The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-10-23
we repeat, that the true issue is the suprema.
cy Of the white race or the black"

|
1--WE must realize chat dishonor and dec
relation of race, wait, ultimately. upon tn
defeat of the Conservative party in this state
and we must not be defeated we must rec
ognizc for the present nol other division il
state politics than the scolor line : and mus
never permit that line to grow blurred or in
distinct IN this alone is our safety in thi
sign alone shall we conquer"
While the two leading articles of the Con
sentative party were saying these impassion.
ed things the interior papers of that party
were echoing the same ideas, and parrotin,
their language with fearful volubilty anl
vociferation. Meantime the Republican par
ty had said nothing on the subject, except tt
deprecate the unworthy course Of their ad
versaries.
( Il was after three months unceasiug ag.
itation of this subject in this manner, thai
my ss
SPEECH AT LYNCHBURG
was delivered. Let any honest man read it
and say, if he can with truth, that it is any
thing else, from beginning to end but an ap-
peal to the magnanimity of the noble white
people of Virginia against these bitter, pas
sionate and unprovoked' utterances of the
Conservative press. defy any man to show
by reading complete sentences from that
speesh chat it was anything else but an sp.
peal to the white people against the party
which was renegadirg from their platform Of
1869 aud 1872, and returning to its platform
of 1868, when it was trying to conduct a can
vass, and win an election. on the single issue
Of race. These extracts taken from their pa
pers avowed that purpose, and goried in that
purpose. Now, the very papers which made
the avowal are INDUCING in the complaint
that | raised the issue of race in nv Lynch
burg speech. My object, on the contrary,
was, to recall the white people from that is.
sue, and to base the canvass on important
questions Of state policy. That speech was
delivered the 31st Of July. My charge a.
gainst the leaders of the Conservative party,
based upon a long series of newspaper arti.
Giles, such as those from which have made
brief extracts, was as follows, and it was true:
THE CONSERVATIVE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
is that of antagonizing the two races which
have lived SO long in peace together on
the same soil, and which have greater rea-
son now for mutual respect. kindness, aud
trust than ever before. Our adversaries
have set out in this campaign, which oc-
ours at a tine when all classes and inter-
ests of the State should concert together
for the common good, on the line Of ba-
tired, intolerance, and prescription towards
the negro citizen and those who unite with
him in supporting the noble principles OF
the Republican party.
Abiding to the great questions of state pol
icy which ought to be discussed in this cam
paign, and the discussion OF which had been
by the Conservative leaders, in
thrusting this race issue into the canvass, |
said, and said truly:
We are to consider none of these practical
questions, but our opponents have opened the
with the imbecile pretence that the
State is in danger of falling under negro con-
troll and with the unworthy cry" Viryinia
for aohite Viryiniams"
And thenI went on to characterize the cru
SADIE which, as shown by the extracts from
their papers which have given, they had
against the negro race.
said, first that the pretence that the
state was in danger Of falling into negro rule,
was grossly hypocritical, and went on to show
that it was SO by facts and figures
I charged, second, that this appeal to the
prejudices of race is unchristian.
charged, third, (taking the idea from
Gov. Wise.) that this agitation against the
colored population is in fragrant violation Of
the act of our general assembly, which con-
dennis to the Penitentiary those ''who incite
the white population Of the State to make
by acts of violence or war against
the colored population and the reverse.
I charged, fourth, and proved by referring
to the faithful service of the negro for two
hundred years, and especially during the late
war, that the clamor against the negro is un-
just and unprovoked, his conduct having
been such as to deserve the confidence,
friendship and political support of the white
man.
I charged, fifth, and proved, that this war
upon an unofendiDg class of citizens is de-
structive to the State; already having driv-
en- away thousands Of stawart aborers from
our fields and forests, producing loss which
cannot be supplied.
And I charged, sixth, with righteous
truth, tha5 generally this crusade against the
political rights of she colored man is mean,
cowardly aid rebellous.
1t is the fashion of Conservative orators
to report that, what I said Of the appeal"
the 'crusade,' the agitation" the 'sclamor,"
and the war" made by the Conservatives
leaders, was said by me Of the people of Vir
ginia So far from that, I was appealing to
the people Of Virginia against this move
ment. I was not even charging the Conser-
vat.ve party, nor yet its leaders, with this
and that offense but I said their "appeal,"
their "crusade," &C., &c., was this and chat.
Every word which uttered in making these
charges was true and I repeat them but |
had no purpose then, nor have now, to APP
ply the language which employed in re-
spect to conduct to any persons whomscever.
1t is parliamentary and legitimate to charac-
terize conduct in any terms which it may de
serve. It is not parliamentary nor legitimate
to apply invidious terms to persons or even
parties of persons, even though they may be
merited; and I scrupulously observed the
rules of parliamentary propriety in every ex-
preston Of my Lynchburg speech. That
speech was fair reply to the numerous ar
ticles which had appeared in the Conserva-
tive papers melting to an issue Of race; and,
in the form and propriety Of its expressions,
was in honorable contrast with those articles.
But $50