Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-04-11
This publication is apiece with a statement that

This publication is apiece with statement that
is going the rounds of the Bourbon press of Vrgi-
mia as to what colored man should have said some
where in Eastern Virginia about the colored people
appealing to dynamite to correct alleged or real
wrong. II such an utterance was made by color
ed man, it would be prima facie evidence that he
was crank and more fitted for lunatic Asylum
than the public rostrum, and no just man would
be disposed to hold the colored people. as race,
responsible for it. The VINDIcAToR of last week
makes brief editorial reference to it, not in the i'm
partial spirit that journalist sh ould do who wishes
to convey to his readers fair impression of public
events and occurrences. but more as partizan
and for partizan effect. We have never passed
through heated political contest that we did not
hear CT foolish utteranceS and unguarded threats
from persons who did not reflect public sentiment
and for whose remarks no party could be justly
held responsible valley VJryinian.
But the point of the matter is that
when white man, Of either party. utters
such sentiments he proves to be lunatic,
as in the case of Fernald, AMI sooner or
later goes to an Asylum. But not so with
the blacks. With the ignorant Us per
cent? of that race, such talk is regard ed
as ''loyalty to their race and az evincing
vigorous determination to maintain its
liberties. To such black mailman they
rally; to such white madman the whites
send commission de lu1aatico inquirendo.
There are many respectable black men in
Norfolk, but none Of them that we have
seen have publicly repudiated the danger
Gus sentiments uttered by their represen-
tative, for the utterance of which he
was applauded. Our cotemporary, the
editor of which is Virginian, born
and reared. knows as we'll as we
densely ignorant and like all ignorance,
of any color, is easily wrought up to
dangerous excitement by appeals at which
intelligence would only be surprised and
Disguised. Were white man in Staun-
ton, Democrat or Republican, to utter any
such sentiment as putting dynamite with
ballots, his audience would at once con-
clude that he was drunk or insane and
from that moment his influence with his
party would cease. But if black man
were to do the same thing, while it would
shock tho intelligent of his race. it would
please the ignorant of that race (who con-
stirute ninety five per cent. of it) and in
crease his ''infuence" with them. The
intelligent white and colored men of his
party might frown upon him but the only
result would be to find that they them
selves we're regarded with suspicion and
distrust. 1t is not that man is black
man that MAKES him dangerous citizen;
1t is that the mass of that color are dense.
ly ignorant, with minds filled with appre-
tensions about their liberties which the
intelligent do not entertain. and are easily
stirred up to violence which they regard
as self-defense: It is notorious fact
that the conservative and intelligent
black men of this State are not the leaders
of their race, nor are the conservative
white Republicans. On the contrary, the
mass Of the race turned with hungry
avidity from their old Republican leader
ship to follow the excited harangues of
the Malone leaders. We do not hold and
never have held the intelligent men of the
colored race responsible for the follies of
the ignorant, any more than we have held
the intelligent whites responsible for the
follies of the ignorant in their race, but the
fact remains that with the latter, race in
telligence rules; with the former, intelli-
gence finds it impossible to rule.
1t is the duty Of the press of Virginia to
1zo So bo J,ko oF
fairs within her borders. 1t is the duty
uf the Varq;1aian, as well as of this paper,
to tell the people outside Of Virginia
whose immigration, labor, and capital we
look to for the prosperity of our state,
that Virginians are not riotous, blood
thirsty, turbulent people among whom
it IS dangerous to live or invest money /;
but that they are a peacefully dis
posed people who are conten ding
with great drawback-an ignorant, just
enfranchised, half civilized people of an
other race, in their midst. whose fears as
well as whose ambitions make them good
finder for designing speaker to set on fire.
We should let the outside world know
this, because that same outside world has
been taught to regard the Southern States
as place where the whites make it hell
to live in. We owe 1t to honesty, to fair
ness, to justice, to our people, to their
progress and prosperity, to let the world
know that Virginians are not communi-
ty of rioters and 10 urderers, but one
peaceably disposed, in which any man can
bring his capital and his family and
friends, and find an orderly association of
people. If we permit the false reports
sent abroad representing the colored race
as lamblike, inoffensive people, bounded
and murdered by the whites to gain rolit-
zeal success, we are untrue to the COM
munity, untrue to our people who are
struggling to make the State prosperous
again, untrue to the truth, and untrue to
the real state of affairs in Virginia.
THE MOVEMENT SOUTHWARD.-A
d. 4ol A h.