Search the Newspapers Browse Newspapers by Date Articles Indexed by Topic About the Newspapers Valley of the Shadow Home

Staunton Vindicator: March 5, 1869 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: Opinion column condemning Southerners who submit to Republican policies, thereby giving up principle for the sake of expediency. Believes all Southerners should stick to principle regardless of the sacrifice.

Full Text of Article:

Expediency has been the curse of all ages, times and peoples. It has been the peculiar rock on which this country has split. Its history has been interlined here and there for years with temporizing induced by the specious argument of expediency, the fruits of which are the extraordinary condition of affairs we now witness. Opinions have and will be diverse and the effort has been to assimilate and harmonize this contrariety of political opinion for the sake of peace.--Principle was sacrificed for seeming policy and the result was a temporary solution of the difficulties. Opinions were not changed--not even harmonized, but merely suppressed, temporarily, to break forth again with renewed vigor and exhibit their results with a tenfold damaging effect. Looking back through the past this will be clearly seen by the unprejudiced mind and acknowledged to be the natural result of bartering principle for expediency.

This seems destined also to be the curse of the future. A powerful party based solely on the fanaticism of the age holds the reins of power. For four years more it is firmly seated in the control of affairs. It wields an immense patronage while in power and is disposed to oppress all who oppose its edicts or even differ with it in opinion--Thousands, whose convictions for a life-time have been in direct opposition to the fanaticism which has engendered it, still maintain the old time principles of our forefathers and are the chosen subjects for its malicious persecutions, as witnessed on all sides. On this account, when the last lease of power was obtained by this party, the cry of expediency was raised. The cry was "let us accept its theories for the sake of peace."--Barter principle for expediency. With the lights of the past before them it is wonderful that so many of the learned and gifted in the land were carried away by this insidious plea. It is less wonderful that some, tired of these persecutions, should actually sacrifice principle for expediency. The fruits of the former rigidly adhered to are necessarily postponed to the future--the fruits of the latter are to be found in the emoluments and "spoils" of the present. It is alike expediency that induces temporizing or yielding and its direful results are to be reaped in the bitter future. It needs no prophetic mind to predict the results in the near future of temporizing or yielding to the cry of expediency in the present. Beware, then, ye, who to escape the persecutions or share in the spoils of the present, barter away principles, which erected out of a savage wild a Republic, the model government of the world, a strict adherence to which can alone preserve it and the liberties of your children and your children's children in all time to come.

Expediency nailed the Savior to the cross--principle produced a Redeemer for a sin-polluted world.

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: Pokes fun at Republicans, supposed friends of blacks, who recently decided not to allow blacks to attend the inaugural ball of President Grant.

Full Text of Article:

The managing committee of the Inaugural ceremonies, have been very much troubled at the question of admitting or refusing to admit colored persons to the Inauguration Ball. They have, at last, nerved themselves to decide the question and authorize the announcement "that colored persons will not be present, the high-toned colored population having too much self-respect to force themselves into society where they are not welcome, and those who have not any self-respect will not be admitted anyhow."

One would think that those who proclaimed themselves the especial and peculiar friends of the colored people, sitting with them in their meetings &c., should welcome them everywhere. It seems, however, that they are not welcome, even to a participation in all the inauguration ceremonies of the first President they have helped to elect; nay, are refused permission to participate in a portion of the pleasures of the occasion. This is a singular act for boasted friends, but, nevertheless--"the colored troops fought nobly."

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: The paper corrects their mistaken report that Henry Shelton, who is under sentence for theft, served as vice-president of the county Republican meeting. It was actually Robert Shelton who served in that position.
(Names in announcement: Henry Shelton, Robert Shelton)

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: Isaac Brown, "an old and highly respected colored man," died in Staunton of pneumonia. "He was for many years the faithful slave of Dr. Reynolds, and retained, to his last moments, a fond attachment to his old master and his memory. As a freedman he was equally faithful, upright and honest, and his death was regretted alike by white and colored. His funeral was attended by a number of his white friends. In his death this community has lost one of the most correct and trustworthy colored men we ever knew."
(Names in announcement: Isaac Brown, Dr. Reynolds)

Another Pow-Wow
(Column 02)

Summary: Gives a brief account of a Republican meeting held in the M.E. colored Church, naming those who gave speeches. Few details because editor did not have a correspondent there.
(Names in announcement: Maj. John A. Harman, Rev. Phelps, A. T. Maupin, George A. Smith, William L. Herr, Rev. Bowser, Wright Bolen)

Full Text of Article:

On Saturday night last the Republicans held a meeting in the M. E. colored Church in this place. No whites save those invited knew of the meeting, and but few of them attended. We learn that speeches were made by Maj. Jno. A. Harman, Rev. Mr. Phelps, A.T. Maupin, Geo. A. Smith, Wm. L. Herr, and Rev. Bowser (colored) and ---Black (colored.)--Wright Bolen, (colored) presided.

We are unable to give a detailed account of the meeting, but are informed that Rev. Bowser, (colored) grew eloquent in speaking of the conversion of Maj. Harman, liking him when opposed to the Republican party to Saul of Tarsus, but when converted, to Paul, whom, with open arms, the colored people welcomed, as the Rock of their salvation in this section.

Our apology for this meagre statement is that we were not an invited guest and heard of the meeting only after it was over.

Married
(Column 02)

Summary: William B. Garber and Miss Nancy Jane Grove, both of Augusta, were married on February 18th by the Rev. Martin Garber.
(Names in announcement: William B. Garber, Nancy Jane Grove, Rev. Martin Garber)

Died
(Column 02)

Summary: Thomas Butler died at his Staunton residence on February 26th. He was 66 years old.
(Names in announcement: Thomas Butler)

Died
(Column 02)

Summary: Mrs. Ann E. Walker died at her residence on Middle River near New Hope, Augusta County, on February 6th. She was 53 years old.
(Names in announcement: Ann E. Walker)

Died
(Column 02)

Summary: John L. McCreary, died at his father's residence near Kindig's school house on February 15th of consumption. He was 36 years old.
(Names in announcement: John L. McCreary)

Died
(Column 02)

Summary: Mrs. Ann Robertson died in Waynesboro at the residence of her son-in-law, John J. Bell, on February 17th. She was 74 years old.
(Names in announcement: Ann Robertson, John J. Bell)

Died
(Column 02)

Summary: Thomas Barrett died in Staunton on February 28th after a very short illness.
(Names in announcement: Thomas Barrett)