Valley
Of Virginia is concerned, are among our
best, most substantial, and independent citi-
zens. They are Republicans from convic-
tion--neither ask nor expect olfice,-and dc
as much for the general prosperity of CON-
munlty as any similar number OF citizens OF
different politics. The brief soiourn in this
community of the editors of the Vindicator
might seem to forbid that they should speak
SO lightly OF class OF men who have beer