Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-09-28
TrTTvp ppoM HON JAMES LYONS.

in resnonse to an invitation to be present at the
Mass Meeting. which was held in this city on
the 18th instant, was only received few days
since, and we take pleasure in laying it before
our It aders:
RocKBeiDGE RATHs, Sept. lIth, 1866 Z
To j. IL Jo!tnsoa President, dc.
GENTLEMEN: Your letter OF the tn lnstaht'
inviting ne TO attend a mass meeting In Alex
anthia, on the 18th Of this month, 10 ehHo'Sc
the Constilut cua policy OF President Johh
son, and requesting a reply has just teen re
ceived As you perceive, 1t would be IN posi-
ole for me to comply with your lnvl'atlon, even
if the state of my health permitted Although
net noIitician, and with No purpose or desire
ever ara;n to be connected with politics, would
# it were in my power to do so, accept your IN
vita,ion with great pleasure, for 10 man eudor-
SEES more cordially than do the Constitutions
al p,licv of the President He is great man
wise. patriotic, and heroic, every trlen1 OF q
Constitutional Union, Of law, order and peace,
ought to endorse and support HIM, and esiic-
ciay all such in the South. For however he
may have differed from the South as to seces-
sion, he is now honestly endeavor!ag, with great
ability and courage, to restore the Constitution
and the peace and prosperity OF the county,
| say honestly endeaV0lng' because. IN my
opinion, the history of the times JuStliles 40
other conclusion. He became the President in
STATE OF war, it is true; but under the Con
stitu,ion Of '76, by its bchest, and he swore 70
support it. II the party Which place! hn 10
power had adhered faithfully to tina: Con>titu-
ton why should he have opposed it, flushed is
It was with victory? What motives has be Tor
his conduct, but his conviction Of right, and his
love of his country? II he could have forgot
ten his oath, and concurred with the Radicals
in their violent and unconstitutional measures ;
in their cruel, vindcive, unwlse persecution OF
the white people OF the South, he would have
been sustained by them, and unlimited power
70 carry out their schemes would have been con
ferred upon him. What then but noble and
patriotic motives could have prompted him 10
oppose this triumphant party, and throw him
self, at so much hazard, into the breach in de-
fence IF the Constitution and the oppressed and
down trodden people Of the South? Ga the
one hand he had everything t. gam, except Il
peaceful conscience whil3 on the other he had
everything to lose except bis own seltrcSpcct
and the applause Of the yirtnous. How can
any man doubt his honesty then? How truly
noble, and worthy Of all praise, is his conduct,
when di>carlng all selfish con alterations, aud
| Rejecting the power which was rendered to him
| for bad purposes, he stands forth the champion
| of truth and the Constitutional rights IT the
| people, in the midst Of obloQuy, insult and
death Such has been his conduct to the
! white men of the country. His conduct TO the
| freedmen has teen equally wise, and if his coun-
| sells had been observed they would now be peace,
| ful and hapny in the enjoyment of the fruits OF
their labor; and The fields of the South would
! be again yieldiug abundant crops to rcpeuish
| IL bn and
give plenty to the poor as we'll as the rich, in
stead of which the whole country is uneasy and
excited. upon the brink of a civil War. and some
portions of it threatened with famine The
discomforts and dstresses of the cqlorcd people
| of the South. whatever they are, have been oc-
| casioned BY the opponents OF the President $
policy, who hoping to make more political cap
| tal ont of the culored men than they ever could
| out of the sensible and respectable men OF the
| South, mislcad them by PROCESSING to be their
| most devoted friends, and stimulate discomfort
and discord among them by. claiming for them
! poliical power which theyid0 not understand,
and are utterly incapable OF welding, without
ruin to themselves, as we'll as the white man.
The President on the other hand, while he
claims for them complete protection IL the en-
ioyment of all their rights OF, person and prop
erty, desires that they shall he LETT to labor In
peace, until time and education, which alone
can do it. shall fit them for other duties III the
opinion of the people among whom they reside;
and in these opinions, believe, every sensible
man in the South concurs; and The lmputauon
upon the people of the South that they opprcES
the colored man, or withhold from him any lc-
gal right, including just reward for his abor
is utterly false and scandalous. Those who make
such imputations are the very people who take
II, ,1cr al !
| him the wrong which they imput 70 others.
1t would be better Tor both races if the colorcd
people could he coionizea, and their places filled
with white people, Tor if they remain among
us, they must be content with subordinate 50
cial and political condition, with perfect sccur
" Of life, liberty and property. The Southern
people do not blame them for their own eman,
cipation, but on the contrary, feel much sym
patty for them but they will submit to exter-
mination, | am sure, before they will elevate
them to social or political equality with them
selves, and IN this sentiment a large portion or
the people Of the North and Northwest con-
ours, [ believe, for no political right, can
be extended to the freedmen in the South,
except by the States seyerslly. which are not
extended to then at the North, without max
ing this the most unequal and unjust govern
ment in the world, where there is any Uretence
Of representative government and equal laws
The act which gives suffrage to the coIorpd man
at the South must give It TO him at the North
and the Constitution will then make him cg-
BILE to the Federal Congress from either section,
although the States will retain the right to cx-
clude him from their Legislatures, and public
offices. Is there really sensible aud patriotic
man who would place the country in such con-
diton? Who would confer upon the freedman
e >ol,+ h., ,nh -
enlightened unnaturalizcd white man who
may come among us canuOt enjoy in less than
FIVE years? Is the freedman who drove the Mas
ter II ules, or oxen or fed his hogs, yesterday
without knowing that there was such thing as
Constitution, better qualified to exercise the
right of suffrage than John Bright or the Earl
Of Derby, or the brave boys, from Europe,
who fought for the Flag?'' Spirit Of Know
Nothingism where are you? Have you been
annihilated, and all the patriotic fervor which
prompted the people to exclude the ignorant