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Valley Spirit: August 24, 1870 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

That "Unavoidable and Logical" Growth
(Column 01)

Summary: Defends the Democratic platform from attacks from the Republican press. Ridicules the Republican argument that black suffrage grew inevitably out of abolition, and uses past statements as evidence of their deception and treachery. Feels confident whites are up to the task of ousting Radicals and electing Democrats, the "White Man's Party."

Full Text of Article:

The Repository has been terribly worried at the resolutions passed by the late Democratic County Convention. It inflicts almost two whole columns upon its readers on the subject, and if it has not "insulted their intelligence," the fault certainly does not lie with the author of the article. In his anxiety to give Mr. M'Lellan a slap for leaving the Radical party, he confesses to the perpetration of the most gigantic fraud upon the conservative portion of that organization. This confession is contained in these words, "for the Fifteenth Amendment and the right of suffrage unavoidably and logically grew out of the abolition of slavery, of which Mr. M'Lellan was a part." Waiving, for the present, the vagueness and doubtful grammatical correctness of the concluding clause, we pass to the consideration of the main allegation in the sentence.

We deny emphatically that the Fifteenth Amendment and the right of suffrage grow either unavoidably, or logically out of the abolition of slavery. There was no unavoidable necessity for the introduction of the Fifteenth Amendment. The overwhelming sentiment of the people of the country was against it. There is no Radical so bigoted and blind as to assert that it met the approval of a majority of the people of Pennsylvania. Then, why was it "unavoidable"? Because a few fanatical leaders saw in it an element of supposed strength for the Radical party, and as that party was beginning to lose its hold on white men they recognized the necessity of investing the black man with the right of suffrage. The waning fortunes of the Radical party made negro suffrage an "unavoidable necessity." It did not grow unavoidably out of the abolition of slavery. From the effrontery with which this declaration is made, one ignorant of the facts would suppose that there was one spontaneous outburst of popular feeling all over the Union in favor of negro suffrage, and that the Fifteenth Amendment was made part of the National Constitution in obedience to the command of an overwhelming majority of the people. Instead of that, however, the intelligent observer of events shows how carefully the people were kept from expressing an opinion at the ballot box on this question. The opportunity was never afforded them to vote on the subject. State Legislatures were packed and the party lash was applied with terrible fury to the backs of refractory members. In Indiana, the amendment was declared ratified when there was not a quorum of members there to do business. This was under the pressure of the "unavoidable necessity." The assent of Ohio and New York before the requisite number of States was procured, and yet those States were counted as having ratified the amendment. This was under the pressure of the "unavoidable necessity." The very complaint which comes to-day from the mouths of conservative citizens brands this declaration as false. It runs in this way: "We were in favor of the abolition of slavery, but now we find the negro entitled to vote without that opportunity being afforded us. Nay, more, the Radical leaders notwithstanding their promises to us as to this matter, dared to construe our support of the Radical candidates as a declaration in favor of negro suffrage. Now we find ourselves deceived." This is the "unavoidable" necessity that forced negro suffrage on the country.

The Repository lent itself after the close of the war to the work of adroitly keeping the people in the dark on this subject. It did more. It deliberately sought to deceive its readers. According to its own confession made at this late day, it knew that the Fifteenth Amendment and negro suffrage would grow unavoidably and logically out of the abolition of slavery, and yet it labored to convince its patrons that no such result would necessarily follow. It distinctly stated that the general government had no power over the question at all, and that in our own State the amendment could not be offered until 1869 and would require the ratification of two Legislatures and then be submitted to a vote of the people. And yet, the right of suffrage grew out of the abolition of slavery so "unavoidably and so logically" that the forms of law, as the Repository had stated them, were disregarded in order to give the people the supreme luxury of seeing black men voting and holding office without their consent.

We fail to see also the logical connection between the abolition of slavery and negro suffrage. This subject would bear amplification on the part of the Repository, for the people want to know, why, when the Democracy charged that it was the Radical purpose to force negro suffrage upon the country, it was denounced by the Radicals as "a Copperhead lie gotten up for electioneering purposes," if it was true that they then knew that negro suffrage would grow "unavoidably and logically out of the abolition of slavery." The Editor of the Repository no doubt claims his share of the honor which attaches to the Radical party for the abolition of slavery. Does he mean to say that when he was engaged in the work of abolishing slavery, he knew that his party intended to make the negro a voter? If he did, why did he deceive the public on the subject? If he did not, by what rule does he desire to make Mr. M'Lellan responsible for the Fifteenth Amendment and negro suffrage, on the ground simply that he labored for the abolition of slavery? The truth is that neither Mr. M'Lellan, nor any other honest man, knew of any purpose to force negro equality upon the country when he was laboring to strike the shackles from the slave. And it was when he discovered the iniquitous purpose of the reckless Radical leaders to force negro equality at all hazards, that he refused to be identified with them any longer and joined the "White Man's Party."

And now, the cry is coming up from all quarters, "we have been deceived." All the elections that have recently taken place attest the healthy feeling that exists on this question. It gives promise of better times. It has thrown the Radical party on the defensive. They are compelled to defend themselves and yet they have no defence to offer. They now glory in the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment so as to obtain the entire negro vote, whilst they thus openly advertise their shame to the white men who have been deluded by their false statements. And they actually think that their white readers are too dumb to see the point. Such presumption is unparalleled. The white men of the State will demand a hearing on the second Tuesday of October, and announce their condemnation of the atrocious Radical fraud called the Fifteenth Amendment, by electing white men on a white man's platform.

