The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-11-20
We Want New Blood ].

/
e means BY which the most people car, gain
q the greatest gdode tfGlt9I ohio b3A satSs.
IN Virginia, on the contrary, we know but
little OF such questions as these Shall we
T. have more local and less national govern
o ment, or shall we have more national and
! less local governmental Shall we have hard
money or shall we, have soft money? We
seem to be not yet ready to discuss these
questions which involve the true interests
/ OF the whole people OF the United States, the
questions which experience and lf0r6sip ht
must determine. That we have not the
foresight is owing to the fact, that we have
not the advantage of experiences from which
to reason, and that we have not had expe-
rience ourselves as to the fact that we W i'll
not study the experience OF others.
But why will we not study the experience
} OF others? For the unfortunate reason that
since the war we have done nothing but
grumble over our losses. These losses were
great. First Of all, we lost our cause; we
lost much OF our property; but we did not
lose our lives or means Of living. We played
desperately, we failed to WIN, and we must
make the best OF it. Instead of doing this
many have been meping ever since the close
of the war, and we are reminded by the ia
miliar phrase ssHow time fiies'' that these
Virginians have moped not two or three
years, but nearly fifteen years. How can
we expect the progress of Virginia to be
quickened by men who do nothing but groan
| for fifteen years. Such men as these are
worthless as citizens. They may talk as
much as they will about sspoor old Virginia.
but they are doing their State more harm by
their discomfort than was ever done by the
thousands Of Federal soldiers that invaded it.
| These are the men who,grOwn imbecle by
| mourning over losses instead Of trying to
retrieve them, were the willing prey Of Gun
ming demagogues. Caring more for the
property they lost than for the patriotism
| they ought co cherish, they make life bitter
by living for the past instead OF making life
sweet by living for the future. Their own
| future, to be sure, may in the course OF hu-
| man events be short, but their hopes should
bs for the future of their children. They
seem never to have thought of this. They
were SO busy thinking about what they lost
during the war that they never Thought what
their children would lose in years to come
by the injury that Virginia must suffer by
the loss of her credit. The selfishness of
such course will be punished with terrible
retribution in accordance with that strange
inexplicable law that the iniquities of the
fathers shall be visited upon the children.
There is, however, a remedy for the dis
ease, although it will be slow remedy. We
can still look to immigration. We, want
new blood. We want men who have never
heard SO foul a phrase as ''Honor never
bought breakfast but who know that
honor can give, not loudly give, not loudly
buy, the satisfaction of feeling that you are
doing right. The so-called victory OF the
Wrong party has been, after all, only a
scrape-through. The fight has just begun.
1t will be Only personal struggle. How
ever the Regulators may boast, they can
not repudiate.
In the Governor and the Supreme Court
there is honesty with legal power. A few
unwise and unnecessary changes may be
made among the officials at the Capital in
order to recompense some men for what
they have done during the canvass. but we
hope chat majority will be found in the
Legislature who will prefer to entrust the
interests OF the State rather to experienced
public servants than to those who know
nothing as yet of the duties of these offices.
Office should never be gift This princi-
pie holds good from the positions Of Cover
nor and United States Senator down to the
humblest office in the Commonwealth. The
sooner all Virginians learn this the better
will it be for them a1d for their children.
The above article from the State sounds
very much like reproduction of the senti-
ments which have for years past been pre-
sented through the columns of the VIRGIN
Ian, as to the folly and madness of trying
to live backwards instead OF forwards. Had
the press Of Virginia co operated with us in
an honest effort to educate the popular mind
up to an acceptance of the irreversible facts
of history, and to the changed condition in
which we found ourselves after 1865, many
OF the embarrassmenrs which environ us
would not now be realized. 1t is, however,
never too late to do good. While not adopt
ing some of the terms it employs to designate
those who favor the McCulloch settlement
for we do not believe the general body Of
those who voted with the repealers, desire
to ''repudiate" any part Of the debt, but that
it was only from Misrepresentation OF the
facts chat their action was controlled I've
heartily sympathize with the general tone Of
the article. It was for the reasons given in
the article that We have opposed the Con-
sentative party. That organization has been
fed and nourished upon just such food as the
State bemoans as death to Virginia, and but
for the bitter prejudice which controlled its
policy and the lenunciatory epithets en-
ployed to break the force Of the arguments
directed against it, the Com monwealth would
be far in advance of what she now is. in
material development and general pros
perity. l1.s-sait .ioaf7 Z II ~
Whatever causes have brought about this
change Of sentiment and expression, the en-.
tire State is to be-; congratulated on the re-
suit, for itgives encouraging promise for the
future, and assurance that more liberal
thought is to be inculcated, and wiser policy
to control. ...
We have no apprehension Of any serious
effort to disturb the settlement of the debt
question as fixed in the McCulloch bill. The
practical minds among those elected as re-
adjusters will not be long in perceiving that
it will be utterly impossible to disturb its
arrangements. The fact Of majority Of the
Legislature being composed of readjusters,
will facilitate the operations Of re-funding,
and close the conditions before the present
Legislature shall have served out Its time.
The debt question is practically settled, and
to all intepts and purposes is dead issue. 1t
cannot possibly be brought before the people
again tor two years, and by that time the
whole matter will have been disposed Of, the
agitation set at rest, and the State be placed
on the highway to prosperity, under the new
order Of public affairs which now promise to
control. All that can be done by the pres
ent Legislature will be the election of a few
basement officers, United States Senator
and the county judges. In all Of these the
Republicans, by using their power for the
best, may be instrumental in arresting any
imprudent action and combining the selsc-
tions to be made to men representing the
genuine interests Of the people and the good
name and repute of 4 the Commonwealth.
Above allthings, the judiciary should be
guarded against the Invasion Of mere part.
izan sentiment and the determination
every one be directed bysa proper .apprecia-
ton Of the. great interests involved. -
We confidently hope for prudence and
discretion in all important matters which
shall come before the Legislature, and when
the feeling and passion excited by the heat
~ a hittar nolitina1 nrrtoot hall /.