The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-09-30

eminent, and the Democratic candidate for the
/ Presidency congratulates the alliance upon a
supposed success, it comes with bad grace
/ from any Of its supporters to prefer the charge
OF communism against any other organization
| And when this same party can base its hopes
of success in the State of New York upon the
cooperation of the slums and the ignorant and
dehauched Titf-raff of the haunts of vice and
| crime, and maintain by its votes in Congress
| the most mischieyous and dangerous schemes
of imitation, thus directly assailing the honor
have no farther to go to find congenial spirits.
! The attempt TO justify solid South by any
of the references Mr. Stuart has made in his
adroit and we'll reconstructed letter. win not
carry conviction to any thoughtful and impair
tial mind tits simply an indictment against
the results Of the war and the constitutional
amendments and the laws to give them effect
These every Southern State in its cardinal law
is pledged to support. 1t is the penalty of
their violation which operates hardship and
not the laws themselves. Ifthe same purpose
to abide by them in good faith prevailed that
has been manifested to eyade or circumvent
them, there would be no complaint to make ;
instead of adhering to The Democratic party,
which represents the retroactive spirit and
purposes of the country, a cordial and earnest
cooperation with the Republican party had
| been given, in their observance in letter and
in spirit, there would have been no conflict of
race interests or cause to rail out against the
government because Of negro citizenship and
the operation of the laws of the country. 1t
is the peryerse purpose to attain through q
hostile political organization, and defiance of
law and pligIfted faith, that which would have
worked in perfect harmony with all the inter
ests of the government and dignity of the
States, conserving the peace and promoting
the prosperity of all sections alike. Had rea-
son and Judgment instead of prejudice and
passion directed the political action of the
South, and identity with the party which rep
resents the results we are pledged to observe,
and not blind devotion to a political organiza-
ton which in its history stands opposed to
Il
different condition of things to contemplate
But old-line Wings abandoned the principles
of government they had ever protested, and
joined in with the party they had ever OPP
posed, to antagonize the Republican party
which held to the same view of admnistra-
tive policy, and is practically enforcing them
which these same old-line Wings had unsuc-
cessfully presented for the adoption of the
American people. Let these old-line Wings
examine themselves dispassionateiy and deter
mine whether they have not been governed
more in their party association for the past
ten years by passion and prejudice than by
reason and conviction, and say whether the
South would not have been more prosperous
and progressive had they been true to their
principles and less influenced by their pas
sions. All the political hardships which the
South has experienced have been the result OF
disposition TO live backwards instead of for
wards-to be guided by the lights of 1860, in
stead of those of 1865, and until practical
acceptance Of the results of the war, as in
corporated in the Constitution and laws, be-
comes the policy Of the seeded States, tur-
MOL and contention and conflict are in store
for them
It's sufficient reply to Mr. Stuart's sentences
about Gen. Garfield to state til at both MIR.
Evarts and Mr.. Fish, either of whom he would
have supported for the Presidency, are in full
accord with the Republican party in its active
labor for his election. These two distinguished
gentlemen, whom Mr.. Stuart so highly appre-
ciates, recognize in Gen. Garfield a states
man, a scholar, a patriot, and representative
American character, and have given their evil
dence as to his eminent fitness for the duties
of Chief Executive officer of all sections and
all the people. Either Mr. Stuart has done less
than justice to Gen. Garfield, in his iI-tem-
pered and prejudiced remarks, or he has doEe
more than Justice to Messrs. Evarts and Fish
for the three stand upon the same platform
and are in full sympathy, the one with the
other, in the great contest now being Waged.
Mr.. Stuart has not maintained his reputa-
ton as a statesman in the letter under consd-
Grafton. He hasallowed his prejudice to have
too large an influence over his Judgment, and
has not grasped the questions discussed, in all
their bearings, as a gentleman of his political
experience and large capacities should have
done. Instead Of a calm, logical presentation
of a serious political problem, and broad
comprehension of its cause and character, he
has only contributed sectional view of it,
and dwarfed it into the narrow compass OF par
tizan necessities.