Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-08-06

gate waste Of public money liberty, property,
life, insecure systematic libel and de:racton,
designed to provoke The commission OF crimes,
that they may be prcftabIy punished popular
elections suppressed by fraud, chicane, or iGrce;
persistent misrepresentation at Washington OF
tho wishes and purposes OF the people, that
they may be kept or brought again unGcr ml'
tary rule: such, With Gtte variation, are the
incidents which have marked their experience
for 6ge weary years In North Carolina, Us IS
we'll known, the government OF the State IS 10
Radical hands, and there the Government Is
this moment engaged in au effort to proIong ltS
power by sitting and ovcrawinc the voice OF
the people in State election, which lett lre,::'
wcuid pronounce its d)om. The State Judi
cial power" it is proclaimed, Though IN the
hands OF energetic, learned, and upright men,
hes not been able to bring criminals TO justice !;
and upon that false and shameless pre'enc:
whole counties are declared 10 be III state o1
"tnSurrection," and are oVerrun by military
yiolence-thus confoundirg al the inhabitants,
men, women, ard children, IN ore lnd'scr'ml
nate and Iawess prescription. Ho6edS corpus
is stricken down in the teeth OF the ConsIu
ton, and 1uf6an Governor ard corrupt Judee
coludc to deny its benefits 10 the people we
iecl LOT lueSt, OuE uludpPy WIZ
our hearts. We pray Coo to ho d up their
hands in the contest with their terrible en-. my.
But let US also lay the warniog to heart W hat
better or worse would have been the coodltlon
of this Virginia people, had Conservatism tacd
in the great struggle in which heir all was I'M
peIilled, and what fate is now in restr7e tor
them should its efforts be relaxed?
Ia reviewing our situation, as it vas and as
it is, simple Justice requires Us to acanoW 'edS.
our obligation 10 the Executive and the
Legislature of our choic, for the capacity,
integrity, and zeal, with which they have dis
chare led their arduous aad res pons5'e duties.
Rarely have public representatives been pa1
ed ia situations so novel nnd 9th cult
Theirs was not the common, easy route
through ways m adj smooth before them by
precedent and routine, but rather the rough
course Of the woodmaD, who, axe In hand,
bIsz.s his way through the trackIess, uubrokep
forest. Society itself had been disrupted
political ius itutions subverted; aod every
want and interest Of the community called for
the exercise Of wise and clreiul craftsmanship.
In the ordeal through which the State ra>sed
again into Uuion (involVing the attempted
exac,ion Of the test oath from the L..glsla-
ture J, in resisting the reassertlon OF military
authority 10 the org anlzAtlon OF government
under the enabling act in prudent and sega
cious recommendations to the Legislature, aud
sound views of State policy in the just aud
constitutional construction ct the novel power
of the veto the humane yet hIm and consld
crate exercise OF the power of pa'd IN, as IN
The general administration OF his once, the
Executive has fully met the exDrctatIous and
redeemed the cobf lenee of those who placed
him in power. In the composition OF the
,i>o >iJrI,. In h.
cations so narrowed the sphere OF selection,
that there we're necessarily many members
who were young or uutrl-i 10 the torm'
and functions OF legislation. But th'y quick
Y mastered the difficulties Ct their situation.
L :a, energy. and consccntiousncs5 marked
their deliberations in which some, before
uuknow iu public life, shone with ability
such as promises high distinction and use
tulness in the future councils of the State. 10
say that 10 dealing with subjects 50 deeply IL
yoving conflicting interests and pas :lonS, they
have done everything that is pleasing, and
nothing that dissatisfes. is simply to affirm an
ssibi!ity-what never occurred IN The
proceedings OF any such council in the word.
But let all that has been done, and the dlth.-
culties of doing it, be fairy and cand1dly esll'
mated, and then let those who know lney
could have done better cast the stooe OF cen
sure. Upon the Legislature OF 1852 was dc.
voIved the legislation made necessary bY the
adoption Of new Constitution tor the State.
1t sat from the 18th Of January to the Tin OF
June following and then took recess TO the
pol of Novemb Der following. When it reasen-
bled it was congratulated by the Executive up
on returning to it's laboTs refreshed by lew
months OF recreation, and after full and t,lr
interchange of opinion With its constituents
Il sat thenceforward until the llth OF Arril
following. being about six months for its first
session and FIVE months for its secoDd. The
present Legislature, under rcums auccs Tar
more difficult. began its working session en-
the 7th OF February. and took its recess Cd
fne 18th OF July, OF these five months saver
al weeks were necessarily consumed IN The
elections Of Judges 10 the short remaining
time there was crowded an amount OF iupol-
tant legislation which justly WiOs tJr it the
meiit of being working body.
Charged with the duty OF promoting the
efficiency of our organization, we warn you
earnestly that what We have achieved By such
arduous labor must be maintained by equally
enduring and persistent effort ; and common
but fatal dcluslon must be avoided OF underra
ting the vigor and resources of beaten adVer-
sary for the Radical party was beaten, not
conquered last year. We have "scoiched the
IT,,
pumbels) that of the 10l, 900 votes cast Tor
Wells for Governor, $1,000 we're c'lored votes.
solidIy cast leaving about 5000 whites as the
Republican party" so ciIIed Tor the poor
negroes we're the Unpaid capital'' with which
they boasted they would begin the canvass,
and with which they hoped to dlsfranchlse aid
despoi the white population CT the State.
And the calculation is still the same. The
scheme will be quietly pursued in every coun
ty, town, and township, to oIgaulz' this vo'c'
aud cast it 10 compact mass in the elections
But iuroads upon the Conservative majority
of 5000 are expected to be made IN several
w.ys: interested conversions will be counted
on ialings off from tho relaxation OF fort
following on success the revival OF old dis
tiuctve party names aud ra'ty pnjudiccs;
and last and most potent ithleLc. of ali ais
fractions and ioarns arising from 'mpeti
tions for off. These last have ever hcen
the bane of successful parties. Last year prn,
and M Golf IN inf divided