The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-05-26
Honest Confession.

The Richmond State of the 18th in an
editorial article on ga Free Ballot and .
Fair Count. " makes very honest confess
sion. lt.does not deny that frauds have been
committed on the ballot-box in the South.
ern States, but pleads in Justification the
absolute necessity of the white people con-
/ trolling their State Governments as means
OF self-preservation. This ''necessity,' it
contends, was superior to law or the Con-
stitution. Did it never occur to our cotem-
porary that the Constitution and laws could
! have been observed and the end il declares
accomplished by the white people, unit
| ing with the Republican party and sup
porting Republican administration The
most serious objection that is offered to the
Republican party in the South is that ne
able OF the Democrats admit that the affairs
OF the nation have been well and success
fully administered by the Republicans, and
but for the negro they would not object to
uniting with them. Why not do so, aud
through chat organization accomplish law
fully and honorably, what they confess
they have achieved through fraud and force2
oertaintyv the country, North and south,
would be more prosperoas-tle South es-
pecially be greatly benefited, were he
wealth and intelligence of the South to
unite with the wealth and Intelligence of
the North in building up a graf national
party, with like constituent elements in
either section. The admission of the State
Is significant and pregnant. 1t confesses
TO the control of prejudice, as to race and
section, and that the Democratic party
III the South is ready to violate law to graf
lily that prejudice, and then plead the ne
cesslty OF party supremacy as the excuse,
There are many things less criminal than
and among these would be |
change Of political front on the part of the
more Conservative Democrats, and by that |
ment, and at the same time command the |
and support of not only the Ma
tional Governments, but the business enter
prise and capital of the North
The State concludes its article with the fol-
lowing paragraph, to which we direct es-
pecial attention
I'VE never sought or desired to rele the
nlted States Government through these
means. On the contrary, our constant cry
was, Let us have our own local govern
nents, and you may take the country at
arge and rule it at your pleasure. Give us
he choosing OF our own State officers and
he control of our own treasures, and we
care not if you ill the Senate house, the
1ouse OF Representatives, the White House
md all the Departments with the race YOU
hink so highly of, and which you have ta-
Ken under your protecting wings. the ill
lsed colored brother.'' We shall be con-
ent.' Indeed, it was in this spirit we
greed gladly to the compromise by which
lr. Hayes became President, and Louisi
ma, South arolina and Florida were re-
tored to their own people, and we did it 7
Without once questioning the count. We
lever sought to go behind the face of the
because we knew what we wanted
t was not the presidency of the United
tates, but the freedom Of our own States +:
nd although Mr.. Tilden's friends and the {
Sorth We're terribly stirred up about it, the 6
cal TACT OF the matter was that Mr.. Illdeu t
ad no more claim to the votes of those I
tates and some others in the South, legally |
peaking, than we have to the millions of l
William III. Vanderbilt {