The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-07-31

consulted me about redress, of the heavy
money penalty which the enforcement act
allows them. But | say, to their honor,
that although there are hundreds of cases
ii this judicial district where suits would
lie for heavy damages on account
Of election wrongs, there has been no
one in which an action has been brought.
They have rejected with noble disclaim all
idea Of pecuniary compensation. They have
demanded only the protection Of their rights
under the laws Of their country. There has
a fact heen nothing in their conduct to JUS
tify the brutal crusde of which they are
made the victims. They are the wards of
the commonwealth. They deserve the good
offices Of all her citizens, and the hostility Of
no man nor class nor party. The only pre-
text on which this crusade has ever been
justified has been the improbable allegation
that in 1869 some 10000 of them voted for
retaining in the state constitution those
clauses which Conservatives and other Re-
publicans united in voting out of it. But
does it lie in the mouth Of the white man
to complain of prescription from the negro?
For two hundred years of their joint life
on this continent the negro was deprived Of
liberty, suffrage, the right of education.
and every civil right whatever. In 1869
he knew that the leading classes in Virginia
were still opposed to his enjoyment OF all
civil rights. lie knew that the party which
protested to hold the Objectionable clauses
of the constitution in such horror as applied
to white men were intensely hostile to negro
suffrage and negro office-holding with or
without the test-oath. If, therefore, the
majority Of colored voters did vote for re-
tanning the obnoxious clauses from q ma
tural fear lest "Me aolite mans party"
might succeed in gaining power to deprive
them of all franchises, even Of the right on
voting, are the Conservatives the men to
condemn the act? The voice of heavenly
charity pleads for the pardon of an offence
committed under such duress; and the reg
istering angel in Heaven. in setting down
his sin to their charge, will drop tear upon
the record.
1T IS DESTRUCTIVE TO THE STATE.
5. This war upon an unoffending class Of
citizens is destructive to the state. Al
ready has it driven away thousands Of
stalwart laborers from our fields and for
, ests, producing a loss which cannot be
We have the best laboring class in the
world. 1t is more efficient, more tracta-
BILE, and more in sympathy with the en-.
ploying class than any other on the globe.
There is but one objection tolit; which is,
that we have it not in sufficient num-
bers to restore our waste lands and
reduce to cultivation the wilderness
which stretches out everywhere be.
fore the eye. Our plain interest is to
foster this population; to give it fixed
and happy homes to educate its children;
and, by being ourselves its friends, to
, make it our own friends and assistants il
: developing the public prosperity. Our in
terest conspires with our Christian duty ir
} this important behalf, and both unite, with
indignant voice, in Reproduction 0. the fell
7 spirit Of race-hatred and race-warfare which
. would convert OAR state into a prowlng
! ground of ku.klux savages.
> 1T Is MEAN, CowARDLY, AND REBEL
6. Generally, this crusade against tn
! political rights Of the colored man is mean
! cowardly, and rebellious. Consider tn
case as it stands. The negro man has beer
!, with and of us for two hundred years I'll
I has been our servant, our friend, on
!, foster-brother. He is here by the provi
!, dence of Him who shapes the destinies o
!, men and nations. He is ineradicably planted
here by Power that does nothing in vain
!. and that does all for the good of His peo.
, pie. The government Of the STATE
Z recognizes his presence here, AM
4 provides for it by laws equa
q in their purport as to his race and ours
! The government of the nation recognize
: his presence here as right, and invests hin
I on this soil with the sacred privileges O
' American citizenship. Thus is he plante,
! here on the granite foundations of right
= Justice, and equality, by two centuries pro
= scription, and by all the traditions and sane
~ ~ tons of history, humanity and law.
. How brutal is this effort, therefore, t
array the stronger class against him in tn
b bitterness, intolerance, and all uncharitable
% ness of partisan antagonism. 1t is a mea
y and cowardly endeavor as between man an
: man. 1t is degradation of the Virginia
0 character. 1t is blot upon the fame {
!, the state. 1t is inhuman, dishonorable
II and rebellious. None of the politician
d who make this issue presume to believ
l. that the laws of the country giving fu
o civil rights to the colored race can
IS changed. None Of them dare believe tha
d the providences which brought the negr
'e here and have elevated him to cit
n zenship can be reversed. They do not an
n dare not assail the powers really respons
n BILE for the civil equality of the &C
n lored with the white man. But what
it the direction which. their contumacy tc
l. wards God and the country takes ? The
lie turn upon the object Of these noble BEN
81 factions poor and submissive negr,
ct Their revolt against the laws of God ar
Sc man takes the cowardly form of pers
IS cutting the humble child Of toll. And
re this unmanly persecution and this grove
70 ling programme are the good people
le Virginia invited by our political advers
,e ries. I do not doubt or fear the respons
Y which they will give to the insulting inv
cation.
THE PRINCIPLES OF THE REPUBLICA
PARTY UNASsAILABLE.
Of Such are the sentiments of our gre
to party on the leading subjects of nationaln
re and citizenship. They are self-evidentl
&c Just and the Republican party cannot
ar combatted on the score of its principle
le These are unassailable. They are en-
a. bodied in those amendments of the natio
,e al constitution which are the latest EXPIRE
N sion of the voice of the whole Americi
II people. They are engrafted upon the Law
It and constitutions of all the states. The
al stand as the supreme decree of the Peep
o. of the United States. They are mac