The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-05-01
The South and the Government.

The New York Herald, which has for
sometime been leaning to the Democrats,
and apologizng for many OF their shert-com-
ngs, is getting somewhat disguised with
the extreme utterances of leading men of
that party on the floor of Congress, and with
the programme they propose to carry out.
In its issue OF the Goth it says, editorialy
Southern men of a certain extreme stripe
OF so-caIled democratic politics have got q
case before them upon which they may fair
IL claim that ''peace hath its victories" Of
sort more remarkable than any gained in
war. At one time in their lives the great am
bition of many Of those gentlemen was to
destroy the federal government. With that
administrative machinery smashed up or
badly crippled the States would necessarily
be left to themselves. All the possibilities
of coercion won be ended. Hence the
process by which the South was to be freed
from the bond of union with the North was
to be the destruction of the government
which gave effect to the obligations of that
bond. Some Southern men had other lucas
Ut the real point in the war, but that was
a prevalent and popular one. For five years
the South tried to carry out that programme,
and the bitter and bloody struggle ended in
failure and ruin. But to-day in the United
States Congress the South has almost within
reach the attainment Of that very purpose
which it so persistehtly sough. in war. By
the use of the power acquired in constitu-
tonal way the South can successfully deny
to the administration the means to carry on
the government, and without money to carry
on the machinery, the machinery will perish,
aud there will cease to be national govern
ment. Nominally it is the democracy that
does this but the democracy is once more
as it was anciently-the South plus the
Northern allies of the South.
IMPORTANT TO FARMERs.-Belew will
be found a circular from the Commissioner
of Agriculture of the State, addressed to
the farmers of Virginia. We trust the far
mers of Augusta will respond to the circu-
cular by contributions from the immense
deposits found in every section of this coun-
ty. With very little trouble capital may be
directed to where it will find profitable in
vestment. The circular is as follows:
ITO The Farmers Of Virginia
wish to obtain specimens of the miner
ais, timbers, and other resources of each
county in the State. You can greatly aid
me in doing so. Such collection will be
very advantageous to the State and to your
| counties.
Specimens OF iron may be sent the size of
one or two bricks. coal rather larger, and
other minerals of such smaller size as may
be convenient. Timbers may be two or
three feet long, one or two inches thick,
and six inches wide, and dressed, if conve-
nient.
| The railroads have all granted rec trans
portation by freight, for minerals and tim
| bers.
When these specimens are sent, give
written description Of the exact locality,
probable quantity, and the means of access,
and whether the minerals have been mined,
or are being mined now, and with what
| facilities and success. At the same time I
hall be glad TO have any information about
your county which may be of public in.
| terest.
Yours, very respectfully,
THOMAS POLLARD,
Commissioner of Agriculture.