Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-12-06
From thea4ynchbnrg virginixn.1
B0urbonlsm.

| It was said Of the Bourbons, the foya
family of France, 10y their mortai enc
my, Napoleon, be It remembered). :tha
they "forgot nothing and learned moth
ing;" and It has been the habit of thu
Radical press of the North since thu
war to darisively apply the term "Bour.
bOns" to every white man south, of NJ.
SOD and Dix0n's line except few gov.
lermental hirelings who sold out for Of
hce. Since reputation has been made
q plank in the Republican platform the
excepted class has been enlarged. soaa
to include the advocates ofthat dogma
and now the Republican presD OF the
South unite In s0oYnf1llH hurling the
term at that class In this State which
represents ninetysf1ve per cent. Of its
wealth, brain and virtue, and which is
struggling to maintain its faith and
honor, and to meet its obligations.
Malone and his scalawag following,
especially apply the term to veryhody
who does not basely bow the knee at
his shrine, that thrift may fallow fAwn-
ing.
The readers of this paper will bearit
witness that its course, while COnser-
vative in the true sense of the term.
has ever been progressive in all matters
pertaining to the welfare and advance
ment of the Sta.e, its material prosper
ity, and the intellectual elevation of
its people. Together with the whole
Democratic party of the State it has
ever advocated internal Improvements,
development of mineral resources. q lie
beral support Of the free schools, impair
tial justice. kindly treatment TO the
colored race free and open ballot and
. f'ir count. But while progressive in
these matters there are things they
never wish to learn; and there are
things they never care to forget, and az
to which 1t fs an honour to be Bour
bon.
The true people of Virginia; those
who followed the fortunes Of the gal
liant Daniel during the canvass Just
closed. never wish to learn how to bar
ter the birthright of Virginia honor for
the petty spoils Of office how to degrade
secure dangerous power to corrupt
and irresponsible few; how to combine
the fatal Influences of Federal hate and
negro insolence for the purpose Of vio
lating sacred obligations; Of dragging
the judicial ermfne In the dust, and Of
making our loved State bywold and
reproach among men. These things
we do not want to learn. So the good
people Of Virginia do not wish to forget,
and will not forget the traditions, the
teachings and the principles which have
made her past all glorious and great
They will not forget that It was the
cOnstaDcy of her people to what seemed
a hopeless cause which secured for her
the title OF the "OId Dominion :" that it
was her fidelity to principle and right
at any risk and sacrifice which gave
her 40 comforting voice In the OrgaDi
zatinn of this Uuinn. and which placed
in the hands Of her sons for 80 long q
period, the control of its chief powers
that it was the chivalric spirit of her
people and their stern devotion to duty
and truth which stamped her peculiar
civilization on one-h half this broad land,
and 80 long gave tone and thought to
the general government; that 1t was
the same spirit of chivalry and the
same traditional devotion to the right
which twenty years ago barred her
breast to the storm Of waF, and poured
out her treasure and her blood without
q murmur, groan or tear; that when
the war was over, with heroism as
great as that of the battlefield and biv-
ouac, her peOple,1 with nothing left
them but honor, put their hands to the
plough and turned not back again until
her fields had blossnmed like the rose
and the voice of plenty was again
heard in the land. Yes, all theee things
the despised "Bourbons" will not suon
forget-nor have they forgotten the OBJ
legations of q contract, the strength of
plighted faith, the value of public cred
it; nor yet the earliest lesson of all,
taught on Sinai: "Thou shalt not
steal.n
If not learning such vices and not
forgetting such virtues make people
''Bourbons," then it is a ground of sim
cere cODgratulatiOn that in the limits of
this Common wealth, once 80 honored
and so beloved, the vast proportion of
the white people still are BonrbOns.
These reflections were suggested on
reading ia the Staunton SPECTATOR
the subjoined poem which we learn
was written by Mr.. Armistead G. Cor
don of the bar of that city. We com
mend it TO our readers rs poetic gem
whose beauty and truth must touch q
responsive chord In every true Virgin-
ian's heart:
(Then follows the'excellent poem pub
lished originally in the SPECTATOR in
its issue of the 18th of November.]