Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-01-26

ncoplc of the United States, means 1--WE:
the people Of the several thirteen States JUST
rs if they were I'LL enumerated.
Mr.. Mckenzie understand the gentle
mans position; but do not care to 20 into the
controversy which he would invite. The langu-
are of the Constitution as it stands on the face
Of the instrument may, think, fairly be as
sllmcd as indicating the Interpretation put upon
it by the people whose approval gave 1t binding
authority
It is not to he wondered at that mistakes
have been made The best has been done pro
baby that could has been done under all the
circumstances. Therefore submit that we shall
act wisely by accepting the situation III good
faith and act according ". Sir, while GO not
believe that any party in the South desires a
restoration of slavery. yet it is due to truth and
Justice to say that the Democratic party OF llr,
rinia, who, when they want to trap the Old
Line Wings, call themselves Conservatives, have
onnosed every measure that has been brought
forward for securing to the colored people their
rights acquired under the proclamation OF the
President of the United States and the several
acts of Congress, and the constitutional amend
ments which have bccnadOpted. These gentle
men tell us that the colorcd people are opposed
to them politically; that they vote with the he
publican party Why sir, is it strange that
| thew should do so? 1o do otherwise would be
| the most suicidal policy they could possibly
| adopt as they owe I'LL the rights and privileges
| they now enjoy to the Republican party. 1t IS
true they arc courtcd by Democrats. sometimes
deceived but they possess III an eminent degree
that trait of character which causes them TO re-
member their friends
In the State of Virginia, that boasts of the
nativity of Washington, Jefferson. Madison,
| NT,,.b,11 ,p1 boct pt ntbnr men If
was reserved to period few years before the
late war for the then Democratic Governor Of the
State to recommend and the Legislature to en-
act a law prescribing
THAT any person cmancpatcd from slavery
| since the lS of May, 1906, or claiming his right
to freedom under some ancestor cmallclpatcd
since that day, or any slave hereafter emancIpa-
ted or any defendant of such, who shall remain
i'm the State moro than one year after his right to
! freedom shall have accrued and more than one
wear next after he shall have arrived ut the age
| of twcnty-onc years shall, on conviction thereof,
| forfeit his right to freedom. and be adjudgcd to
| be sold ~ Il slave for life.
| 1t is true in some OF the counties Of the State:
such was the adherence Of the magistrates to
| the execution of this law that it was sometimes
overlooked. and permission Was gwen by the
| county courts for them to remain under Sllr-
| veunce.
Another act was passed March IS, ISGl: by
| the General Assembly, of Virginia just as odlors
for the voluntary enslavcmcnt Of free negroes
without compensation to the Commonwealth,
which provided that free persons OF color. rather
than suffer the penalties of the act adverted to-
might petition the court Of competent jurisdlc-
ton that they might be slaves perpetually to
such persons rs proposed by the persons filing
such petition. And this. sir, was only two
months before the war commenced Everybody
was to be made Il stakeholder; and thus the
divine institution was to be pcrpctuatcd forever.
DO you wonder, therefore, MIR. Speaker that
[ am Il Republican. seeing before my eyes the
tendency of things and the great outragcs that
were to have been pclpetratcd upon Il down
tuddcn and helpless race? And the General
Government was acting but little better to-
ward them Who does not remember with
shame the tugitre-slavc act passed by Con-
grcss ? Who does not remember that the Gov
ernmcnt of the United States, or its Congress
before the war. was willing to pass Il bill de-
caring that slavery should never be intcricrcd
with in the States And if it had not been
for some of the southern Senators it would
have become a law And thus the shackles Of
the slave would have been fastened upon him
forever. But God, in His providence, order
ed otherwise The founders of this Govern
mcnt looked upon the institution of slavery as
Il temporary evil The Democratic and State
rights parties Of the South have been rlyctlng
their chains ever since They are now burst
asundcr and no more shall the foot Of slave
tread this continent.
Sir let Inc relate an occurrence to which my
attention WAS called many years ago y dis
tinguished gentleman from Ohio at that time
was Secretary of the Treasury anu to show the
| ~ oil and thn yVrtth II
of the southern men, the collector OF the port
| Of Alexandria, Joseph Eaches, esq, wrote to
| the Secretary to know why it was he could not
issue American projections to colorcd seamen !:
that they were issued prior to 1900 ut the
port Of Norfolk 4 habit had grown up in
clearing vessels from southern ports, by the
county courts furnishing colorcd scamcn with
certificates, in place of American protection, to
enable them to clear from the custom-housc,s so
that the law requiring two thirds Americans
should be complied with These certificates
were no protection to the seamen in foreign
ports no consul could recognize them as an
American protection. Sir no reply w2s ever
received to that letter it was tender ground
silence has prevailed ever since ut the Treasury
| Department.
Mr. Speaker, let me tell you and the House
another thing. In my opinion, had not this
war come on no man lululnS lnOucritc views OH
the subject of slavery. or an anti-slavery man,
would have had any peace in Virginia. Sir It
great deal was said previous to the war in re-
gard to the sectionalism Of the election Of Mr..
Lincoln, and that his election to the Presidency
of the United States was sufficient cause for a
dissolution of the Union. The true cause. sir,
in my opinion, Of this rebelion-the rich mans
war and the poor man. fght-was this: every
four years convention was to be held for a
nomination for the high office OF President OF
the United States The fire eaters Of the South
saw that they were diminishing in the Electoral
College, that fthcy failed in securing nominal
ton they had to put up with asimplc Secretary
ship and few clerkships: they saw that the
North and Northwest were growing all the
time, while they were diminishing. They lnl-
agined cotton to be king. Views OF splendid
offices for all the great and small politicians Of
! +Lo South Tn,vinr ont the doctors preach