Valley Virginian

Did it ever strike the advocates of "inaction" that its natural result would be ten thousand times harder on the soldiers who fought for the South; the widows and orphans of her dead, than ever the vilest radical ever proposed in the Military bill? The result of "passive endurance" would be to put all of this class under the iron rule of such men as Brownlow and the radical negroes, a fate which even our enemies give us a chance to escape, by action. We cannot believe that the honest, but deceived advocates of this policy ever looked at the question in its true light, and we think it their duty to give the view a careful consideration.

In our issue of August 8th, 1866, we talked to the colored people as follows, for which we were called "foolish" by some of the "over wise." Now that suffrage has been given the colored people, we repeat the advice given them, and again urge upon all classes the necessity of harmony, in order to defeat the devilish schemes of the radicals for our destruction. And most earnestly do we appeal to the intelligent whites to allow no foolish prejudice to keep them from impressing the truths given below, upon the colored people.

In a few words we will try to state the case to the colored people. You are here, a part of the great body of the Southern society, and you have several questions to ask yourselves. 1st. Who are you and how did you get here? 2d. Who brought you here and sold you, and who has taken care of you since? 3d. What is your true policy for the future? In answer to the first question you know you are black, a negro, and that your forefathers were brought by force from Africa, a land of darkness and barbarism. To the 2d, we can answer that the immaculate and freedom loving Yankees, of New England, kidnapped you and brought you here, sold you to Southern men, and then set up a howl about the "brutality of Southern slavery," after these same Southern States forced them to abolish the "slave trade" in 1808, sorely against their will--for it was very profitable. These Southern people took your forefathers, ignorant and naked, and by their kindness, patience, judgement and love for you, brought you to your present state of civilization, which no other portion of your race has reached. In return you gave them your labor, and that you loved them was shown by your noble conduct during the war. Circumstances beyond your control freed you from the restraints heretofore put upon you, and an all-wise Providence allowed this same Yankee, who sold you into slavery, to free you--not for the love of you, but to gratify his infernal hatred to the Southern whites--your friends.

Such is the true state of the case? you have accepted the freedom forced upon you by Radical Yankee hatred of Southern men and no one blamed you for it, any more than they would blame a school boy for taking holiday, when the teacher is "barred out." And what are you to do? Ah! there's the rub--your dispositions and education prompt you to do right; prompt you to cultivate friendly feelings with your best friends, our people, but foolish people among us, and designing Yankees, tell you to carry out the same spite a Radical Yankee will always have. They urge you to believe that we are no longer friends and they are--and the promptings of vanity make some of you agree with these poor creatures--Now look matters square in the face. You are here forever unless you die out like the Indians, as the Yankees predict. How to do your part for society is the question. It is to trust your white people; to be prompt and energetic; to comply with all contracts; to work and study, and make up your minds that only by hard work and by trusting to the kind and affectionate feelings of those who raised you, can you exist on this Continent. Do this; show yourselves worthy of the position you are placed in, as you heretofore showed you could be trusted and your future is clear before you--always recollecting the great fact, the position of the honored dead and respected of your class exemplifies, that "you must respect yourselves to be respected." Listen not to fools or worse, who tell you about social "equality" and all that, for that's your ruin and extermination. Be honest, be faithful; make yourselves necessary to the community and the devilish schemes of the Radical Yankee to ruin the Country, through you, will be thwarted and your race saved.

For two days past the African Church has been the scene of a grotesque, although melancholy traveste of the convention which the great political parties of Virginia were, in better times, in the habit of holding in that building. Where RANDOLPH, MADISON, MONROE, LEIGH, and UPSHUR were once heard with wrapt attention, HUNNICUT bawled like a harpooned gorilla, and CONWAY croaked like a gorged cormorant.

All who attended the convention assure us that the black "delegates" were, in deportment, intelligence and refinement, very superior to their white allies. The graduates of the corn field were immeasurably ahead of the products of the "town meetings" and "common schools." The impression general among the outsiders was, that taking the delegates as specimens, black missionaries should be sent to Massachusetts. It was conceded by all parties that at the great "mongrel convention" in Philadelphia, FRED DOUGLASS was the master spirit.--Richmond Times.

The true sentiments of the Union men of Augusta, as expressed through one of their number, and who had manliness enough to repudiate the Hunnicut faction, The Richmond Whig, of the 20th inst., has the following statement of E. L. Houff, with resolutions.

"We have been called on by Mr. E. L. Houff, a delegate from Augusta to the African Church pow-wow, at whose request we publish the subjoined preamble and resolutions which were offered by him in that body and were unanimously and contemptuously voted "under the table." Mr. H., who seems to be sensible and well-meaning person, is satisfied that he was entirely out of place in any such body, and that the convention was got up and controlled by corrupt and designing (white) men for their own selfish ends. He will take care, in the future, not to be caught in any such company. The following is the paper which was submitted by Mr. H, and which expresses his own sentiments and, as he assures us, those of the "Union men" of Augusta":

"WHEREAS, The State of Virginia, as well as the whole of the Southern States, saw fit to secede from the General Government of the United States; and as the result of the secession involved the country in four years' war, the most terrible that has ever waged on this Continent; and, as the States thus seceded are at this time held by the United States Government as conquered provinces; therefore be it

"1. Resolved, That we, a portion of the citizens of Virginia in convention assembled for the purpose of bringing back our State to the faith of our fathers, while differing with the advocates of secession from the commencement of the political strife to the present time, yet we recognize them as friends and fellow citizens of a common country; and as all classes should work harmoniously together for the purpose of building up our dilapidated country and perpetuating the interest of our beloved State, we hereby ask the Congress of the United States, in the name of the loyal citizens of Virginia, and in behalf of our misguided friends, that no portion of their property be confiscated on account of the part taken by them in the late rebellion.

"2. Resolved, That, as Union men, we are desirous of fostering harmony in our beloved land, and intend to uphold the Union party and perpetuate its success by all legitimate means.

"3. Resolved, That we abide by the laws made by Congress to govern the State of Virginia, and we deem it our duty to uphold the Union now and forever one and inseparable.

"4. Resolved, That we, the Union men of Virginia, throw to the breeze our banner with this inscription: The Union, the Constitution, and the Enforcement of the Laws."