Staunton Spectator

As the people of this State will, in a few months, be called upon to elect both Federal and State officers, it becomes them to consider calmly and dispassionately what course wise and enlightened patriotism dictates they should pursue-what spirit they should manifest-what the character of the officers they should elect. The first demand of patriotism, at this time, is to adopt that line of policy which will tend most speedily and successfully to restore the administration of the Government to the constitutional basis designed by its distinguished and patriotic founders, and to restore to the people all the constitutional rights which have been unjustly wrested from them. These are withheld from them by the Radicals now in power, and these Radicals are sustained by a considerable portion of the people of the North whose sentiments are based upon the prejudices entertained against the people of the South, growing out of the attitude of the South in the late bloody strife, and these prejudices are kept alive by interested Radicals in the North, and their unscrupulous allies in the South, who believe, or rather affect to believe, that the people of the South are not sincere in their professions of acquiescence in the results of the war-that they are disloyal and hostile to the Government of the United States, and still cherish secession and rebellious sentiments.

The belief of these things on the part of the masses, who have been imposed upon by interested office holders, to a great extent have induced them to elect Radicals to office, and to turn a deaf ear to the appeal of the South for equality of constitutional rights. The great Conservative and constitutional party of the North, upon whose success depends the hopes of the South, relies for success chiefly, if not in fact solely, upon the wisdom, prudence, moderation and conservatism of the South. They are watching the conduct of the people of the South with the greatest anxiety, hoping that it will be such, in all respects, as will disprove all the charges brought against them by the Radicals and their Southern allies. The hopes of the Radicals, on the contrary, rest upon the commission, on the part of the people of the South, of such blunders or indiscreet acts as would tend to confirm in the minds of the Northern people-too prone to such belief-the charges of disloyalty which they so persistently prefer against them. It would be well to bear in mind that it does not require much to convince those whose minds are already poisoned with prejudice against us.

"Trifles, light as air,

Are, to the jealous, confirmation strong

As proofs of holy writ."

Impressed with this view, we regret to see the coarse adopted by some of the Press of the State, in recommencing the people to select their chief officers men who were distinguished either by their prominence as leading, active original secessionists, or by distinguished military service during the war. If the people should be so unwise-we have no idea, however, that they will be-as to act upon this advice, and should elect persons to office for the reason that they were original secessionists, or had rendered distinguished military service, they would, in our opinion, commit that kind of "political blunder," which Talleyrand said was "worse than a crime." They would, by such elections, depress, dishearten and paralyze the conservative party at the North, whilst they would give "aid and comfort" to the enemies of the South, and a cheer of rejoicing would run along the whole line of Radical forces, for their charges would, in the minds of the people of the North, be sustained by

"confirmations strong

As proofs of holy writ," and the hopes of the Conservatives would be extinguished in the blackness of despair.

The election of such officers, for the reasons mentioned, would be a misfortune, at least, if not a calamity.

We observe that one of the ablest journals of the State, which, at the last election for members of Congress, advocated the debasing policy of electing such only as would agree to take an oath that they had never sympathized with the cause of the South, and had never given any encouragement, aid or comfort to any who participated in the struggle for independence, has now swung to the opposite extreme, and is zealously urging the policy we have been deprecating. New converts are proverbial for their fervid and intemperate zeal, and it is said that a "renegade is worse than ten Turks." That journal is now endeavoring to make amends for the degradation of its position at the other election. It is ashamed or the quantity of dirt it ate on that occasion when humbly crawling up on its belly, and is now acting the salamander, and no food cooler than fire will be eaten by it. The policy that journal now advocates is only less reprehensible than that it advocated at the former election. It is not a safe file-leader, and the soldiers, whose favor it is now currying as well as the people generally, will be too wise to follow it-they are sensible and patriotic and will not pursue a course which would inflict such misfortunes upon the country.

It is useless to inform the readers of the Spectator that we would not favor the election of any man who had not been, and was still, true to the South, and to the Constitutional rights of the whole people. He should be a patriot, firm, tried and true, a man of fine intellect, with a character for integrity, and public and private virtue, sans peur et sans reproche, without fear and without reproach, unimpeached and unimpeachable. This State is blessed with a sufficient number of men of this kind, who were not instrumental in precipitating the conflict of sections to fill all her chief offices, and from this class, at this time, for the reasons before alluded to, they should be selected. These views we have been constrained by a sense of patriotic duty to express, and hope that they will be considered and reflected upon in the same spirit with which they have been written-with a sincere view of arriving at a proper decision as to our duties under the existing circumstances

Since the emancipation of the colored population of the South, we have frequently told them that their condition is no better than that of the whites-that with the acquisition of of freedom they became burdened with the responsibilities of freemen, and will find that, in many respects, their immunities are not as great as they were before. Many, no doubt, thought this was a strange position, and that the remark was made more in jest than in earnest.-But some now are beginning to experience the full force of the truth of the assertion. When slaves, if they were guilty of larceny, they were given a few stripes and let off without any other punishment. Now, however, when charged with this offence, too frequently committed by them, they are thrown into prison, and if found guilty, sent for a number of years to work in the penitentiary, just as white people are treated who are found guilty of the same offence.

