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Staunton Vindicator: January 22, 1869 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

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Summary: Expresses disappointment that Congress is interfering with a plan to restore universal amnesty and suffrage to Southerners. Speculates that Radicals are acting to keep themselves in power. Affirms that nearly all Virginians agree with conservative impulses to keep the South a White Man's Government, quotes from a speech by A.H.H. Stuart to back up this sentiment.

Full Text of Article:

Every day for the past week we have been misled with dispatches and communications from Washington, expressing in glowing colors the progress of the committee of nine, who are engaged in the work of attempting to secure from Congress universal amnesty in consideration of a voluntary acceptance of universal suffrage, and its concomitants of eligibility to office &c.

We expressed our want of confidence in the new movement, several weeks since, deeming it unwise and likely to result to the disadvantage of our people, but, from the repeated assertions from Washington that it was gaining ground with Radical members of Congress, and hoping that our fears might not be realized, and that something of good might result to our oppressed people from the labors of the Committee of nine, we refrained from saying any thing further against it, than to admonish our people to be ready to defeat the Underwood Constitution, which we believed would be an inevitable necessity.

The papers of Tuesday night, however, show the progress of the committee's labors, in a way not calculated to impress one with the idea of great results being accomplished. They bring the news of the passage of the following joint resolution, by the Lower House of Congress, without a division:

"That all persons holding office in Virginia and Texas, (except those whose disabilities are removed,) who cannot take the test oath of July 2d 1862, be removed within thirty days from the passage of the resolution, and that the district commander fill their places with men who can take the oath."

This looks as if the committee of nine has been most egregiously imposed upon, if former reports be true. Members of both Houses of Congress are reported to have expressed great sympathy with the project of the committee, so much as to lead them to suppose that a Constitution, freed from such objectionable features as test-oaths, disfranchisements &c, would meet with the almost universal favor of Congress. That a bill would be passed relieving the disabilities of the 14th Amendment at a blow, &c., &c. On the heels of this, in fact in the same paper containing such gratifying news to many, comes the news of the passage of the above resolution. Evidently the sympathizing members of Congress have either misled the committee or else have most suddenly and in a remarkable manner changed their convictions. We are inclined to believe the former and consider it but retributive justice for the attempt to "sell our birth-right for a mess of pottage."

If the committee, by their efforts, place the condition of the Southern people in a fairer light before the people of the North, as some suppose, they will have accomplished fully as much as we believed. Of this we are doubtful now. The fear that the project of the committee, if successful, would result in the overthrow of the Radical party in the South, in our opinion, has precipitated the resolution we copy above, and we may be thankful if no harsher legislation be the result. It were far better that we had stuck to principle. We were fast winning the admiration of the Northern people for consistency, while carpet-bag representatives were fast playing out. A little more nerve and all would have come out right. A few however, and we may add a very few, (for nine out of every ten we know oppose the new movement,) thought differently and acted otherwise. The results, we fear, will make us regret, for a long time to come, that even those few had not remained true to their past sentiments, which were the sentiments of the many, and found their expression in one of the most harmonious conventions ever assembled in the State, the Conservative Convention of December 1867.--The Hon. A. H. H. Stuart was called to the chair, and in a most appropriate speech, which was loudly cheered, expressed the sentiments of that body, which are the sentiments of nine-tenths of the people of Virginia at this time and, from which, for their conciseness and volume of expression, as well as being the embodiment of our sentiments to-day, we copy the following extracts:

"That a policy is to be inaugurated here which tends, if it be not designed, to subvert our whole social fabric and to bring the land of Washington, Henry, Jefferson, Madison, and Marshall, under the dominion of an alien and inferior race. We should be false to all the instincts of humanity--false to the blood which courses through our veins--false to every obligation of duty to ourselves, our kindred, and our country, if we did not earnestly protest against and seek to arrest so fearful a calamity.

"We prefer military rule to the despotism of an ignorant rabble. And we wish to declare with earnestness and emphasis, that, come what may, we and those we represent, can never agree that this shall be any other than a White Man's Government. Our rights may be wrested from us by violence, but we will never agree that our proud old mother shall be presented in the attitude of consenting to her own degradation."

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Summary: Strongly disagrees with one Chas. King, who argues against the removal of political restrictions of former Confederates and insists only solid Union men, Virginian or non-Virginian, should hold office in Virginia. Believes King is a troublemaker, insists very few people in Virginia agree with him, and strikes down every part of his argument.