[No Title]
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Summary: Strasburg has a yearly quit-rent of $150.

The Waynesboro' Population
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Summary: J. F. Kurtz reports that the population of Waynesboro is 1340. It was 1233 in 1860.
(Names in announcement: J. F. Kurtz)

[No Title]
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Summary: W. K. Widner has completed his census of Metal and is almost done with Letterkenny.
(Names in announcement: W. K. Widner)

Camp Meeting
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Summary: The United Brethren will hold a camp meeting on the land of George Fetterhoff.
(Names in announcement: George Fetterhoff)

Church of God Camp Meeting
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Summary: The Churches of God of Shippensburg, Orrstown, Fayetteville, Newville, Plainfield, Chambersburg, and Green Spring will hold a camp meeting on Mr. Clippinger's farm near Mowersville.
(Names in announcement: Clippinger)

[No Title]
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Summary: Letterkenny has laid a tax of 3 1/2 mills for road purposes.

A Relic of Booth
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Summary: Dr. John Peddicord allegedly has a lock of hair from the head of John Wilkes Booth. He served in the navy and stood guard over Booth's corpse while it lay on board a ship on the Potomac. Peddicord took the hair then.

Franklin County Horticultural Society
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Summary: The society met on Tuesday evening. R. P. Hazelet read the minutes and was appointed to collect membership fees. Several pear specimens from Joseph Deckelmayer's garden were exhibited. The fall exhibition will be held September 23rd and 24th.
(Names in announcement: R. P. Hazelet, Joseph Deckelmayer)

Van Amburgh's Menagerie
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Summary: Van Amburgh and Company's Golden Menagerie will visit Chambersburg. It is reputed to have many wild and rare animals, and should provide high entertainment for Chambersburg's citizens.

Wilson College
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Summary: The Rev. J. W. Wightman, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Greencastle, has been elected vice president and resident professor of Wilson College. The following will teach at the college: Miss Plympton, Miss Virginia Robinson, Miss Lizzie Smead, Miss Julia Robbins, and Mrs. McCarty. The brick-work on the new building is finished. The school will be able to accommodate between 80 and 100 boarders.
(Names in announcement: Rev. J. W. Wightman, Ms. Plympton, Virginia Robinson, Lizzie Smead, Julia Robbins, Mrs. McCarty)

Reunion of the 77th Pa. Vet. Vol.
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Summary: Announces a reunion of the 77th Pa. Vol. to be held in Chambersburg in October. Gives a brief history of the regiment and its accomplishments, and extends its welcome to the veterans who will come.
(Names in announcement: Gen. F. S. Stumbaugh, Col. Fred. S. Pyfer, Capt. George W. Skinner)

Full Text of Article:

The second annual reunion of the survivors of this gallant regiment will, we learn, occur in this place on the 13th day of next October. General F.S. Stumbaugh, who was chosen President of the organization at its meeting in Pittsburg a year ago, aided by such of its members as reside in this vicinity, is making all necessary arrangements for the meeting. It is expected that over a hundred members of the regiment, residing in other sections of the State, will be present besides a number of distinguished officers of other organizations, who have been, or will be invited. At the last reunion Col. Fred. S. Pyfer, of Lancaster City, was chosen to deliver the Annual Address and Capt. Geo. W. Skinner, of this place, the Address of Welcome. This regiment was one of the first to enter the service and we believe the last from this State to leave it, having been mustered in on the 11th of October, 1861, and mustered out on the 17th day of January, 1866. No other regiment saw more real hard service. It was the only Pennsylvania regiment engaged in the battle of Shiloh and participated in almost every subsequent battle in the West down to the close of the war, after which it served almost a year in Texas. The 77th was organized in our county. The remains of Col. Housum and many other of its gallant dead sleep in our midst. The heroic services of each member are held in lively remembrance among our citizens, and we bespeak for those who attend a generous welcome at their hands.

Married
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Summary: J. H. Patterson and Miss Martha A. Calmore, both of Franklin, were married in Bowden's Hotel, Waynesboro, on July 28th by D. B. Russell.
(Names in announcement: J. H. Patterson, Martha A. Calmore, D. B. Russell)

Married
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Summary: John A. Murphy of Metal and Miss Jemima Potts of Huntingdon County were married on August 4th by the Rev. William A. West.
(Names in announcement: John A. Murphy, Jemima Potts, Rev. William A. West)

Married
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Summary: William V. Shaffer of Fannettsburg and Margaret Jane Wilson of Spring Garden Mills were married on August 11th by the Rev. William West.
(Names in announcement: William V. Shaffer, Margaret Jane Wilson, Rev. William West)

Died
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Summary: Miss Barbara Snowberger died at Snow Hill on August 13th. She was 86 years old.
(Names in announcement: Barbara Snowberger)

Died
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Summary: Henry Small died in Funkstown at the residence of his son E. J. Small on August 6th. He was 84 years old.
(Names in announcement: Henry Small, E. J. Small)

Died
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Summary: W. H. Harrison Hoke died in Montgomery on August 9th. He was 30 years old.
(Names in announcement: W. H. Harrison Hoke)

Died
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Summary: Miss Isabel P. Mackey died in Spring Hill on August 3rd. She was 25 years old.
(Names in announcement: Isabel P. Mackey)

Died
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Summary: Annie Rodenhaver, daughter of Henry and Anne M. Rodenhaver, died in Chambersburg on August 13th. She was 5 months old.
(Names in announcement: Annie Rodenhaver, Henry Rodenhaver, Anne M. Rodenhaver)