Valley Spirit

The circumstances attending the Washington riot will go far to impress white men with a sense of the folly of those fanatics who have put the ballot into the hands of the negro. It has been alleged that the riot did not differ from ordinary election riots--that it was gotten up without premeditation and fore-appointment--that it grew out of the excitement naturally incident to the occasion. Let us see.

The Radical club of the Second Ward of Washington City, composed mostly of negroes, held a meeting soon after the election, at which a white man offered this resolution:

Resolved: That disgraceful scenes having occurred at some of the voting precincts of this ward at the recent election, well nigh resulting in a fearful and extensive riot, and endangering the life and property of our citizens, the republicans of the Second ward take this early occasion to express their deep regret and earnest denunciation of those scenes and of the patrons who instigated and of the measures that led to them; that those who forcibly resist or control the exercise of the elective franchise are self-constituted despots, &c.

This was, in effect, a resolution of censure upon the negroes who had attempted to prevent other negroes from voting the Citizens' ticket, for it was universally admitted at the time that this was the cause of the riot. But that body was not prepared to cast any blame upon the men who "forcibly resisted and controlled the exercise of the elective franchise." They were all guilty of that, and they did not feel like denouncing themselves as "self-constituted despots." The introduction of the resolution led to an excited discussion in which the negroes "threatened to kill those of their race who voted the democratic ticket," defended the conduct of the rioters and said it would be repeated under similar circumstances. The foregoing resolution was then laid on the table and the following one adopted.--

Resolved, That this body laments the riotous difficulties which tarnished the desired victory in the late elections, and sincerely hopes that [unclear: necessity] will throw upon us no repetition of the scenes of Monday, June 7.

What [unclear: necessity]? Why, simply negroes voting the Democratic or Citizens' ticket. That, they are not to be allowed to do under penalty of being lynched by a mob. As long as they vote with the Radicals, all right. But whenever they dare to vote against them, at the bidding of Mayor Bowan and Col. Forney and fellows of that ilk, those black blood-hounds are to be let loose to terrify and murder. How can any citizen of Washington City feel that his life is safe with the government in the hands of such demons. And so it will be whenever the franchise is conferred upon the blacks. They never pause to reason. They "go it blind" at the dictation of those whom they choose to follow for the time. They can always be used as instruments to do the dirty and villainous work of unscrupulous politicians.

Let the people wake up and save the country from the anarchy into which this negromania is rapidly plunging us.

There seems to be in affinity for the negro among the leaders of the Radical party which values every opportunity to display itself. On Tuesday of last week, in the Criminal Court of Washington City, there being five vacancies in the Grand Jury, Judge Fisher appointed five colored men to fill the vacancies. He then proceeded to congratulate the country that "for the first time in the history of the District, the tawny brown complexion of a race oppressed and degraded by six generations of slavery, has, at length, in the seventh, made its appearance in the Grand Jury box of the Capital of the nation."

He then appointed a negro to act as one of the bailiffs. Among the [unclear: petis] jurors in attendance at the court are nine negroes.

We put it to our Radical friends of the county, how would you relish the idea of having your liberty, or life, or the title to your property, hang upon the decision of twelve blacks summoned from the enlightened neighborhood of "Wolffstown?" To this you are rapidly driving. Don't blame us for it when you reach that point. We have not failed to utter the notes of warning. The responsibility must rest with yourselves. Prepare for the contest, white men, and resolve that your inalienable rights shall not be entrusted to the keeping of ignorant blacks who are rapidly being pumped full of jealousy towards the whites.

An ordinance has been passed in the City of Washington which annuls the licenses of theatres, unless they shall seat negroes and whites without distinction on account of color. To this extent has negromania carried the men who make the rules and regulations for the government of the National Capital. This is claimed to be in accordance with the principles of equality. "All men are created free and equal" and hence managers of theatres have no right to say who shall or shall not occupy their seats. What irresistible logic!

An attempt is also being made to procure a city ordinance which will compel hotel keepers to accommodate negroes on the same terms and at the same tables as whites. This is actually a fact although people may smile at the idea. The next step will be to force them to allow negroes to sleep in the same beds with whites whether they are male or female. Why not? Why is the latter not as justifiable as the former? If the sense of propriety of Radicals revolts at this, let them tell us on what ground it is to be condemned and the other encouraged.

This whole business is at total variance with our ideas of equality of right. Neither theatres, nor hotels are government institutions. The former are managed and the latter are kept by private citizens at their own expense. The public pays no taxes to support them. They are places of amusement and entertainment. If any government can interfere with them so as to control their action in matters of this kind, it may proceed to legislate against any particular class of merchants, tradesmen, or mechanics, whenever it pleases so to do. What becomes of the equality of right of men of business to manage their own private business affairs in their own way?

This matter is of less account to the proprietors of hotels than it is to the public.--The guests are the persons chiefly interested. As the Chicago Tribune, a Radical paper, truly says, "nineteen-twentieths of these would be white under any circumstances, and the effect of such a measure is to enable one black man, or woman, to force his or her company upon nineteen white men or women who do not desire it. Displeasing the nineteen to please the one, in a matter of mere association and taste, is not equality but the grossest inequality."

Conservative citizens of Pennsylvania, it is for you to rebuke this aggressive fanaticism.