The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-31
Mr.. Sherman's Resolution.

On the 23d inst. Senator John Sherman
offered preamble and resolution in rela.
tion to the recent election outrages in
Virginia and Mississippi. After recitine
the alleged outrages at Danville, Va, and
in Cophia county, Miss, by which mum
Der Of citizens were killed at the former
place and j. p. Matthews at the latter. a
resolution follows, instructing the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections to in.
quire into all the circumstances connected
with the alleged murders and into the con.
stitutional rights and securities of the peo-
pie of Virginia and Mississippi, and report
by bill or otherwise as soon as may be. and
to have power to send for persons
and papers. and to sit during the sit
tngs OF the Senate. On the Doth the pre-
amble and resolution were adopted in the
Senate by strict party vote, after remarks
by Senators Sherman and Malone. There
was no reply from the Democratic side.
This movement in the Senate has caused
very itterdenunciation from the Bourbon
press OF Virginia, and the Democratic
press generally of the South and the coun-
try. To our mind it is clearly within
the province of the Senate to institute the
inquiry proposed, but it is not especially
on the constitutional question that the
bitter TRADE of abuse is predicated. The
objection is to the assumption that any
wrongs have been committed. It cannot
be questioned that citizens of the Com
monWealth of Virginia were killed at DAN
vile. 1t is equally true that no adequate
effort has been made to bring the often
ders to justice. No one is under arrest
no one has been punished. The Legisla-
ture, while prolific in creating investigat-
ing committees, has never ordered one 10
inquire into the facts Of the Danvile
affair and to locate the responsibility Of
the terrible events which occurred on the
Sd of November last. 1t is due to the
State that such should not be the case. The
great mass of the people Of Virginia are
law-abiding, yet they are held responsible
for the crimes at Danyille, because of the
remissness of the authorities to make that
searching, impartial and conclusive inyes-
tigation that the terrible transaction de-
manded. The victims Of the deadly bullet
onthat bloody Sd of November, were citi-
zens of the United States, as we'll as the
State. The election affected by the occur
rences complained Of has direct relation
to the election of United States Senator.
inasmnch as the State Senators elected on
the It'll of November will hold over until
the successor of the present senior United
States Senator, Gen. Malone, is chosen.
Ii upon no other ground this would be
ample cause for the proposition of Senator
Sherman. What all good citizens ought
to desire is that the whole affair should be
cleared up and the responsibility located
where Improperly belongs. and not be borne
by the entire State. The partizans who
aim to direct the Legislature are not
the State. They are, in some instances.
beneficiaries of the infamed passions
and aggravated prejudices which grew
out of the fact of the Danville affair
and the circumstances which led to it.
This indifference to that occurrence
this failure to recognize the duty of
probing and exposing it, should not be
made to reflect upon the entire Common
wealth. Let the matte he cleaned up the
placed where it belongs and
the perpetrators of the crime and those
who would apologize for it, be brought
face to face with the people. There was
an melting cause, there were agenc les to
give it effect, and what ever and whoever
may be found party to it, let the respon-
sponsibility rest upon them.