The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-12

protect the weak citizen from local intole- I
rance and persecution, they detest it.
While they possessed the offices, and could
WELD the Federal powers to defend slavery,
to crush out free discussion, to maintain
their own foothold upon the necks of the
people in the South, they tolerated the Fed
eral government, and used it with a liberal
construction Of its powers. They tried
to compel free citizens, by law,
to catch and return their escaping slaves.
They ordered the mails to be put under
espionage. They sent troops into distant
territories, made free by the most solemn
compacts, to plant slavery there BY force,
against the protests of a free people. But
they reserved always in the doctrine OF
State rights" the privilege of throwing Oft
its restraints the moment that its power
passed from their hands and could no longer
be welded for their advantage.
After their terrible failure they remained
quiet in the first moments of overwhelming
defeat, but spared by the indulgence of the
country which they had sought to ruin,
they have never ceased to nurse secret hate
towards those who foiled their wicked
plans. Encouraged by supposed divisions
in our ranks, they have rallied once more
to secure on the field of politics what they
lost in the war. Elated by partial sue
~cesses, they can scarcely await the safe
moment for throwing off disguise. The
recent election in Georgia, the spirit
of the press and the speeches now ring
Ing in our ears from the leaders of Virginia,
are the outcroppings Of a submerged senti-
ment of disloyalty. The deliberate pur-
pose of these men is to SOW the seeds of
hate in the minds Of the youth, which will
spring up and bear their fruit in the future.
They hope to restore the old order cfthingS.
They seek to reinstate the dethroned Bour-
. bonism Of Virginia. They are earnest, ag-
gressiye, and utterly INSCRIPTIONS in the
use Of means. They represent fairly all
that is really formidable in the opposition
Between US and them there is war-a war
which knows no delay, no armistice. I'm
conditional surrender can alone end the
T. strife.
1t is the war of ideas, succeeding the con
Is ficts of the field. We fought during Ions
Ie and bloody years for the %ascendancy o
certain principles. We conquered for then
the armies of the rebellion. We gainet
s. the right to dictate terms, and the right Q
s. free discussion. We gained american cit
70 zenshiip at home as we'll as on the high sea
and in foreign lands. And now the contes
is transferred to the field of politics.
The ideas we fought for must be aceepte
d. and incorporated into our institutions, Q
the sacrifices of the country have bee
he made in vain. II is useless to talk of r,
F- Cancellation while they who failed in wa
seek to evade the logical sequences of til
conflict and dictate a policy to the victor
The old order fell in the shock of revolt
ton.
:. Henceforth, we are a nation, and Il
w w powers of the nation are to be welded f
the protection Of all. The Nation guaraa
tees justice, liberty and progress to all
" people. It's po,oers wiW be ererted for
protection of the poorest negro in the rio
ant ssoamps Of Carolina as promptly as !
at the merchont princes of the metropol
The state, the county, the townsh.p and {
M indiridudl, all must stand aside achen
mopes TO the august soork Of making Anne
can citizenship as potent and complete
Georgia as IN Massachusetts. That is
!, ~profoundest issue Of this canvass. 1t W
remain The great issue, until the ideas Of
- victorious party IN the acar, are accept
and applied in practice e~rerywhers. 1
American people have resolved that it sh
rtu. be so decided, and it is insane and .uicie
g in any part of the people to resist that j
to decision.