Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-02-22

| Will COuCouG Myself Will b SluSlo Icj .
extract from letter of Mr.. Maidstone
IA popular government, without popu
lar information, or the means of obtain
ing it, is but prologue to farce o
tragedy, or perhaps both!"
Hon. Robert G. Winthrop, one OF tn
wisest and purest of living statesmen
on recent public occasion, said: Sou
free institutions rest on intelligence ant
virtue, and can survive anything, ex'
cept ignorance and the vice, corruption
and violence, which are so generally the
results of ignorance.
I beg to add a brief passage from {
speech of Horace Mann, of Massachu.
rage was thought of. He was discuss
of having intelligent voters, and de.
ploring the consequences of ignorance
which, he SAYS, in effect, will place ouI
system of government, 1.-The vastest and
wisest ever devised by mortals, under
the control Of men who are Incapable 81
reading one word of the language which
describesl its frame work, and defines il
objects and its guards; incapable of
reading one word of cOntemporaneous
exposition, of antecedent history or OF
subsequent development and, there.
fore, make it include anything, or ex-
clude anything. as their blind passions
may dictate. Ph@ton was less fool
when he mounted the chariot to drive
the horses of the sun, than ourselves, if
we expect to reach the zenith of prospe-
rity and happiness under such gui-
Dance" As
Deeply impressed, as the Southern
people were, with these ideas, they
could not fail to resent the attempt to
invert their whole social system, and
place their lives, liberty and property
under the control of the most ignorant
classes of the community. They soon
discovered, too, that the whole system
of Reconstruction measures" was
adopted in spirit of bitter partisanship
and that the object was not so much to
benefit the negro, as to create new
class of voters, who could be easily con-
trolled, and by whose agency the Re-
publican party rould be rendered SUI
preme in all the Southern States.
When these purposes became patent,
the people of the South saw that every
interest which they held sacred was
| placed in peril. How insignificant
were the stamp-tax, the tax on tea, and
the other grievances which fired the
hearts ofour Revolutionary fathers, and
| impelled them to arms, compared with
atrocities like these? When we think
of the carnival of crime, plunder and
oppression, which, for series of years,
was exhibited in South Carolina, Lou
isiana, and other Southern States, un-
der the domination of ignorant negroes
inflamed and swayed by desperate ad-
ventures, can any one wonder that feel
ings of. Indignation took possession of
the Southern people? They saw that
energetic measures of self defence were
necessary. They, therefore, banded to-
gether, not for aggression, but for de-
fence. They determined. for the time,
to sink all former differences of opinion
and to present united front to the COM
mon enemy. These are the circum-
stances under which, and the purposes
It was a matter of necessity, and not of
choice. It presented the only hope OF
successful resistance to intolerable op-
presions. It is the pressure of common
danger which now compaets them to-
gether. Whenever that pressure is re-
Iaxed, the people of the South will fall
back on their old party relations, and
again divide according to the opinions
which they entertain on measures OF
administrative policy.
People of the Northern and Western
States, who have no knowledge of the
actual condition of things in the South
indulge in much fine defamation
against the evils of "a Solid South D
and earnestly appeal to US to abandon
our ''solid" organization. Our ans wei
is, we are quite as sensible of the evils
as yourselves, and we are ready to give
it up whenever you will allow us to dc
81 with safety. But how can we change
front as matters now stand?
Just here beg to call the attention o.
your Northern readers to ono or two
important facts, which they seem tt
have overlooked.
In the North and West there is a no.
mogenous population. The intelligence
wealth and respectability of the coun-
try is pretty equally devided between
the Republican and Democratic parties
In any contest which may arise as t,
party ascendancy in those States. 1t i!
not matter of very serious interes
which party may succeed. Either il
competent to administer the govern
ment wisely, and each has deep stak,
in the prosperity of the country. Sucl
was the condition of things Throughout
the whole country in the days of tn
old Whig and Democratic parties. Ev
erybody then felt that the country
would be safe under the rule of eithe
party.
But the condition of things in tn
} Southern States now is very different
The Democratic party embraces nine
tenths OF the property, intelligence an
culture of those States. and the small
} class of intelligent and respectable gen
temen who belong to the Republican
, party, are SO overshadowed by the igno
rant masses as to be powerless. Th
4 Republican party, on the other hand
, with the exceptions above referred to,
is composed, manly, of uneducated ne
/ groes, who are unable to comprehend
any of the questions which they ma,
be called on to decide at the polls, o
even to read the ballots which they de
posit in the boxes. 1t is obvious, there
fore, that change in party ascendanc
} is much more serious thing in tn
; Southern than in the Northern States
In the North it is mere transfer of tn
} reins OF power from the hands of on
intelligent party to those of another
, having equal capacity to govern.
: In the South it is the virtual abdica
| tASA OA viz sAAouO Nhu VI Ill
country in favor of ignorance and in
r capacity. 1t is an upturning of tn
whole political system, and putin
"the bottom rail on top" 1t involve
| the substitution of ignorance, destilr
tion and incapacity as the ruling pow
l ers in our State affairs, in place Of tn
: control heretofor exercised by the in
telligence, virtue and property of til
, country.
), I invite your intelligent readers to tr
! and bring the matter home to them
3 selves: Let them suppose, for exampl
: that, from some widespread disconter
!, among the negroes of the South, gem
0 raj exodus Northward should tax
: place, and fifty thousand unlettere
r and semi-barbarous field hands fro
the cotton, rice, and sugar plantation
Q should precipitate themselves on Il
o fair city of Philadelphia, and becon
- the controlling power in all municip
y elections how would the staid ar
o wealthy citizens like to have all Il
y great public and private interests
e their city committed to the keeping
Y such class of men, or possibly of
8 worse class of your own people, elect
}. by them?
If These dangers to free institution