Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-10-13
ALEXANDRIA,, VA.
THE CONSERVATIVE MEETIsG.
MONDAY, OCTOBER la, 1873.

cOlltcllOu diOUhO SdiSplo Liam AdNASaNSN <''~>
there would be large crowd to hear Gen.
Kemper speak. At eight o'clock there was a
good audience present, and after music by the
Alexandria Band, Jno. B. Smoot, esq, as
the presiding officer of the meeting, introduced
Gen. Kemper, whose enthusiastic reception &C
corded with that with which be had been greet
ed wherever he has been during the canvass.
1t was such reception as was naturally eX-
pected from an audience, among whom were so
many of those whose esteem for Gen. kemper
had been acquired by an association during the
war; which gave them an opportunity OF wit
Messing the noble and chivalrIc bearing that
then characterized him.
He seemed somewhat worn and latlgued by
the vigorous canvass he has made, but with his
spirit in the work, he entertained, for about
two hours, the crowded hall, and when ne closed
there were cries of go on, 60 on" He
opened his speech by modest and brief allu-
sion to his own political faith just previous to
the war, position, which, at that time, rem
dered him exceedingly unpopular with those
WuUui TIC Idu USlOlC IL PlSSSblSN3 ooN 'A>'A
whom he was now so much at variance. lie
had been bitter opponent OF secession. lie
believed then that the danger which threatened
the country could be averted without recourse
to the sword that with secession would follow
long and bloody war, in which he was 10th
to plunge the State. At the same time Mr.
Hughes was as bitter an advocate Of secession
When the war did come, however, he resigned
civil position, and offered his services for the
defence Of the State, while Mr.. Hughes was
safe in bombproof position. Gen. X. said
that the position that he now occupies was not
one of his OWL seeking, but that he had learn
cd almost from the lips of President Madison
that it was position that no one should solicit
and that no one could decline. lie discussed
the issues of the canvass at length. lie did not
believe there we're any issues between the Con
servative party and the Administration; that
the interests and ends of the party had no con-
Germs with Federal politics. 1t involves queS-
tons Of our domestic and local government, and
that he would not be placed in position of hos
tilty to Gen. Grant and the administration;
that no matter what issues had divided the
people heretofore, they should be wiped away
now, and with the permanent prosperity and
interests of the State as the end, all could unite
in furtheriug and accomplishing it. We have
our own peculiar difficulties which are not COM
mon to the Northern States; there are reasons
with them for the Republican and Democratic
parties which do not exist with US.
The vexed question of the colored race did
not enter into the difficulties with which they
had to contend; questions that John Randolph
said had never been solved up to his time in
any country, and have not been solved since.
lie was prepared to make every allowance for
the colored people in their opposition to the
white. They had been banded together against
them by INSCRIPTIONS white adventures in
Union Leagues and other organizations where
in they could be lead blindly to the polls, and
that Mr.. Hughes in his diabolica Lynchburg
manifesto had been the first in this contest to
declare the war Of races but he thought they
would be so defeated this time as never to be able
to reorgauze their party again, and that hence
forth the co!ored population in this State would
have no existancc as political body, but that
each one Of them would exercise the right of
suffrage with the best light before him and
that if thus freely permitted to act he had con-
fidence in the colored mau; that he would de-
port himself as good citizen.
Under the decisions of the Supreme Court of
the U. S. it had been held that each State had
right to regulate all questions OF social equality
free from Federal interference, and that he had
asked Mr.. Hughes, if elected, whether he would
approve social equality bill if passed by the
Legislature, and Mr.. Hughes made no answer.
lie would say to the people of Virginia, that if
as chief executive officer he should be called
upon to sign such bill, rather than do it, his
right hand should be palsied in death.
Gen. *. said that he had been accused of
being the candidate Of the gentry; that he was
opposed to relief; that notwithstanding the
charge by the other party, he was gratifcd to
learn that large majority of the convention
that nominated him were mechanics and labor
ing men, and that if candidate of any class,
he was peculiarly the candidate of the laboring
man, but that he believed that the inter
ests Of all classes iG Virginia were wrapped up
the one in the other; that they were all de-
pendent upon each other, and that he was the
candidate of no Glass; but OF all classes that he
was not for the rich or the poor, for the me-
chanic or the employer, but for Virginia, the
whole Of Virginia, and nothing but Virginia.
Gen. K. reviewed the action of the Radical
party in Virginia since the war, abiding espe
ciay to the effects of their Ubiquitous provls-
ions 10 the Constitution imposed by it; contrast
ing the rule of the Conservative party there
with; its liberal course towards the colored
race; its public school system, and other ad-
vantages which had been recognized by the
colored race 10 the colored Methodist Confer
cnce 10 Richmond, the most intelligent colored
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