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0287

element in operation, and bad men in both sides are ready to avail themselves it to advance their own sinister purposes

Some time before the late election it began to manifest itself, but, immediately following that event it manifested itself more distinctly and has ever since been growing deeper and more intense- The line of demarkation  is pretty clearly drawn. On both sides are fear and distrust, mixed with jealousy and envy on the side of the colored. Mutual esteem and sympathy except in isolated cases are extinguished. My opinion is that the Whites, in the beginning, were more responsible for this ominous change than the colored. Until election day the former had expected a considerate number of the latter to vote what they called the conservative ticket. In this they were disappointed for out of nine hundred and thirty-two colored who voted in Rockbridge County- but seven voted with the Conservatives and the proportion in the other counties was not much greater. So soon as this result was known their cry was "we must have white immigration and get rid of the niggers!" and they began- at least in Rockbridge, to organize an immigration society- which fact threw the blacks into a great ferment as they believed the object of it was to throw them out of employment- and ultimately starve them, their wives and their children. There were also not wanting a few foolish employers who talked about discharging their colored laborers for voting with the Radicals but I have only heard of one who did do, and he took back his hands the next morning.

An evil principle once started always acts and reacts and I believe the distrust and suspicion first engendered among the Whites are now bearing their bitter fruits among the blacks whose warm imaginations are kindled equally by the fears and hopes of the future. 

As already stated there are incendiaries on

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