The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-05-22
Southern Sentiment.

Southern Sentiment.
The New York Times is one of the fair
est papers in the United States. While very
decidedly Republican in its convictions, and
the principles Of the party with
great earnestness and ability, it has none of
the petty denunciation and slang abuse
which too frequently characterize the
press Of both political parties. In its issue
of the goth it defends the Southern people
from the imputation that such journals as
the Okolona State reflect the better senti-
ment of the South, and that such speakers
as Mr.. Blackburn represent the views of the
substantial business men of the Southern
States. 1t says: ''There are three or four
trumpery sheets printed in the South whose
violent language has made them infamous.
Mississippi has couple Of this sort-with-
out ability or character, or anything enti-
Ting them to notice. Their rawlings have
been quoted in the debates as evidence of
Southern opinion. No sane man would
propose to hold Northern State response
BILE for the trash printed in some of its
Greenback papers; and it were just as unfair
to make the South accountable for the stuff
printed at Meridian or Okolona. If we are
to take the newspapers of section as the
guage by which we may estimate the ten
denotes of opinion, We mnst adhere to the
safe rule by which I'VE should desire the
Northern press to be Judged, considering it
n low 70 No,.tb tod
the general results cast doubts upon the
representative fidelity of the Southern ma
jority in Congress; they may represent the
professional politicians Of the South, but
certainly they do not represent its respecta-
BILE and influential newspapers"
All this is true, as far as it goes. We go
farther, however, and speak of what we
know. when we assert that two-thirds
of the Democratic newspapers of Virginia,
especially, do not reflect the conservative
views and opinions of the business men of
the State. Among our exchanges we may
mention the Richmond State, Petersburg
Post and Norfolk Ledger, as coming nearer
to fair reflection of the honest convic-
tons of the people than all the other DEM
ocratic papers of Virginia, and the Rich
mond Dispatch and Wing as greatly falling
short of such representation. The fact is,
the people of Virginia, in representative
sense, have very little sympathy with the
Democratic party as championed in Con-
gress, and in the majority Of the papers
identified with that organization. They are
free to denounce the extra session of Con-
gress and the political agitation which has
distinguished it, as all out of place and
harmful to the best interests Of the coun-
try. We hazard nothing in saying, apart
from its identity with party nominalism,
that the VALLEY VIRGINIAN comes nearer
rejecting the sentiments of the great mass
Of the intelligent business men of the
State, than all the Democratic papers in it.
We have this assurance, in a tangible form,
from nearly all portions of Virginia and
West Virginia, where gentlemen who are
interested in the material enterprise and
practical concerns of every day life, and
are aiming to secure a prosperous future,
are free to express their condemnation Of
Democratic folly and recklessness. The pro-
fessional politicians, of course. are not in
cluded in this reference, but the intelligent
farmers, mechanics, merchants and bust
ness men generally, will bear us out in this
assertion. The provincial Democratic press
Of the State represent nothing but the pet
ty whims and schemes Of curb-stone poll
ticians. They never aspire to an under
standing of the true interests of the Com
monwealth, or the discussion of any gov
ernmental principle or policy as the result
of honest conviction. Their highest ambi-
ton is attained when they can excite a
clamor about some catch-penny sensation,
and inflame the prejudices and passions of
those who do not think for themselves, and
do not reach conclusions from rational pro-
cesses.
A better day is dawning upon Virginia.
The influence and power Of the caucus is
perceptibly weakening, and the people are
looking above the devices of the trading pol
iticians, who care nothing for the welfare
of the Commonwealth and the advance
Hent of her material interests. We expect
to see the time in this State when political
writers and speakers will have to address
the reason rather than the passions of the
people to receive respectful consideration,
and when public questions affecting the bu-
siness welfare of the State will be accepted
OF rejected on their merits, without refer
ence to the party nominalism with which
they are identified. And until that day does
come we need not expect any great adj
yancement in material wealth and indus
trial enterprise.