The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-10-08

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Stirring speech at the FIambeau Gin
Mr.. William II. Woody, sterling m
chanic of this city, was called upon to a,
dress this club last evening, after the az
vertised speeches had been made, an
surprised his friends by making one of th
most stirring little addresses yet delivere
from that active rostrum. He said:
Mr.. President, Members Of the Hughes and Ram.
dell Club, and Fello,o- Workmea:
We are told that it is the custom of th
Orientals to be at variance with all outsid
barbarians. For instance, they take thei
soup after dinner, and not before, as W.
| do. They 60 in mourning in white insteat
| of black, as we do. We are told the,
laugh at a funeral and cry at wedding
are merry when we are sad, and are sat
when we are expected to be merry. Thi
custom seems to have been adopted by
you tonight in calling upon me, an hamot,
mechanic, to address so large and intelli
gent an audience as this. You, my friends
must take the responsibility of reversing
the order of things, after having been en-
tertained by all the eminent gentlemen who
have addressed you from this stand. You
cannot reasonably expect from me thai
which may be either interesting or anus.
ing, and not being accustomed to public.
speaking, l might beg to be excused from
further remarks. ifE 3dA
Then you adopt the custom of the
Orientals in calling for broth after feasting
on boned-turkey, chicken, salad and
oysters. zsslre,.,s .-.a
1t has been thought proper in this dear
old commonwealth of Virginia to have
only those who were educated in the great
institutions of learning to address the peo-
pie on any subject. Until within short
time back. these dear old fogy guardians
of the honor Of the state have managed to
keep the working man in the back ground,
to be called up only on the day of election.
But thanks be toAlmighty God, who rules
the destinies Of nations, a change has come
over the spirit OF their dreams, and they
are forced to acknowledge, however
reluctantly, that the working man is a
source Of wealth and a power in the land.
And, although he may not be fitted by
education or congeniality to be accepted. by
them socially, they must acknowledge that
he is as proud as they, as honest, as ready
to resent insult offered to them or their
families as the richest nabob of them all.
We are sometimes taunted with our want
of education; surely this is no fault of
ours-it was not placed within our reach.
Money was freely poured out of the state
treasury for the aid of colleges and univer-
sites, to which those of wealth and aff1u-
ence could send their sons, but no appro-
priations were made to meet the wants Of
the common people, and they let the great
opportunity pass--actualy slip through
their hands--to be taken advantage of by
the much despised "Republican party.h
Deny this who will, but to them we are to-
day indebted for our present school sys-
tem.' Our children must reap the benefit
of it and be better fitted for the battle of
life.
This is republican government. We are
the people. The days Of American pre-
tended aristocracy are gone for ever. They
have been buried with the Southern Con-
federacy, the national Democratic party,
secession, and slavery. They have gone
to that bourne from whence no traveller
ever returns, and the trumpet of the Angel
Gabriel on the resurrection morning can
never awake them again. Closely follow
ing in their wake we find the Conservative
party conservative only in nameAfor by
their actions the better title would be
extremists and proscriptionists. For by
their deeds shall ye know them. Why
are they entitled to the name of prosefip-
tionists? Because they load their op-
ponents with insult and vituperation,
indignity and outrage, and bitter de-
N tinYn ond e1op1a. Joo1t Ao,,t 10
those who see tit to honestly differ with
them. No matter who their oppo-
nents may be-whether a Wickam or
private : it makes little difference with
them. Were he the bravest knight that ever
couched a'lance, the most gallant soldier
that ever responded to the bugle's call,
they endeavor to put o skeleton in his
armor, and pluck the well-won wreath of
laurels from his brow thus showing their
base ingratitude. They have come to the
very satisfactory conclusion Ito themselves
no doubt that the Republican party had
gained all that they had contended for
that all of the great principles involved had
been conceded to them, and as a necessary
the old issues must cease to
exist.
This can never be. The great work OF re-
form must still go on until such safe.
guard has been placed around the liberties
Of the people that no one in the future may
dare assail them. " s2s4
They raise their war-cry of negro
social equality, and like the red flag of the
Spanish matador they 1aunt it in the face
of their victims to infurate and deiceye.
But the people of Richmond are beginning
to see through these flimsy fabrications,
and will judge for themselves. +e 7n- ia
They have heard something OF gas frauds,
of ballet-box breaking, and bribery to
hush it up, aad although some may be
partial the great mass Of the people call
for fair play. lA+4
They must let the responsibility of
arraying the white man against the Black
man rest where it justly belongs. They
have endeavored by all the Establishments
and cajolery within their power to win the
colored man to their support; but to his
everlasting credit be it said, he has refused
all their flattery, and told them, in actions
if not in words, ''get thee behind me
satan" Finding they cannot count upon
him for support, they raise the cry of ga
white mans party,nn thus throwing off
their veil of deceit, aud standing self
convicted Of falsehoed and hypocrisy.
They feel that their days are numbered,
their end is drawing nigh, and they have
selected gallant soldier to lead another