Full Text of Article:

From our exchanges we learn that one Chas. King, D. D., a resident of Staunton Va., has written a remonstrance against the removal of the political disabilities of "rebel" officers which was presented to the Senate on Saturday last. He says:

"The rumor of it creates a panic among Union men. If you relieve these rebel judges we are politically ruined. For God's sake, interpose and prevent this. It is false to say that we have not Union men to fill the principal offices, and if not, let them remain vacant until they can be filled with good men from the loyal States. Save us from the tender mercies of wicked, persecuting rebels. The restrictive measures in the reconstruction acts and the fourteenth amendment, and in our proposed constitution, are our only hope. If you will hold the rebels in check until we can adopt the new constitution then perhaps, as they bring forth fruits meet for repentance, they may gradually and individually be relieved from the curse of a broken and violated law, but for the present we are unwilling to make a curse for them."

This remonstrance was written by a man who is not in the least identified in interest with the people of Virginia, being only temporarily assigned by the Baltimore Conference of the M.E. Church, to the Augusta circuit.

We had given him credit for a christian spirit and candor, but with all deference to the ministerial calling, we must assert that he starts out with a positive untruth. So far from "creating a panic among Union men," we doubt if there be any Union man in the county who will agree with this political Divine. Those we have talked with and heard from deprecate this political act of a man claiming to be a minister and think he had better confine himself to his calling, and attend to the spiritual--not the political wellfare of mankind. We think, however, that if his spiritual teachings are no better than his political he had better abandon both.

There has been no complaint to our knowledge, of injustice, at the hands of our judges to Union men. Since that is the case, how relieving our Judges would damage Union men, we can't understand. Especially how it would "politically ruin" them we are totally at a loss to conceive. Perhaps this political Divine may be able to tell the connection between Justice and Politics, but a sad experience for several years past has led us to believe there is not the slightest connection between them.

He exposes the cat in the meal tub in the desire to have carpet-bag gentry from the "loyal" States fostered upon us. Congress has had enough of carpet-baggers to satisfy any body of men, and we think we appeal not in vain when we say "for God's sake, interpose and prevent this." Especially would we make this appeal if we thought this proscriptive Divine was likely to step into office.

Union men and secessionists are getting along quietly and peaceably and we protest against all attempts like that of Chas. King to stir up strife and especially at the expense of truth, which we asserted marked the beginning of his remonstrance and from our knowledge of the man in our opinion, characterizes its conclusion, in that of falsely assuming, as we believe, the title of D. D.

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Summary: The paper gives the suggestions that Virginia's committee of nine will present to Congress. They wish to amend the new constitution to remove suffrage restrictions from all ex-Confederates.

Railroad Taxes
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Summary: Gives an elaborate argument for why paying a small tax to build the Valley R. R. will pay enormous dividends in the long run for Augusta county farmers. Cites distances and prices of other places to show how farmers pay so much more without a railroad than those who have access to one.

Full Text of Article:

When the Valley Railroad is built it will give what the producers of this Valley have so long needed, a cheap, because a competing route, to competing markets for their produce. We now pay more than double what other people pay, who have competing routes to market. If the Central Railroad charged the same rate as the Baltimore and Ohio now charges, our flour would go to Richmond from Staunton for 25 cents a barrel, instead of 60 cents, saving to the farmer, on each barrel, 35 cts and thus he would save on ten barrels of flour $3.50. Now the railroad tax on that amount of property, say $100 would be about 20 cts. So the farmer with 10 barrels of flour for market could afford to pay the railroad tax and then have $3.30 left clear gain over his present "tax" (at 60 cents a barrel,) of $6.00. More than that; if he lived near Mt. Sidney, say, where he could load his ten barrels immediately on the railroad, he would get it to Staunton for 15 cents, instead of about $2.50, at the present wagon rates of 25 cents per barrel. Thus with the Valley R. R. to Staunton, and the competition from there on the Central Railroad, the farmer near Mt. Sidney would send every ten barrels of flour to market at a cost of $2.65, instead of the present cost of $8.50, and his subscription tax on that ten barrels would be only about 20 cents, paid out to save him $8.30. Let this calculation be applied to every thing else sent to market, and to every thing purchased for supplies from abroad, and the tax would be made up a hundred fold every year.

