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Staunton Spectator: January 04, 1870Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
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(Column 01)Summary: The editors discussed the bleak prospects of the opponents of the readmission of Virginia. They also reported on Judge Underwood's comments on admission and emigration.
Full Text of Article:AmnestyThe opponents of the admission of Virginia have not gained much headway during the recess. Judge Underwood was in Washington Wednesday, and says that while there is much that, as a radical, he cannot approve in the present reconstruction of Virginia he nevertheless favors her admission as soon as Congress reassembles. He does not see that the State is to be much benefitted by any further delay. -- The times are so dull and wages so low in Virginia that the colored people are going Southward, and he estimates that the State will lose nearly twenty thousand of this class of its population.
(Column 01)Summary: The Philadelphia Press wrote about the fifteenth amendment and its political implications.
Full Text of Article:The Democratic PartyForney writes his Philadelphia Press:
The fifteenth amendment once entirely secure, the work of reconstruction is practically finished. It secures the ballot to the black man of the South, and saves the Republican party of the North. And when that amendment is proclaimed the question of universal suffrage is staged, and that of universal amnesty begins.
(Column 02)Summary: The Richmond Dispatch urged the people of the South to avoid any alliances with either the Democratic or Republican parties. Instead, the Dispatch recommended that they form a new national party that could better represent their interests. Also analyzed the reasons why neither the Democratic nor Republican parties could effectively help the South.
Full Text of Article:We have just read some excellent reasons, says the Richmond Dispatch, why the people of Virginia should not unite with the Republican party. We have never counselled them to do so, and therefore we are not called upon to show that these reasons are insufficient. We have, however, advised them that it would be best, for the present at least, to avoid entangling alliances with either the one or the other of the parties into which the northern people are divided. Whoever will examine the record of the Democratic party of the North in a candid spirit must admit that so far as their acts are concerned they are so hostile to the southern people that they must be accounted as truly the enemies of what we hold to be the real principles of Federal Government as are the moderate Republicans. If anybody can see the practical difference between the maintenance of the right of the Federal Government to make war upon the States and the consolidation doctrines of the Republicans, his perceptive powers are greater than our's.
"My own county, which gives a Democratic majority of three thousand," said Senator Thurman, the leader of the Democrats in the United States Senate, the other day, to Senator Stewart, of Nevada, "sent more soldiers to the war than your whole State." This teaches us the difference between the Republicans and the Democrats of the North. The Republicans told us beforehand that no State had a right to secede, and that if any one attempted to secede it would be whipped back into the Union; and they kept their word. The Democrats told us time and again that they believed in the resolutions of '98 and '99, and would not allow us to be whipped if we seceded; and they did not keep their word. On the contrary, they boast of having done more to subjugate us than the Republicans. The Republicans claim that the National Government is all-powerful; and act up to their belief. The Democrats profess to believe in the rights of the States, but they always aid the Republicans when the pinch comes. They advocate States' rights, and vote and fight for consolidation, just as they advocate repudiation privately and then desert and vote against and denounce the Mungens who take them at their word. We are no Mungen.
Negro suffrage was forced upon the southern people by the Democrats in the last House of Representatives. When the reconstruction measures were first proposed the Republicans had no more idea of enfranchising the negroes than we had ourselves. But whilst one of these measures was under consideration, a Radical proposed, as an amendment to the bill, to confer the right of suffrage upon the negroes. The moderate Republicans voted against this amendment; and if the Democrats had voted with them it would not have been made a law. But the Democrats caring nothing for us, and wishing to make capital for themselves at home voted for it. The consequence was that when the bill thus amended came up upon its passage the whole Republican party in the House voted for it and carried it. The Democrats voted against it; but it was too late. The mischief had been done. Can we rely upon such allies?
All this does not prove that we can safely unite with the Republicans. But it shows that we should lean upon a broken reed if we trusted the northern Democrats. We should rather refuse to unite with either party as at present constituted. We may thus compel a reorganization of the parties at the North. The Democrats are so hated by the northern people that the indignities which have been visited upon our heads were due rather to this feeling than to any real hostility towards us. We suppose there can be no doubt that Congress was actuated more by a determination to circumvent President Johnson and keep down the so-called Copperheads than it was by a desire to punish us when it entered upon the work of reconstruction upon the plan of Thad. Stevens. We have had to suffer for the sins of those who were supposed to be recognized by us as our allies. Every act of Mr. Johnson intended for our benefit resulted in our injury. Every act of the northern Democrats intended to strengthen their party by making friends in the South has only caused Congress to deal the more harshly with us. And if to-day we were to resist by force those acts of Congress which the northern Democrats assure us are unconstitutional, and therefore not binding in law or morals, those same Democrats would vote millions of money and send thousands of soldiers to put down "a wicked and causeless rebellion."