Before emancipation, practising the free-lovism advocated by a portion of the demoralized people of the North, they selected their inamoratos and cohabited with them ad libitum.-When they desired a change, they selected another, and enjoyed perfect immunity from all the penalties attaching to the offence of bigamy. Like the Mormons they enjoyed a plurality of wives, and jealous wives had not the power to have them imprisoned and punished for their infidelity. Now, however, the liberties of the freedman are no greater than those possessed by a white man, and he is not permitted to cohabit as man with wife, and to desert his free-love dulcinea and marry another woman. A freedman named Samuel Hall has recently committed this offence in Rockingham county, and the result is that he is now in prison charged with the crime of bigamy, and may be sent to the penitentiary. Since the war, he has been cohabiting with one woman, who has given birth to a child-he recently married another in due form, whereupon the first woman had him arrested, charged with the crime of bigamy, and he is now in prison awaiting trial. We would advise other colored persons, who are now liable to the same penalties as white people, to take warning by the fate of Samuel Hall, and to bear in mind that their condition is now but little, if any better than that of white people. The time of their special privileges and immunities has passed, and they are now burdened with the responsibilities as well as blessed with the fancied boon of freedom.

In speaking of the plan of reconstruction proposed by several Southern Governors, with the alleged concurrence of the President, and which is published in this issue, the Richmond Whig expresses the following views which are worthy of consideration:

"The Southern States are not in a situation to offer terms, and the dominant party are not, at present, open to propositions. If they can force upon the South terms that she would not assent to of choice, they will not be content with less. If they cannot enforce such terms, there would seem to be no reason for our offering any. We may offer better terms for that party than they could carry without our help. Of this one thing we may feel assured: from that party we can expect nothing of favor, of humanity, of ordinary kindness. They will do the worst they can, whether we help them or not. What we commit ourselves to we will have to stand by. It is best not to commit ourselves to anything to submit patiently to whatever settlement Congress shall decide upon, and to await the ultimate reversal of it either by the Supreme Court or a future Congress."

Gov. Orr, Gov. Parsons, Gov. Marvin, Judge Sharkey, and other self-constituted representatives of the South, who have been in Washington, have agreed, with the concurrence, it is said, of the President, upon recommending the adoption by the Southern States of the following plan of adjustment. Though it contains, in our view, serious objectionable principles, it would commit the South to concessions it should not make, yet we have no idea that the Radicals will assent to it as a basis of settlement-they will insist on more unfavorable terms still. The South should avoid committals of concessions, and rely upon a firm and "masterly inactivity." The following is the proposed plan:

Article 14-Section 1.-The Union under the Constitution is and shall be perpetual. No state shall pass any law or ordinance to secede or withdraw from the Union, and any such law or ordinance shall be null and void.

Section 2.-The public debt of the United States, authorized by law, shall ever be held sacred and inviolate. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the Government or authority of the United States.

Section 3.-All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the States in which they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 4.-Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when any State shall, on account of race or color, or previous condition of servitude, exclude from voting at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, representatives in Congress, members of the Legislature or other officers elective by the people, any of the male inhabitants of such State, being 21 years of age and citizens of the United States, then the entire class of persons so excluded from the elective franchise, shall not be counted in the basis of representation. No State shall require as a property qualification for voters more than two hundred and fifty dollars worth of taxable property, nor as an educational qualification more education than enough to enable the voter to read the Constitution of the United States in the English language and write his own name.

Proposed Amendment to the State Constitution.

Article.-Every male citizen who has resided in this State for one year and in the county in which he offers to vote six months, immediately preceding the day of election, and who can read the Constitution of the United States in the English language, and can write legibly his own name, or who may be the owner of $250 worth of taxable property, shall be entitled to vote at all elections for Governor of the State, members of the legislature, and all other officers elected by the people of the State:

Provided, That no person by reason of this article, shall be excluded from voting who has heretofore exercised the elective franchise under the Constitution and laws of this State, or who at the time of the adoption of this amendment may be entitled to vote under said Constitution and laws.

On Thursday night, Jan. the 30th, the distillery on the property of Mr. Benj. Weller, one mile South of Mt. Sidney, and being operated by Mr. Jas. Smith, was destroyed by fire, together with about 200 gallons of whisky. The supposition is that it was the work of an incendiary.

February term, 1867, of the Husting's Court for the town of Staunton, met on Wednesday last, Recorder William B. Kayser, presiding. The Grand Jury found indictments in three cases for assault and battery, and one case petit larceny.

Albert J. Garber qualified as Escheator for the Town of Staunton.

The Presentments and Indictments found by the Grand Jury at the February term, 1865, were dismissed.

The co-partnership which has existed for some months between Col. Chas. T. O'Ferrall and Mr. George L. Peyton, by whistle the Virginia and American Hotels were managed jointly by them has been, by mutual consent, dissolved, and now the Virginia hotel is opened and kept solely and exclusively by Mr. Geo. L. Peyton, whilst the American is managed by Col. O'Ferrall. We have no doubt that the Staunton will again have the benefit of two good Hotels, as it had last Summer. Mr. Peyton, one of the few who "know how to keep a Hotel," says that he intends to keep the "Virginia Hotel" in a style entitled to be called, "A No. 1."

The Board of Commissioners for executing the act of the General Assembly, making an appropriation to provide for artificial limbs for indigent soldiers has been organized. The commissioners desire to be put in communication with parties who may be entitled to the benefits of the fund, and will thank each senator and delegate to furnish to the name in full of such parties-the post office address, the county and the limb desired-to William F. Taylor, Secretary of the Board, before coming to Richmond or ordering the limb. The newspapers will contain further information on the subject.