The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-07-26
Death-bed Repentance.

leading editorial in the last V51ld9c0tOr. 1t
advances a policy that we have for years
endeavored to indoctrinate the people Of
the State with, and is confession that the
Democratic party of Virginia has been
persistently wrong in it's every position on
State questions ever since 1869. The object
of the article of our contemporary is to
impress upon the Lynchburg Convention,
which met yesterday, the Importance of a
change of tactics and to invoke more
conciliatory policy and more common sense
methods in conducting political campaigns.
1t is pointed out that the Coalition forces,
in every contest since and including 1879,
have been successful by majorities ranging
from 10000 to IL, 1000, and that this major
ity cannot be diminished or overcome by
adopting the same line Of conduct that has
heretofore been pursued. 1t is advised that
an effort be made to conciliate the colored
vote and seek to attract a portion OF it to
the Democratic party in order to meet the
emergency and transfer the preponderance
of popular strength from the Coalition.
AS an illustration of what might be done
reference is made to results in the county
elections last May in the I'd Congressional
district, where enough colored votes went
off from the Coalition to give the Democrats
an apparent triumph. This is taken as the
reason for the assumption that change
of policy would have the effect to divide
that vote and possibly align a portion
of it with the Democrats.
Had such a policy been presented i'll the
years that have gone since 1863, we might
now witness different arrangement OF
forces. But since that period there has
been nothing but abuse for the negro, as
a political factor. impeachment after i'm
pediment has been interposed between him
and the exercise of his legal rights, and
the party's shibboleth has been the white
against the colored race. In every contest
the passions and prejudices of the people
have been appealed to to control the
white vote, and when power was secured
thereby, legislation discriminating against
the negro was the result. The wickedness
of this policy we have often and earnestly
exposed, and endeavOred to impress upOr
the popular mind the justice and reason
of dealing with the colored man as citi-
zen, invested by the law and constitution
with citizens rights. and entitled to the
enjoyment of them just as other people
are. This was the policy of common
| DC i1ctiOa and hnf
| it been adopted when the Democrats had
the power, this would have been the as
Surance of prevailing sense of right an(
had its influence in exciting the gratitude
and sympathy of the colored race.
But not until the Bourbon party wen
| down under an avalanche of popular
wrath and had been driven from every i'm
portant position of public trust-had beer
deprived Of the power to crystalize it,
prejudices and passions into law, do W.
| find it yielding to the force Of justice an(
reason. Now when all hope of restoration
to power has gone, unless aid can be gottel
from the negro vote, the appeal is made tt
the representative body of that party tt
recognize the situation change front on Thu
question and make such advances as will
give assurance of fair dealing in the future
in the hope of gaining a support whicl
has been scOrned and denounced.
Death-bed repentance is better than NJ
repentance, yet there is not much faith tt
be placed in it. We fear, however, that
| the pathetic appeals and rational arguments
of the indicator come too late. The.
come when it's party is powerless to d.
| mischief, so long as the Coalition forces
hold together, and ask for help from Il class
which has been the object of the most in
cessant and irrational abuse and denuncia
| tion because they simply claim what thu
law gives them. 1t is presumably not from
sense of right that such appeals ar
| made, but to regain power which has beer
so wrongfully used in the past. 1t is moi
reasonable that the colored people SHOULD
wish to see the Bourbon faction again in
vested with legislative authority in the
| light of it's history for the past dozen years
nor is it likely that they will turn upor
the party that has shaped legislation fol
their welfare and in the interests Of theil
citizens rights, to favor faction that has
been hostilely arrayed against every slug
gestion and proposition that looked to theil
advancement.
Notwithstanding the desperate necessity
which has driven our contemporary to the
healthy expressions we find in it's last issue
we confess to feeling of qualification that
we have it's approval of the arguments and
policy we have for the last decade en-
deavored to impress upon the, people. II
the conversion comes at the eleventh houl
we trust that it is sincere, and that here
after we will have it's cooperation in pro
mitigating the enlightened sentiments
which now for the first time grace its col
umns. Had its utterances been those of
its party for the ten years past, there would
have been no Readjuster organization il
eXistence-there would have been no stand
ing ground for any other party in Viz
ginia. Bourbon perversity caused Bour.
general manifestation of remorse and re-
pentance, and assurance of change il
methods, we incline to the belief that there
is no hope for its resurrection, certainly
not of it's speedy restoration to power.
We shall await with some concern tC
see the effect of the sensible views of the
Viiadicator on the Lynchburg Convention
Whether that body shall recognize theil
wisdom or not, we hope our contemporary
will boldly persist in it's new departure
and come to our aid in a supreme effort to
remove the last vestige of Bourbon power
in Virginia. When the lamb and the lion
shall lie down together and little child
shall lead them-when Virginia shall press
to the front of the enlightened and pro-
gressive Commonwealth of the nation and
show to the world that her people are brave
enough and just enough to live up to the
laws in all respects and give to every cit
izen his complete rights, unembarrassed
by hostile legislation-when this is done,
new dispensation will dawn upon our
beloved State-there will be no reason for
party division Oh race lines, but every cit
izen will feel proud to rest under the pro-
tecting shield of his old mother, and be in
duty bound to protect her from all assaults
whether from foes within OF without.