The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-11-20
Another Break in the Solid South.

The disruption of the Conservative party
in Virginia. and the utter impossibility Of
the demoralized factions ever coming TO-
gether again in the same Equalization. al.
having their effect elsewhere, as indicated
by the expressions given below from Con.
gresham FELTON,. Of Ga. 1t is notable
fact that the two first States ofthe eleven thai
seeded from the Union, to practically nul.
lily the amendments to the Natioaal Con-
stitution and break public faith in the
adoption OF the poll-tax qualification with a
view primarily of deprivlng the negro of his
constitutional rights, are the first to feel the
revulsiOn of public sentiment against the
leaders who devised and enforced the un.
constitutional action. AS We have remarked
time after time, no party can long survive
that is builded upon the broken faith of the
people. Retribution will come sooner or
later, and when the aveDging judgment Is
once pronounced, there is no foretelliIg its
ultimate effect. The instincts Of the people
are right, and when left free to act in accord
with the dictates of their honest judgment
trust may be implicitly placed in the
conclusion. But the old Bourbon leaders
have always managed to suppress the better
sentiment Of the people for awhile, and
through the despotsm Of the caucus, reck-
lessly ride over all the conservative prompt
ings OF the masses. Endurance, in the course
of time, however, becomes exhausted, and
then it only wants a. bold leader to inaugur-
ate political revolution, and crush the tyr
ranny that has reveled in and rioted upon the
Frustrated rights Of the people.
The wrongs inflicted upon the South
through the madness and folly Of the Demo-
cratic party for the past twenty years no one
can estimate. and now that there is an awak-
ening sense of seh-respect and independence
with the masses, we may confidently look
forward to political revolution that will
sweep the Bourbon dynasty from the power
they have SO much abused, and emanci-
pate the people from the iron rule of
the caucus, which has ever been organized
for the purpose Of pressing the yoke upon
the necks of the constituent body, that the
few scheming demagogues might ride into
power. Parties, to be instruments Of good
and consummate benefts9for the people,
must be borne up by the arms OF the prople,
and not upon their necks, and in the degree.
that political organizations reflect the inner
yearnings of the popular consciousness for
right and Justice will the permanency be.
The correspondent of the Press says, and
to the warnings that are uttered we call the
especial attention of the Bourbon rulers of
Virginia, whose power has been so recently
broken, and whose fate is so little re.
GREETED
Representative FELTON, of the Seventh Geor.
gia district has written an elaborate letter.
on the political situation in that State. in
which he takes the ground that the Democrat
ic party received its death blow on the 18th
day of November; that the verdict OF the
North and the West against it was too deci-
sive and emphatic to be misunderstood, and
that sensible men Of his State, at least, have
now made up their minds to sever them
selves from it. He Gays that the Northern
elections is the old story repeated; that North
ern Democrats would sustain the South in
any mad career they might embark In; that
they told them this before the war and led
them to believe that all that was necessary
was for the South to strike the blow of re-
belliOn, and the Northern Democracy would
respond with armed assistance; that these
promises we're never fulfilled and the South
TO day is suffering from the consequences:
that the anne were lavishly made py the
leaders from the North and the West in the
extra session, leading the South again to be.
lieve that they would be susta ined in the
North in any revolutionary movement
which they might inaugurate against the
radical party. How this was fulfilled the
late elections demonstrate. He says that
independent movements are going on all
over the State. and that the issue now be.
foreth people OF Georgia is how to rid them
selves OF the curse Of Bourbonism, aad that
be would not be astonished If the next
Congressional delegation was con trolled by
the independents element. He says further
that there is not a man in his knowledge in
the State OF Georgia who has watched the
course of political events since the extra
who does not ridicue the idea OF the Demo.
cratic party eiecting the next President:
that the divisions already at work in the
South are SO strong and outspoken as to rem
der it impossible to hold it solic for any Dem-
ocratic. candidate. The letter VIII make
nearly twG columns, and will be made pub
lie at once. 1t will create profound inn
preston throughout the entire South and
will be the Keynote for similar demonstra-
lions in other Southern States, and coufirm
information received In this city for some
weeks and anticipated in these dispatches.