Valley Spirit

The Democratic Conference for this District met at the Public House of John McIlvain, in Fulton county, on Thursday last, and nominated for Congress our talented townsmen, Hon. J. McDowell Sharpe, on the twenty-sixth ballot, as will be seen by reference to the proceedings in another column. This nomination will cause the true-hearted Democracy of the district to rejoice. It will inspire them at once with confidence of success and renewed enthusiasm in the good cause.

It is unnecessary for us to speak of the eminent abilities of Mr. Sharpe as a lawyer and legislator--thee are well known to every man, woman and child in this part of the State. His name is a very tower of strength and the citizens of this county particularly will rally to his support, irrespective of party, in a manner that will strike terror in the ranks of the foes of the Republic. His triumphant election is already assured.

The conference was entirely harmonious and the members thereof parted in the best humor, fully determined to go home and work until election day for the success of the nominee.

General Coffroth was presented at the conference, and added greatly, by his admirable social qualities, to the enjoyment and entertainment of the delegation. Though defeated he vowed to work on faithfully for his successful competitor as if he himself were the candidate.

There is no State more deeply interested in the success of the Conservative movement which, is now agitating the country than Pennsylvania. The Radicals are openly hostile to all the best interests of this State. Their policy, if engrafted upon the government, would act in direct opposition to the growth, progress and development of the leading features which distinguish the wealth and industry, trade, commerce and business of the Commonwealth. Located as Pennsylvania is, between the North an South, and enriched with natural products necessary for her neighbors on both sides, it is highly important for her capitalists, merchants, manufacturers, and business men of all classes, that the people should be a unit, and the States act together in peace and harmony. Any policy calculated to widen the breach between that unfortunately has divided the sections is hurtful to the interests of this State, and the party supporting such a policy is a foe to her people and their business hopes and prospects.

The Radical party of the country is simply a congregation of men bound together by a hatred of democratic idea of government, and greed for political honors and emoluments. Not one of their leaders has ever enunciated a new idea that was not intended to degrade the States, enslave the people, and change the form of our government from a republic to a despotism. They are essentially sectional in al their aims and purposes. In all the measures proposed by them this is the central idea. If a tariff is to be adjusted, one section must be benefited at the expense of the balance of the nation, and the same selfish principle forms the basis of all action of this, now dominant faction. The whole country is never once considered. The people of all the sections, as one people, are never legislated for or thought of. The wise and statesmanlike platform of action adopted by the men who framed this government, has been abandoned by the leaders of the Radicals and they have substituted a theory at variance with the Constitution. and a course of action the fruits of which can be seen in the disordered state of affairs in the nation and the prostration of all the material interests of the people. Sectionalism has ruled instead of the broad, catholic ideas of the fathers of republicanism in the New World, and efforts are now making to continue This course as the settled policy of the government.

The Democratic and Conservative elements of the nation are arrayed against this suicidal attempt. The Convention which assembled in our city on the 14th of the present month is intended to consolidate all who are willing to labor for the overthrow of Radicalism, and an immediate restoration of the States to their proper constitutional relations with the general government. Full delegations will be present from the Democratic and Conservative parties of this State, and from all the States. Wise, prudent and patriotic men will be commissioned to meet their brethren and consult together on the affairs of the nation at this critical period of its existence. The starting point in the coming political contest in this State will be that gathering of patriots. Men long separated will then meet, and by word and deed inspire the masses with fresh hope for the future. The nation will see light from behind the dark cloud of sectional hate and partisan malice, and animated by a returning desire for the old days of national unity, constitutional protection, and individual freedom and prosperity, will engage in the political battle with a spirit which must insure success.

As Pennsylvania has been foremost in her advocacy of a union of the people for the sake of the Union, much will be expected of her in the coming fight. No small or unworthy motives, no mean or personal considerations, must be suffered to dampen the ardor or relax the efforts of a single man in the approaching campaign.--The platform is an elevated one, and men must bring up their aspirations to a level with the objects to be attained, the ends to be achieved. As this State has so much to gain by a defeat of the Radicals, so much to lose by a continuance in power of the faction which is ruling and ruining the nation, her conservative people should determine to win in the struggle which will take place in October. It is for the Union, and the Constitution, and the prosperity of the whole nation, and this platform is strong enough to hold all the patriots of the State and nation until victory shall crown their efforts.--Age

It was to be hoped that the thorough sifting of the recent Radical riot at New Orleans, and the exposure of the infernal designs of those who inaugurated it, in and out of Congress, would not only have been more than enough to open the eyes of our people to the dangers upon which we are rapidly drifting, but would have so filled the plotters with dismay as to make any further attempt of the kind impossible.

We are sorry to say that the tidings which daily reach us, through our Southern exchanges, are by no means satisfactory in this particular. From them we learn of an apparently well understood and organized arming and drilling of the black population, under the very noses, if not with the direct connivance or approval, of our military authorities located among them. The Richmond papers have, for months past, teemed with complaints of this character, and yet the evil seems to have been daily growing in magnitude and importance. They distinctly charge that numbers of black men--sometimes as many as five hundred--are in the habit of nightly meeting in the neighborhood of the city, fully armed and regularly mustered and drilled; that these dangerous and lawless military meetings are attended by white men, chiefly from the North, who are conspicuous for nothing but their intense hatred toward Southern whites that the negroes, emboldened by the possession of arms and by the countenance they receive in responsible quarters, are daily becoming most unruly and defiant in their demeanor; and that all these things are occurring with the full knowledge, if not the approbation of Major General Terry.

