Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-11-04
ADDRESS OF
HON. A. r. +. STUART.

| The following address of Hon, A. ID. ID. Stu
art was delivered in Assembly Hail. in Rich
mond, to a very large audience, on Wednesday
night, the 22nd of October. 1873. After beins
introduced by Col. Joseph Mayo, Mr.. Stuar
spoke as follows
Mr. SrUARTs ADDRESS.
Fellosc. Citizens Some weeks ago. had thu
honor to be invited to address mass meeting
of the citizens of Richmond. In my letter de
clining that invitation, (perhaps incautiousy
stated that if an opportunity offered during thu
present canvass, l would avail myself OF It, tt
discuss, somewhat at large, the questions con
nected with the presence of the negro popula
the people of Virginia my views of the mos
practicable solution of the difficulties which
spring out of it. These questions are OF such Vi
tai and pressing Importance. as to demand tt tht
serious and thoughtful consideration OF the
American people.
THE NEGRO QUESTION.
! am aware that many persons have been led
| to believe that by the overthrow of the institu-
tion of slavery, and the adoption of the consti.
tutional amendments, comforting on the colored
population civil and political rights, the neg~c
question was finally settled. This is grave
mistake. The effect of these measures has been,
instead of closing to open up this subject In a
new and more dangerous form. Slavery, it is
true is dead, but the negro population remains
in cur midst, occupying new relations to the
white race, and with increased capacity for mis-
chief
If proof be wanted on this point. need only
refer to the deplorable condition of some of our
sister States of the South and to the attitude of
antagonism which the negro population have
assumed towards the whites in the political con-
test which is now In progress IN Virginia. Al
though eight years have elapsed since the ne
groes were liberated and although strong dis
position has been manifested by the whites to
treat them with kindness and to extend to them
q helping hand, instead of quietly taking tE cir
position as American citizens and Identifying
themselves with the body of the population as
our foreign element has done, they have heen in
duced, under the guidance of dangerous leaders,
to band themselves together in oath-bound
leagues, and otherwise, in avowed hostility to the
white race, and with fixed purpose to wrest
from them if they can, the political power of
the State This is no temporary antagonism,
arising out of light and transient causes. 1t is
deep-seated and permanent. and is destined to
exhibit itself in ali future political contests.
not time that the attention of the whole country
should be directed to the consideration OF the
causes which have produced it and the means
best adapted to its removal?
OUR RELATIONS TO FEDERAL POLITICS
No candid man can deny that the contest now
going on in Virginia is one OF race against race
Thoue it is nominally struggle between the
Conservative and Republican parties, it is, in
fact q contest whether the negroes or white peo-
ple of Virginia are to rule-whether ignorance
or intelligence is to guide the helm of State. In
such a contest we cannot afford to be defeated
The general principles and policy of the Re-
publican party are not In issue In this election
Federal politics occupy a subordinate place in
it, The merits or dement's of Gen. Grants ad-
minstration are in no wise involved. 1t is en-
phatically question of race
AS the views which | propose to offer are not
local in their character but affect the best inter-
ests of the whole State, and, in some measure. of
the whole country, am gratitied that the Ex-
+kas~ Ifv,I
have afforded me the opportunity of presenting
them here in the centre of the intelligence of
the State--in this proud metropolis of our Com
monwealth, which is so potential in shaping the
public opinion of the interior.
In order to render my line of thought clearly
Ineligible, it will be necessary to refer to
SOME HISTORICAL FACTS.
Under the recent amendments to the Consti-
tuition of the United States, the white people of
the South have been forced into association,
upon terms of political equality, with four mill
lions of human beings, of race alien to their
own, and differing from them as widely, in phys
ical constitution, as In moral and intellectual
qualities These four millions of people had, up
to the close of the war, been slaves, and were
therefore Ignorant, uneducated, ana united for
sjble duties of American citizens But the gov
ernment of the United States, regardless of these
important considerations, suddenly, and without
preparation, by a change IN our organic law,
zenship. and clothed them with the elective
franchise.
EFFECT OF THE NEGRO ELEVATION TO CITIZEN
SHIP.
The effect of this hasty and ill-advised action
has been. in several of the Southern States, to
place the political power IN the hands OF the ne
groes and in others, like Virginia, to stimulate
angry contests Tor supremacy between tne TWO
races.
If the differences between the two races were
merely those of language, habits, and modes OF
thou oht such as distinguish the various branch
es of the Caucasian race. there would be reason
able ground for believing that, IN the progress
of wears, they would wear out, and that by asso-
ciation and intermarrlages, the two populations
would become asslmllated and consolidated into
one homogeneous people
NATURAL ANTAaoNIsM OF RACE.
But the differences between the white and
black races-differences impressed by the Great
Creator himself, and so strongly marked, so
deeply seated, and so numerous, as to render II
morally impossible that they can ever commin-
gle into one. The negroes must, therefore, al
ways remain q separate people, sympathlzlng
and associatng with each other, lntermarrylng
with each other. and transmitting their distinc-
tive pecularities to the remotest generations. =
Philosophers may reason, and philanthroplsts
NAV declaim against this segregation of races, as
the offspring of unfounded prejudice. Chris
| tians may deplore it contrary to the princi-
| pies of our holy religion, but no argument can
overcome the antipathy Of the white race to close
domestic relations with the negro. In this par
ticular instinct overrides every other considera-
| tion And why? Because the laws OF God ar are
strong ger than the laws of man, and He, In His
wisdom. has ordained that the races should be
| separate and that each should consort with its
| kind.
| If doubt be expressed on this point, l need
only refer to the condition of public opinion in
the Northern States, where slavery has been
abolished for nearly an hundred years, and in
| the Western States, where slavery never existed
| Will any one have the hardihood to affirm that
the prejudice of race does not exist In those
States in as full force as in Virginia or the Car
olinas? The Northern Western men may
| theoretically acknowledge the negro as man
and brother but he instinctlvely recolls from
having a negro woman as the mother OF his chill
| dren or q negro man as the husband of his
daughter.
still more striking illustration Of the disin-
clination of two races, essentially different, to
| interminple with each other is to be found in
| the relation which the American Indians bea1
| to the whites. For nearly four hundred years
| these two races have been living In close prox'
mity to each other, and yet they are as distinct
| lv senarated to day as they were when AmerIcs
| was first discov vered and it will be observed
| that in this case there can be no pretence thai
| the prejudice, arising from slavery: had any In
| fuence in preventing anna lgamation, because
the Indians have always been as free as the
| whites.
Without pressing this particular view of my
| subject further I think L may safely assume
| that the white and black races must ever con-
tinue two separate and distinct peoples, ana tnat
| although exceptional cases of lntermarriage may
| occur. the God-created line of demarcation nev.
| er will be broken down.
EFFECTS OF RACE DISTINCTIONS.
This brings us to the consideration of the ques.