The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-11-20
The Colored People.

It is natural that the colored people
should take to heart the defeat of the Re-
publican party in great national contest.
They have looked to that party as their
best friend, and have stood by it with a
fidelity and devotion almost. phenomenal.
But it is proper to relieve their minds Of
any fear of their liberty or property be-
ing in jeopardy, Their rights and inter-
ests are protected as securely by the laws
and constitution as those Of any other class
Of citizens, and we do not believe the sue
cess Of the Democratic party will in the
least imperil them. All the legal enact
ments looking to their civil and political
rights are the .ontgrowth Of the funda-
mental law of the country and that can
not be changed, even if every department
of the government was under hostile con
troll without the consent of the legisla-
lures Of ee-fourths Of the States. This
could meyer be gotten, even were there a
disposition existing anywhere to do so,
which is not the case. We feel perfectly
safe in saying that the same liberty which
the colored people of Virginia have en-
joyed since emancipation will be continued
to them and that there is nothing in the
situation that should modest or make them
afraid. They are citizens Of the respec-
tive States and of the United States, and
are entitled to all the privileges and rights
which other citizens.claim and enjoy. These
cannot be taken from them, nor is there
any party or faction that would dare at
tempt to abridge them by legislation, with
out exposing itself to rebake from which
iticould noSrecoyer.
Our advice to the colored people is to
pursue the even tenor of their way, as
they have done heretofore -maintain their
self-respect, attend to whatever business
they may be engaged in, and show
by their conduct that they are wor-
thy Of the confidence of all parties,
whether of one political persuasion or
another. They are in no danger of any
restriction upon the rights either of per-
son or property, and if there be those who
are th6ughtless enough to trihe with the
more ignorant of them by asserting that
Democratic success means demanding
them again to slavery, let the more intelli-
gent Of them, who know better, disabuse
their minds of the falsehOod. It is q matter
that no right thinking man would treat 50
lightly. but there may be some who would
makessuch remarks in jocuar way, with
out thinking of the effect. The eolored
people, as "a class. as slaves and freed
men. have ever conducted themselves with
marked, conservatism and propriety, and
have won. the sympathy and gratitude of
the intelligent and fair-minded of the
white race. This sympathy and confidence
they will still have where it is not forfeited
by their own conduct. They are part of
the Industrial and social system of the
country, and in the South an indespensi-
BILE factor in it. There is mutuality of
interest i'll maintaining friendly relations
between the races, and this can be done,
heretofore, by each discharging honestly
and justly the obligations which rest upon
him. Let the colored people dismiss all
fear. from their minds of injustice or
wrong following to them, simply because
one party has secured power and another
been defeated. The laws have to be uni
form. and were u change proposed that
would affect their interests,it would reach
to the interests of others, and cause re-
volt that would prove disastrous to the SUI
premacy of the party attempting it. The
duty of all is to be just and considerate
and deal fairly in all the relations which
are maintained between the races, and
where this is the rule we may naturally
expect harmony and good feeling to pre-
vail and material benefit and prosperity to
follow.