Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-06-20
Let them Return.

The Richmond State of June 18th has
an editorial bearing the above caption,
in which it is maintained that there
has been no cause of divisicp in the
Conservative party except the settle
ment of the State debt, and that ques-
ton is now out of politics, having been
remanded to the courts for settlement.
The State says:
''That ended the debt adjustment as
political question, and took it entirely
out of the field of public discussion
buried it never to be resurrected. And
with this ending of the vexed question,
80 should have ended all division in the
Conservative party, and we believe it
did, except with the small faction which
fallowed Malone. But as he and his
few thousands have not stopped, after
gaining the ostensible object of their
movement outside the party: but have
gone completely over to the other side
and joined the Radical party, from
which they aided to redeem Virginia in
1879, the only thing now for us to do is
to receive back with as kindly q well
fuse to follow his lead into the camp of
the enemy and thereby commit the
high crime of treason to their race and
State.
There are many of these men who
stood out with that party, and even
worked their best with it and made all
the use they could of the negro to beat
their former political friends because
they believed the end in view then JUS
titled the means; but who now, that
that end has been attained, are ready to
return to their old party and shake
hands over the matter with old friends.
These men never bargained to betray
Virginia to q foreign enemy-tO tu1n
over their country and their brethren
bound hand and foot to their worst foe,
the Radical party of the North; and
when they discover that such is the in
tention and purpose of Malone and his
servile followers they start back and re-
coil with horror from the suicidal and
unnatural deed. What, stab, their
own brothers and comrades in the back
and then go over loaded with their
arms and spoils to the camp of the enc
my! Oh, cursed treason! Oh, villainy
most black and unrighteous! Who ever
conceived scheme of treachery more
shameful or damning!
No, they are not, and will not be
ready to take this last step in infamy.
They could stand up for what they be-
lieved principle and fight for it, and
even enter into alliances distasteful to
them and use men and means they de-
spised to further their objects and secure
their triumph; but these gained, they
are willing to lay down their arms and
become again good and faithful servants
among their own people.
And there Malone and his negro
horde will find them in future. They
have returned from following after him,
now that his line of march leads un-
mistably into the Radical camp. They
will go no farther in that direction.
They did not bargain for this. They
did not sell themselves to Radicalism,
much less intend to betray their State
and people to that revengeful party,
which has pursued them ever since the
war with the bitterest hatred and most
unrelenting cruelty.
And so it stands that on the verge of
thisssurrender, of this betrayal into the
hands of the enemy, this bargain and
sale with Arthur, they wheel about and,
turning their faces again southwark,
take up their line of march back to-
wards homes at whose threshholds
they have always found ready welcome,
and to friends whose arms are still wide
open to receive them and claim them
as comrades and brothers."