The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-07-24

| fidence that an honest, earnest statement
Of principles and good intentions will do
more TO rally them around our stand
! ard than all the attempts at
evasion and subterflge that may ever
be thought of. Let its positions be clear
let its standard bearers be men without
reproach, and my word for it the people
will do their duty. They are sick and
tired of shams and pretences. They have
followed shadows quite long enough. and
they know it. Dissolving views are no
longer to their taste. They are now for
bread, and bread let us endeavor to give
them.
Our platform should be plain and SIM
pie appeal to the common sense of the peo-
pie and to their goodness of heart. VIM
dictiveness and violence we can well afford
TO leave with the so-called Conservative par
ty. The cry of ''death to Radicalismu serv-
ed that party once, but it will serve it no
longer. That cock won't fight since that
party voted for Greeley, the very prince of
Radicalism. The raw head and bloody
bones" of wrongs perpetrated by unprinci-
pied men, called Republicans, in some Of
the southern states, Ito their shame be it
said, } made to stalk across the stage Of our
state politics witt, such wonderful effect
two years ago, can no longer serve to
delude and deceive the people; for
since then the people have had a
peep into Tammany and other places,
not even excepting the halls Of the Vir-
ginia legislature, and know what value
to attach to that cry. Nor will the cry of
NEGRO supremacy, - invoked with such
terrible energy of late by the Conservative
press, again serve that party with its won't
ed potency. This was powerful lever,
we must all confess, and worked with an
energy worthy of better cause. 1t struck
right into the soft part of our natures
that part whereof am holier than thou
is most prominent. With wickedness of
purpose seldom conceived, much less inn
itated, even by politicians, and that is say
ing great deal, this prejudice of race and
color was invoked by this party in aid Of
an otherwise weak and failing cause, and.
l am sorry to say, served its diabolical
purpose. But devices of this kind seldom
or never succeed the second time. If the
Republicans are wise they can turn this
lever to their own account in the coming
gubernatorial campaign. 1t was a
wicked invention--that Of arraying race
against race for party purposes the
people can easily be made to see it. Who
are the laborers of this state? Who do
the bulk of all the hard labor in our
fields? Who produce our corn, our wheat,
cur oats, our tobacco; aye, the thousand
and one things that 60 to the comfort Of
our people and supply them with luxu-
ries? Who dig out the tracks Of our
railways and canals, blast our rocks, work
our mines, clear our forests aye, saw our
lumber, make our bricks, carry our hods !;
who wash our clothes, make our bread,
milk our cows and nurse our babies
Why, the identical men and women of
color against whom all this hue and cry is
raised for the sole purpose, as we know,
Of keeping certain set of boss men in
Office to lord it over the people. And it
is now given out that this is again to be
made the leading issue in campaign for
governor of great state, and before
sensible people The approaching cam
paign is to be fought under the false pre-.
tence that these quiet workers in our fields,
and patient eaters of our corn bread and
fat bacon, have it in mind to rule, or drive
the white people from the state! Degen-
crate sons of noble sires, was anything
ever more preposterous, not to say wicked,
than this! Negro supremacy. indeed
One hundred and twenty thousand ignoz
rant colored voters to rule one hundred and
sixty thousand Of the most acute, Of
the most astute, sagacious, learned
and willy white voters the world
ever looked upon Is it not amazing to
hear men OF sense-why, yes. these most
perfcctpink and flowers ofcreation, lugubri-
ously appealing to the fears fthe women and
children to save them from the horrid fate
Of negro rule ! Stale and wicked device of
the wicked You have had your run,
and those who have SO successfully used
you will soon have to run too, or | am no
prophet. My friends, we are going to put
a " stopper to this wickedness. We,
the people, without regard to color or previ-
GUS condition, are going to eject these boss
men from the places they have SO unworth-
ily filled. The bill of ejectment has al
ready been drawn up, and | fancy can
already hear the lugubrious walls, and see
the contortions of countenance that will fol-
low its reading in November. A woe-be-
gone, sorry looking set Of dogs they will
be, to be sure, those boss men, on the day
of their divorce from all that they love in
this world. But, then, we will content
ourselves with the reflection, and under the
plea, that the public necessities required it
at our hands. But to proceed.
What is to be done to insure this great
victory to the Republican cause? This I
have already partially answered. / think
| have lived long enough to understand
some of the springs Of human action, and
would say in this case: Simply
prove to the people that you are in earnest
and are honest, 5
Let us endeavor to convince them that
we are earnestly and honestly seeking
the public good, and not the promo.
ton Of our own peculiar and selfish in
terests merely. Self and all mere partisan
feelings should be sunk clean out Of sight.
Let us open new set of books. The
people are honest. Let US trust them.
Pass but few resolutions. Make but few
promises. These are but I" tinkling Gym.
bal and sounding BRASS" What is said
in this regard, however, should be address,
ed directly to the common sense, the
hearts and consciences Of the people, as
we'll as to their interests. 1t may do for
the party of negations--the harp of one
string to appeal alone to the passions and
prejudices Of the people and endeavor to
arouse the worst instincts oftheir natures to
malevolence and hate, by making ''oppos-
ton to Radicalism'' the only plank in their
platform, but something better, nobler,
grander is expect from us. Are we in
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