"Give a dog a bad name and you may as well kill him." The northern people will not unite with a party calling itself "Democratic." They have the same sort of prejudice against it that we have against the carpet-baggers and scalawags. Not that the masses of the party did not go hand in hand with the Republicans throughout the war, but because a few men -- Vallandigham in Ohio, Wall in New Jersey, Fillmore in New York, Pierce in New Hampshire, and other men of courageous hearts and firm nerves -- stood out against an unconstitutional and unjustifiable war. We can understand why southern men should feel disposed to honor such men as those we have named, and why they might wish to unite with them if they had any party to back them. But they have no such party. They are Democrats in deed as well as in name; whilst nearly the entire body of the party thus called consists of consolidationists or Republicans in principle -- men who believe that secession was a damnable heresy; that the Federal Government not only had the right but that it was its duty to compel the southern people to return to their allegiance to that Government; and that there is in fact no limit to the powers of said Government. We repeat, the northern people will not sustain a party calling itself "Democratic." But we believe that if the Democratic party were out of the way a new party might be organized under some other name which would command the support of a majority of the people of that section upon a platform at least as acceptable to the southern people as any which the consolidation Democrats can honestly adopt. So long, however, as we assist to keep up the present Democratic party, we aid in inflaming the passions of the northern people against ourselves, encourage the maintenance of a party which can never obtain control of the Government, and therefore can never benefit us; prevent the reorganization of the Republican party upon a more liberal basis, and forbid the organization of a new national, all-embracing party, which might otherwise be formed and enabled to ride into power upon a platform of principles broad enough to afford standing-room for the men of every State in the Union. We act now with the same wisdom as did the Jacobites in Scotland who, long after the British Parliament had overthrown their old
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in the restoration of the rightful heir to the crown. We surely need not thus perpetuate our own helplessness, when by a different line of conduct we may mount the wave of popular favor and upon its crest ride into power.
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(Column 01)Summary: The paper reported that "the shanghais turned out again in force on New Year's day and attracted the attention of everybody and excited a good deal of merriment."[No Title]
(Column 01)Summary: Services will be held every night this week in the M. E. Church South. The pastor, Rev. George Kramer, will preach on Sunday about "christian education of children."[No Title]
(Names in announcement: Rev. George Kramer)
(Column 01)Summary: The tale "Blue Beard and His Seven Wives" was presented as a tableaux in the Chapel of the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Institution in front of a large audience on Friday.[No Title]
(Column 01)Summary: The Staunton and Mechanics Building Associations will hold a meeting in the Firemen's Hall on Thursday night.[No Title]
(Column 01)Summary: The paper printed statistics on the flour inspected in Staunton by G. W. Britt. For the year ending December 31st, 1869, the following was inspected: 2101 barrels of family flour; 16,889 barrels of extra superfine; 4,100 barrels of superfine; 316 barrels of fine; 46 barrels of middling; 55 barrels of condemned. For the quarter ending December 31st: 628 barrels of family flour; 5826 barrels of extra superfine flour; 1386 barrels of superfine; 40 barrels of fine flour.Grand Ball
(Names in announcement: G. W. Britt)
(Column 01)Summary: Many people attended the Grand Ball at Odd Fellow's Hall, managed by H. H. Forsythe and J. M. Hardy. The Blind Band provided music.[No Title]
(Names in announcement: H. H. Forsythe, J. M. Hardy)
(Column 01)Summary: The Staunton Lodge No. 45, International Order of Odd Fellows, elected the following officers: James H. Waters, Alex G. Points, James F. Patterson, James C. Wheat, James W. Newton.Accident
(Names in announcement: James H. Waters, Alex G. Points, James F. Patterson, James C. Wheat, James W. Newton)
