Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-05-23
The objectionable Sin.


The objectionable Sin.
It is not within our memory, says the
Lynchburg Advance. that any public
man in this country has ever commit
ted blunder so fatal to his fortunes as
the vote of Malone to exclude from ad-
mission to the army and navy OF the
United States those who are resting un-
der Confederate disabilities. We say
that he voted to exclude them; for his
vote to refer the bill to the Judiciary
Committee meant that and nothing less.
Nothing to the contrary is pretended by
anybody; and the Wing with candor
and audacity refuses to make techni-
cal excuse, but undertakes the hopeless
task of defending and justifying the
vote. We say 1t was blunder! 1t was
more. Napoleon said that in war a
blunder was crime! And we say that
this infamous act was a crime. The
war has been ended now seventeen
years. Year after year the harvests of
yellow grain have waved their golden
elories over the battle fields of the war.
The lily, the ox.eye, the wild-rose look
up to heaven from the ensanguined soil
of deadly strife. The dead past has buried
its dead. And now it is proposed that
the disability shall be removed from one
who was in the Confederate service,
that he may enter the army or navy of
our common country. The bill comes
up on its passage, and it fails TO pass by
the vote of William Malone, Senator
from Virginia. We do regard it, and
we do denounce it, as the most infamous
and execrable act ever committed by
any man in the annals of American his
tory. Think Of it He that parades
himself as the "Hero of the Crater :" as
the Ajax Telemon of the war he to join
the enemies, the slanderers, the haters
of the South to puta disability, a stigma,
and q reproach upon his comrades in
arms upon the very soldiers he had en-
couraged to enter the Confederate SER
vice! Has human nature anywhere, in
any age. a record of shame that sur
passes it? What we say is this: let his
act, his name, his memory 60 down the
eternal ages in the pillory of perpetual
adherence and contempt. And now
the question is will the Readiusters who
are true, honest Virginians continue to
follow his lead? Never will they do
it!
It is now apparent to all that Mahone's
head has been turned by temporary sue
cess, and that he has the presumption
to believe that he can blind-fold his fol-
lowers and betray them into the Repub-
ican party. He believes that the lead
ers are unprincipled and mercenary, and
that the mass of the Resdjusters have
no more sense than to follow pell-mell
wherever the venal leaders may direct.
He is mistaken From every quarter
of the State an indignant protest shows
that he is mistaken. Virginians may
differ upon matters of policy and state
craft, but they do not differ in matters
that penetrate to the very core of hS6 hs
or, manhood, integrity, virtS,s and reli.
gion. Yes, it reaches ~ Il tho rea1n, If
religion that Confederate soldiers shall
~ '" 4a1 to the homer, the traditions,
glory Of that dread ordeal.
We have no idea that Malone at the
outset meditated this abasement. But
he entered into an unholy alliance with
Arthur, and now he cannot recede from
the demands that are made upon him.
He finds that he has traff1cked the hon.
or of the State for few contemplate
offices. The few whose instincts for Of
flee are stronger than their love of coun-
try and their sense of honor, will go
with him to any depth of degradation.
But the masses will not. The rank and
file of the Readjuster party will, now
that their eyes are opened, turn from
him with loathing and scorn. Even in
the North his conduct is characterized
as shameful. It has shocked the ma
tional sensibility. This desperate poll
teal gambler has at last played a hand
that must inevitably destroy him.