Staunton Vindicator

In these times, when the great safe-guards of the Constitution and Government of our country, intended to protect the small and weaker States from the aggressions of the larger and more powerful are lost sight of in the frenzy of Norhern or Radical supremacy, when the great principle of States rights has been swept aside by the voice of the North to make way for Federal dominance on all questions, not for the sake of perpetuating the principles of Republican Government, but rather to perpetuate the power of a ruling faction, representing far less than one-half of the body-politic of the country, it becomes a question of importance to the Southern people what to do. We can and should expect nothing from this ruling faction. It is therefore a patent fact that the South must reach forth its hands for no extraneous help but must carve out its future for itself. Can she do this? With scarcely no desire to meddle with the present fruitless schemes of politics, which, whatever we do, seem to produce extra burdens for us to carry, the South is in the best possible mood to accomplish her true destiny. Within her broad borders she has a most productive country abounding in inexhaustible mineral resources and supplied with the finest water-power in the world. It now remains for her to take advantage of what nature has placed within her reach.--She must produce to the utmost extent of her capacity. She must delve in the bosom of mother earth for her hidden treasures and, not content with bringing them to the surface she must make use of her vast water-power and construct at home the various mechanical contrivances so needfulin recuperating our devastated and depleted section.--We must lay asided the idea of commencing largely at present with abundant capital, not at our command, but begin in a small way and increase our manufacturing facilities as the demand requires. Thus will we lay the foundation sure of future prosperity, furnishing a large field for skilled labor, an invitation to capital and immigration that can not be withstood, a ready market at home for a vast proportion of our articles of production and the circulation of our means, obtained largely from abroad, within ourselves, without being necessitated to purchase as at present from those who by their words are professed friends, bu tby their acts show themselves to be our malignant and unrelenting enemies. The degrading conditions sought to be imposed by the North on us, and the taxation on some of our staple products, which furnishes a vast stimulus to their production elswhere, may be productive of greater good than we have heretofore anticipated. If it cause us to turn our attention to ourselves and our future, and force us to make use of hte advantage we possess, then what was intended as a curse will be a blessing indeed. No people under the sun were ever urged on to do by such a stimulus as we are.

Let us then foster each and every project among us by our influence and our patronage and the depleted South of to-day will ere long not only exhibit an unwanted progress due to an untiring energy which she possesses, though long derided as devoid of, but by the potent influence of prosperity will demand that consideration, which she must otherwise, now and for years to come, seek in vain in the muddy pool of party politics.

At the commmencement of the late war there was a very large party in the North opposed to the coercion of the sovereign States of the South. The larger party in the North, however, favored coercion, and the party opposed gradually yielded their convictions on the subject until but a small portion of them were left, the larger portion by far joining in the cry for the forcible preservation of the Union as loudly as the most out and out coercionists. The latter gained their point and compelled the South to submit. This being accomplished, the question of the status of the Southern States gave rise to a dvision among the Northern people, the larger portion demanding guarantees from the Southern States unjust and humiliating, while the anti-coercionists, in the main, contended as strongly for the return of those States to the Union with their rights and privileges unimpaired under the Constitution as it was. This question decided by the voice of the North in the late election in favor of additional and unconstitutional guarantees, and by a large majority, has had the effect of again causing some of the most persistent to yield their convictions. They now advise the South to accept the terms held out by the radicals, on the ground that these or more stringent terms will be forced upon us. It were better they say for us to accept voluntarily these conditions than to be forced to do so. We are thankful to the many conservative men of the North for the bold and manly stand they have taken on the side of the contitution and in opposition to unconstitutional guarantees, and humiliating conditions of restoraion, and we are disposed to receive their advice as of well wishing friends. We, however, have seen them yield principle in the first instance and rank themselves with their political opponents in the cry against us, and if they again do so we may not disappointed, but they must excuse us from acting on their advice when they forsake their principles and pursue a course, purely from policy and at which their feelings must revolt.

If we are compelled to accept such conditions as the dominant North may dictate we can not help ourselves, but as for placing a brand on our own foreheads, voluntarily with our own hands, we can not think of it for a moment.

From those of our Northern friends who remain true to principle we would be glad to receive advice, but for the sake of consistency, if nothing else, we beseech those who have sided with the majority not to tender advice, as friends, to those whom they have deserted in their direct moments. From all such friends we can but exclaim, "Good Lord, deliver us!"