Our farmers ARE NOW HEAVILY TAXED annually for want of this road. The Ohio farmer at Cincinnati, sends a barrel of flour to Baltimore, over 600 miles, for less than the Augusta farmer pays on it to Baltimore, only 194 miles. The Ohio farmer who loads his flour at Wheeling for Baltimore 380 miles, pays only 2 cts more than the Augusta farmer now pays from Craigsville to Richmond 156 miles. Now is the chance to get rid of this oppressive taxation by securing a rival route to market, and if Augusta now fails to vote this subscription the chance is gone for years, if not for this generation. Baltimore can do without spending the $6,000,000 required to build this road but Augusta farmers cannot afford to lose it for the paltry tax on each one to raise $300,000.

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Summary: The Staunton Social Club will give their inauguration ball tonight at Odd Fellow's Hall.

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Summary: The paper reports that W. H. McCutchen has replaced Samuel Paul as Augusta Sheriff.
(Names in announcement: W. H. McCutchen, Samuel Paul)

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Summary: The U. S. Patent Office issued two patents for "motive power for sewing machines" to Samuel J. Baird of Staunton.
(Names in announcement: Samuel J. Baird)

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Summary: A meeting will be held at the Augusta Court House on Monday to discuss the "new movement." A number of prominent citizens will speak.
(Names in announcement: Stuart, Baldwin, Echols)

Valley Railroad Election
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Summary: The County Court ordered a second election on the Valley Railroad question to be held February 6th. Small turnout, voter irregularities, and bad weather necessitated a re-vote. Prominent citizens will speak throughout Augusta in favor of the subscription of stock by the county.
(Names in announcement: Judge Sheffey, John Echols, J. Bumgardner, B. Christian, George Baylor, Jacob Baylor, B. F. Hailman, William M. Tate, M. G. Harman, John J. Larew, David Fultz, A. B. Cochran, H. M. Bell, J. M. McCue, Gideon Barnhart, Logan J. Maupin, Samuel D. Crawford, James S. Crawford, Chesley Kinney, Richard H. Dudley, J. H. Plecker, David Bucher)

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Summary: James Robinson, "the champion bare-back rider of the world," will perform in Staunton in the spring.

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Summary: Dr. Bagby's Native Virginian speaks enviously of the wealth of intellect among Staunton's leading citizens.
(Names in announcement: "Sandy" Stuart, John Baldwin, John Echols, Mike Harman, Bolivar Christian, Jed Hotchkiss)

Married
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Summary: Benjamin F. Fisher and Miss Lucretia Switzer, both of New Hope, were married in New Hope Church on January 13th by the Rev. J. J. Engle.
(Names in announcement: Benjamin F. Fisher, Lucretia Switzer, Rev. J. J. Engle)

Married
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Summary: William Myers and Miss Rachel C. Shumake, both of Augusta, were married January 4th at Mt. Sidney by the Rev. J. J. Engle.
(Names in announcement: William Myers, Rachel C. Shumake, Rev. J. J. Engle)

Married
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Summary: William H. Bell of Augusta and Miss Kate V. Brand of Charlottesville were married in Charlottesville on December 31st by the Rev. J. E. Edwards.
(Names in announcement: William H. Bell, Kate V. Brand, Rev. J. E. Edwards)

Married
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Summary: James Henry Deaper and Miss Ann Eliza Talley, both of Augusta, were married in Washington, D. C., on January 15th by the Rev. E. H. Gray.
(Names in announcement: James Henry Deaper, Ann Eliza Talley, Rev. E. H. Gray)

Married
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Summary: Robert J. Hope of Staunton and Miss R. Wardenburg of Baltimore were married in Baltimore at the residence of the bride's mother on January 12th by the Rev. Julien E. Ingle.
(Names in announcement: Robert J. Hope, R. Wardenburg, Rev. Julien E. Ingle)

Died
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Summary: Mrs. Mary Hill Silling, wife of the late William Silling, died near Sherando at the residence of her son-in-law, James Padget. She was 82 years old. "She was for many years a consistent member of the Methodist Church, was respected and beloved by all who knew her, and died in the well grounded hope of a glorious immortality."
(Names in announcement: Mary Hill Silling, William Silling, James Padget)

Died
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Summary: Miss Sallie Johnson of Waynesboro died in Staunton at the house of Egbert Harman on December 24th. She was 57 years old.
(Names in announcement: Sallie Johnson, Egbert Harman)