The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-10
EIECTION-DAY :
TUESDAY NOVEMBER a, 1873.

that of the Republicans in alleging that the
white people of Virginia have made the issue OF
race.-DiSpdtch.
Never since that famous moral exhibition
in which Pot called Kettle "black," or
that great champion foot-race in which
the distancing competitor cried out Justify
''stop thief" has the world given an exam
pie OF similar disintercsted integrity and
virtue to that of the Bourbon party in this
state, in declaring the Republicans of Vir-
gnia responsible for the issue now raised
of trace against race" lIyperbole would
have to be placed upon the rack to wiring
out epithets strong enough to express
our admiration Of the purely artistic
brass exhibited in the charge,
especially if it should be successful in its
efirontery and made to work out the happy
result of dipping a million or more people
in a political campaign, like that now pro-
crossing i'll this stale. 1t is enough to re-
mind one of the intense virtue of Satan in
rebuking sin, or becoming indignant at the
impiety of Beal. There is something
almost heroic and sublime in the rank i'm
posture, and we feel as much admiration
for the authors of this charge as we should
f,r the champion liar of the world, were
Banum to have him on exhibition
with full certificates Of mendacity from all
the competitive liars in christendom. One
of the seven wonders Of the world was the
Colossus Of Rhodes, which straddled
channel wide enough for the Great Eastern
to pass through with the greatest facility
but this Colossus of Liarso straddles the
whole state of Virginia, including Chesa-
peake Bay, and throws the seventh won
der of the world at Rhodes so completely
into the shade that we can only laugh at the
Beotian folly Of the ancients in considering
their statue any wonder at all. AS an ex-
hibition of pure, unadulterated 7" cheek, it
takes our Imagination captive, so that
political denial may go no further on the
part Of our dissvowing neighbors.
But The Dispatch is careful not to make
its allegation broad enough to cover our
proposition. Itprudently words its denial
in way to take the wind out Of our
charge, as We have never alleged that the
"white people of Virginia" made this
issue, but, ON the contrary, that the
leaders of the Conservative party made it,
and not the people, and that they demanded
that all other issues should be sunk out
of sight in the very campaign now in
progress. Our editorial of yesterday fastens
this proposition undeniably upon The
Wing, and that journal will remain as dumb
as an oyster under the overwhelming testi-
mony adduced from its columns to sub
stantiate our allegation and if The
Dispatch will only restrain its youthful
impetuosty long enough for us to bring its
own columns under as complete review
by the people as we intend to bring them,
it will be as mute and silent as its more
dumbfounded neighbor, in whose columns
the first grand flourish of trumpets was
made on this :" color question, F." in view
Of the existing campaign.
The only "hypocritical and baseless
device" about this whole matter consists
in the denial by the Bourbon journals that
they raised this issue of trace against
race" as the one of all others that would
sweep the state from the mountains to the
sea. THE STATE JOURNAL, as well as
every other Republican paper in the
state, has strongly deprecated this issue
from the first. No line of editorial
or approved communication has ever
thoroughly deprecatory and denunciative
of it, as being not only against the best
interests Of the negroes themselves, but
against the soundest party policy and the
wisest craftsmanship we could evince or
summon to our aid.
While all this is incontestibly true, it is
beyond denial that the Conservative journals
of the state have labored, in season and out
of season-while party Issues were pend
ing, and when the political atmosphere was
unchanged with strife-to make this "color
question: the sole and dividing line of the
two political parties in Virginia. The
legislature had no sooner adjourned last
spring than this pestlent cry of i" white
against blacll' was raised by the local Jour
mails, and the same mendacious charge hurled
by The Dispatch in our teeth, that the
Republican party had forced this issue uu-
willingly upon them. Our readers will not
forget our indignant refntation Of this
charge, and the complete vindicatIon we
made of the Republican party, as at pres
ent constituted in Virginia, against this
hypoeritical and brazen-faced allegation.
We stated then what we more emphati.
cally repeat now, that there was not a
Republican in the state, not thoroughly
ignored, set aside, and retired into
obscurity by the party, who favored any
such issue, or who had the slightest dispo-
sition to raise it in Virginia. What the
notorious Hunnicutt, of this state, may have
done before being taken up by the Con.
seryatlves and run as their candidate for
Congress, or the more notorious Warmoth,
Of Louisiana, may have sought and accom-
plished, is no part Of cur business to defend.
much less to justify, at this late dav. We
n l.