(Column 01)Summary: George Taylor, aka George Turk, a local black man, fell from a bridge over the creek and broke his right leg. Dr. A. M. Henzel gave him surgical attention. He is now recovering.Tableaux and Charades
(Names in announcement: George Taylor, George Turk, Dr. A. M. Henzel)
(Column 01)Summary: The young ladies of the Wesleyan Female Institute held a tableaux and charades in the basement of the church. "The scenes were gotten up with a great deal of taste, and all the young ladies who participated played their parts admirably."Married
(Column 02)Summary: Green M. Kibler and Miss Almira E. Fishburne, daughter of Daniel Fishburne and all of Augusta County, were married near Spring Hill on December 24th by the Rev. C. B. Hammack.Married
(Names in announcement: Green M. Kibler, Almira E. Fishburne, Daniel Fishburne, Rev. C. B. Hammack)
(Column 02)Summary: J. Willie Risque, formerly of Staunton, and Miss Nelia A. Jones of Lynchburg were married in Lynchburg on December 22nd by the Rev. George Langhorn.Married
(Names in announcement: J. Willie Risque, Nelia A. Jones, Rev. George Langhorn)
(Column 02)Summary: George M. Baylor and Miss Elizabeth C. Hoover, both of Augusta, were married on December 22nd by the Rev. D. B. Ewing.Married
(Names in announcement: George M. Baylor, Elizabeth C. Hoover, Rev. D. B. Ewing)
(Column 02)Summary: Lewis A. Wise of Culpeper and Miss Harriet F. Cook of Augusta were married on December 28th by the Rev. D. B. Ewing.Married
(Names in announcement: Lewis A. Wise, Harriet F. Cook, Rev. D. B. Ewing)
(Column 02)Summary: Fred L. Fultz and Miss Amanda Fultz, daughter of Judge Fultz, were married in Staunton on December 28th at the Presbyterian Church by the Rev. William E. Baker.Married
(Names in announcement: Fred L. Fultz, Amanda Fultz, Judge Fultz, Rev. William E. Baker)
(Column 02)Summary: A. J. Livick of Augusta and Miss Ginnie Robinson of Rockbridge were married in Rockbridge on December 23rd by the Rev. J. I. Miller.Married
(Names in announcement: A. J. Livick, Ginnie Robinson, Rev. J. I. Miller)
(Column 02)Summary: James Crosby and Liza Koontz, both of Augusta, were married near Churchville on December 30th by the Rev. J. W. Hott.Married
(Names in announcement: James Crosby, Liza Koontz, Rev. J. W. Hott)
(Column 02)Summary: Robert Pool and Miss Eliza Huffer, both of Augusta, were married on December 30th by the Rev. J. W. Hott.Deaths
(Names in announcement: Robert Pool, Eliza Huffer, Rev. J. W. Hott)
(Column 02)Summary: Jonathan Horn died on December 28th. He was 73 years old. "Father Horn was, no doubt, trying for some years to prepare for this solemn change, and consequently his last hours were of great peace and consolation. He was much interested for the religious welfare of his children."Deaths
(Names in announcement: Jonathan Horn)
(Column 02)Summary: Mrs. Elizabeth S. Johnson, wife of Robert Johnson, died in Staunton on December 22nd. She was 62 years old and a long-time member of the Episcopal Church. "She bore the painful affliction of which she died, with christian resignation, giving undoubted assurances that she was at peace with God, and had put her house in order. In all the relations of life, she well sustained the character of a modest woman, affectionate daughter, devoted wife and fond mother."Deaths
(Names in announcement: Elizabeth S. Johnson, Robert Johnson)
(Column 02)Summary: George W. Frame died near Spring Hill, Augusta County, at the residence of his father on December 26th. He was 28 years old. "Mr. Frame had been living in Illinois for some time, and returning about a month before his death to his native state, with the hope that he might in some measure regain his health, but his disease--consumption--ran a rapid course and death soon claimed him as her own. All that were with him in the latter part of his illness could but see with joy and hear with gladness the evidence of that faith which he professed in Christ, which seemed to grow stronger and stronger as he neared his end."Deaths
(Names in announcement: George W. Frame)
(Column 02)Summary: Janet Taylor Bell, daughter of Maj. H. M. Bell of Staunton, died on January 1st. "There is perhaps no death that has caused such universal regret and sympathy with the bereaved parents as the one we have chronicled above, and there can scarcely be one which is more touching or heart-rending than the early demise of a beautiful young girl scarcely in her teens, and just now the pride of her parents."
(Names in announcement: Janet Taylor Bell, Maj. H. M. Bell)
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