Now, we have a few pertinent questions to ask: For what purpose are these negroes armed, mustered, and drilled? They do not belong to the militia; they are of no legally organized and volunteer force; they are in no danger from the whites. Why then, should they meet? why should white officers of the federal army take any part in such proceedings? and where do the negroes get their arms from? It is idle to talk of any necessity for such dangerous and revolutionary demonstrations, for there is no city in the Union, of its size, which can show a more orderly, peaceably disposed population than the City of Richmond. In proof of this we have only to look at the records of her police courts during the past year.

There is but one explanation of this disgraceful manifestation of Radical intervention in Richmond, and that it is, a willful purpose of goading the people into such demonstrations of feeling as shall lead to the further extension of military power and of Radical rule over them. Unable to make them swerve one iota from the loyal position they have voluntarily and honorably accepted as the result of their defeat, the Radicals hope, by violently thrusting the negroes against them, and by subjecting them to injuries and insolence beyond manhood to endure--by such diabolical means they hope to lash the people into some furious act of self-defence. Will our authorities at Washington permit these infernal machinations to continue? Will they stand quietly by and see Radical emissaries of New England deluging our Southern cities with blood--giving over the lives of innocent women and children of our own race to the savage fury of an African mob, and bringing home the horrors of St. Domingo to every Southern homestead? Major General Terry should be at once required to show by what authority these armed African vagabonds are parading nightly the streets of Richmond; and if he either unable or unwilling to peremptorily stop their proceedings, his place should be occupied by some other officer more capable of protecting the lives and property of those under his control.

Although we are not aware that the blacks have yet entirely ceased their unlawful gatherings, it is but fair to say that the following order was recently promulgated:

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VA.,

RICHMOND, Va., July 30, General Orders No 41.

Militarily organizations, or associations for the purpose of drill or military instruction other than militia companies or regiments which have been, or may be hereafter, organized by or under the authority of his Excellency the Governor of this State, will not be permitted in this department during the existence of martial law.

By order of Maj. Gen. A. H. TERRY. Official: Chas. H. Graves. A. A. G.

We earnestly hope that this is directed as much against the blacks as the whites, and shall watch eagerly the working of this order. We are justified in making this invidious allusion to his estimate of the two races, because it was well known that while General Terry has permitted hundreds of these armed Africans, for months past, to assemble and drill without any molestation, any squad of only a dozen white, armed Southerners, meeting for such a purpose would instantly have been dispersed as dangerous to the peace of the community.--New York World.

The Stevens, Sumner and Philips men met in the Court House in this place, on Tuesday the 7th inst., for the purpose of nominating a County ticket to be defeated at the coming election. The attendance of the delegates was large, every district having been thoroughly stirred up by the several candidates for the Court House offices. The Convention appeared to be composed of a different set of men from those usually attending on similar occasions. We failed to notice in the crowd the twelve or fifteen old fellows with thatched polls, who formerly "ran the machine" and but one solitary wig could be observed ornamenting the head of our amiable friend from the Fayetteville district. We were pleased to observe this evidence of an intention on part of the party to discarded false hair and go it in the future on the natural wool.

After the organization had been effected and some preliminary business disposed of, a delegate moved to proceed to the nomination of a candidate for Prothonotary and general nomination for that office were being made when a delegate from Mont Alto Furnace--ex-Colonel of the 158th Regiment of drafted men, broke in upon the order of business by moving that Col. F. S. Stumbaugh be nominated for assembly by acclamation. The motion, although out of order, was entertained by the president and the hero of Shiloh was nominated accordingly. We noticed several delegates choking considerably but they were compelled to swallow the dose, or raise a row, and they finally gulped it down. This little dodge was prompted by an ex-Horse contractor, who feared from mutterings in certain quarters, that thee would be an attempt made to leave Frederick out in the cold, in consequence of the obnoxious private legislation in which he engaged last session.

The nomination for Prothonotary was soon disposed of. The thing had been "set up" by the politicians in town, and overboard went Taylor; kicked out as remorsely as if here were not of the least consequence to the party. McDowell had waited patiently for the place nine long years--McDowell must have something and McDowell was placed in position to be slaughtered next October.

Considerable of rupuss was raised in the Convention when nominating a candidate for Clerk of the Courts. In addition to the candidates for that office announced in the papers, the Mercersburg delegation presented the name Maj. John L. Ritchie the nominations were closed and the call of districts was being proceeded with, when a gentleman from Antrim objected to Major Ritchie's being voted for he not having been previously a candidate, and called upon the gentleman nominating him to withdraw his name which modest request was peremptorily refused. After some time spent in caucusing, the gentleman from Antrim moved that Major Ritchie's name be withdrawn which motion prevailed and the gallant Major was summarily kicked out of the Convention. Mitchell with his crutches, and Detrich with his armless sleeve, were soon made to walk the plank, and a young able-bodied man got the position.

The balance of the ticket was nominated with but little difficulty and the Convention adjourned, with the gloomy shadow of approaching defeat depicted in the countenances of its members.

We cannot close without condoling with our Mercersburg friends. They presented three candidates for the different offices, one of whom was kicked out of the Convention, and the others badly beaten. Alas! How are the mighty fallen! Mercersburg with its two hundred majority can no longer command the nomination of one of its citizens for a little county office. How are you, Gibraltar?

The August sessions of the several courts of this county commenced on Monday last. The attendance of suitors, witnesses and spectators is very large, and an immense amount of business will claim the attention of the court. The cases on the criminal docket number 120--a greater number of which are suits and cross-suits brought by "American citizens of African descent." So great is the crowd of negroes about the doors and in the halls of the Court House that ingress and egress is effected with difficulty. A delightful perfume pervades the temple of justice, and "the coming man," swelling with the prospect of his growing importance, struts and swaggers among the "white trash" exhaling the sweet aroma peculiar to his nature and invoking blessings upon the heads of his "loyal" friends. By all means give him the right to vote! Up to the time of our going to press but few cases have been tried. We will give a full report of the proceedings in our next.