Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-11-02
Public Speaking.

- JONn ID. ClDOot cSq.: Oouuty ilH
tcndcnt, called the meeting to order and intro
duced Lieut.. Gov. JOHN l.. Marye. Mr. Marye
said that though the cry of the Radicals since
the war had been let us have peace, hey, were
determined that the people of thc'South should
have no neace until they consented to become
bound to the car OF Radical rule From the
close Of the war to the present, from Gen. Lee
down to the lowest privutr,all in the South had
been DESTROYS of peace. We had submitted to
the laws OF these foes of our prosperity TO the
di<franchisment of our best citizens, the en-
reimbursement of our slaves, and the rule of
alien and ignorant federal officers. No blackcr
crime was ever Inscribed On hStnrys page
that the Radical treatment OF the South. lie
denounced the Washington Government, and
contrasted it with the treatment Of AIslcc and
Lorraine by King William Of Prussia "1e
Gods is not that Il rebukc p -Four years Of
military sarapy in those States to keep the
pcacc, and excluding all the intelligence, they
turned over the work OF making State Gov
eminent to some thirty odd blacks and twenty
odd white adventures who substantially did
their work. Eirglnlans were a brave, deter
mined, independent but prudent people. The
American people at last became tired OF this
sort IF thing and gave at least to Il part
of the Nirgnians al opportunity to declare
their political principles and in lSG9 they arose
and rescued the State by a partial triumph.
''lIc called attention to the fact that out OF the
two or three hundred members of the Repul'Il-
can convention, there were but four or i've
names of men known rs Eirginiats. \ Rich
monl papera few days ago took occasion to
count. and from the hundreds Of orators an
uounccd to address Radical meetings., they
found but two NirginianS Voice Who are
thcy?) God knows. | don't want to know.
Providence had placed the means of defence i'll
orr hands. Do you intend to be recnnquered by
such party? lie knew that poverty pressed
hard on our people: aud the care for wife and
children caused men to be jealous OF every hour
given to politics, but it was because We were 50
Door that it WAS necessary to defeat rcconqucSt
at all hazards God knows we had now taxes
heavy enough 50 cents on the hundred dol
lars was a heavy weight. but it was nothing to
81 On the hundred, which was the taxes III ten
of the reconstructed States under radical rule.
The speaker drew striking picture OF the
darkness and gloom that had settled over the
States of the South and God help the fifteen
counties of South Carolina now under military
rule" He next advcrted to the public school
system, and said You have got the the poor
privilege of scgrcgating the races from each
next screw will be compulsory education IN
mixed schools. but if conpulsion Is not used
YOU will have no chance for an education,
unless you allow your little daughters to
he submitted in the schools. to the foul moral
and physical atmosphere OF practical anal
camltion. He had heard there were Difficult
ties in the ranks of the party could there be
difficulties in the face of such an issue as this
Let the man who pauscS now, SophIStlcate rs
he may. he is either under one banner or the
other he is either striking Il blow for decency
and the Conservative party, or he Is striking
half blow against them. 1t was useless to dis
cuSs past legislative issues now. but 50 Tar as
the funding bill waS concerned. he would have
hestatcd long, even in the interest Of the bond
holders. before he voted for it but if the fund
Ing bill was to be corrected, it was to be cor
rcctcd in the bosom Of the family. Why in-
vite radicals to correct it. He had no pa
teuce, in view of the solemn magnitude of the
issues to waste his breath on these side issues
Ex-Gov. William Smith next spoke. He
said that he came here diSnterested, without
the possibility of selfish design, for he was
Dissatisfied from office. He was fond Of going
back to first principles, aud he would 60 back
to the Declaration of Independence. The dec
laraton had declared that every people have
a right to change their form of government
when in their judgment, their interests and
their happiness required. 1t went further
than that, it declared it WAS their duty to do
so. No people upon whom the heel Of the OPP.
pressor rests have any right to yield it they
had the power to do otherwise. Resistance
was moral duty. This declaration was admitted
by all parties and was made part OF the Chi.
cago Republican platform Oh the motion OF
Carl Schurz, one OF the most able statesmen IN
the country. Yet when We saw IN Northern
sectional party the destruction Of our Interests,
we were not allowed to maintain this doctrine
but were overwhelmed, not by the Federal
power alone, but by the Federal power aided
by all the world, by our emancipated negroes,
by burning of our mills and barus, by all the
horrors Of the most unciviizcd war that ever
disgraccd the annals Of civilization. Gov. 5.
then proceeded to rchcarsc the history of the
State since the surrender at AppomattoX.
When Richmond WAS taken messengers were
sent in every direction to call back the mem
bers of the legislature. They could not find him
for he was looking about among the people to
ascertain their spirit, to see if they could not
put hundred Mosby in the field for he was
willing to die game. Although borne to the
earth lie did not feel conquered and was not yet
reconstructed. In noticing the surrender he
said the terms were maguanlmnus. If the
principles of the surrender to Grant aud Sher-
man had been carried out We should have had
peace indeed.
He continued his recitation of the progress of
the State since the war; spoke Of Generals
Schoield and Stonculan i'll the highest terms,
and in noticing the election for the convention
he expressed his regret that all did not vote.
Would it be right for the preachers to give up
fighting the devil because after 1900 years he
was as powerful as ever, and let US all be dam
cd no and for similar reason we must con-
tiuue to fight the Radicals. The celebrated
character, Robert Hughes, who has no more
principle than hog in corn field, had held
the people Of the State responsible for this
convention because they had not voted. Let
not such rcproach be made now.
He alluded to the formation ofthe State of
West Virginia, land said that that State Was the
result Of malignant Spite entertained by the
Yankees, for the high and noble spirited people
of the State. lie then reviewed the history
of the State since that State Was organized and
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