The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-10-14

RUE, was grossly bypocritical, and went O,
to show that it was so by facts and figures
charged, second, that this appeal to tn,
preJudices of race is unchristian.
charged, third, taking the idea from
Governor Wise,) that this agitation aQains
the coiored population is in fragrant VIC a
tion OF the act of our general assembly
Which condemns to the penitentiary ,hos,
who incite the white population of the
state TO make insurrection bv acts of v;o.
i,nce or war against the colored popula.
ton" and the reverse.
charged, fourth, and proved by refer.
ring to the faithful service of the negro 70,
Two hundred years, and especially durino
the late war, that the clamor against the
negro is unjust and unpro, oked, his con-
duct having been such as to deserve the
confidence, friendship and political support
OF the white man.
L charged, fifth, and proved. that this
war upon an unofending class of citizens
Is destructive to the state; already having
driven away thousands of stalwart laborers
from our fields and forests, producing a loss
which cannot be supplied. ~
And l charged, sixth, with righteous
truth, that generally this crusade against
the political rights of the colored man is
mean, cowardly and rebellous.
1t IS the fashion Of Conservative orators
TO report that, what l said of the .'ap-
peal. the crusade" the 'sagitation,n the
..clamor," and the "war,n made by the
Conservative leaders. was said by me Of
the people of Virginia. So far from that.
| was appealing to the people of Virginia
against this movement. | was not even
charging the Conservative party, nor vet
Its leaders, with this and that offense but
| said their "appeal, their ''crusade, !" &C.,
&c., was this and that. Every word which
uttered in making these charges was
true; and | repeat them; but | had no
purpose then, nor have l now, to apply the
language which | employed in respect to
conduct to any persons whomsoever. 1t is
parliamentary and legitimate to character
lze c0nIuct in any terms which it NAV de-
serve. tits not parliamentary nor legti-
mate to apply invidlons terms to persons
or even parties of persons, even though
they may be merited and I scrupulously
observed the rules of parliamentary pro-
prlety IN every expression of my Lynch
burg speech. That speech was fair reply
to the numerous articles which had an
peared IN the Conservative papers melting
to an issue of race; and, in the form and
proprety OF Its expressions, was in hon
orable contrast with those articles, But
MY HEAVIEST oFFENsE
is in having employed in that speech the
following language:
Study the character of the laboring
population all over the world, and where
will laboring class anywhere be found SO
exemplary in their conduct or so elevated
in their morale, all things considered. as
the negro population of Virginia?'
There, say my critics, he makes the
negro better than the white man; better
IN their conduct, and better in their morals!
The context shows that was contrasting
the laborlng population of our country with
that of other countries in the world. And
what said in that context is true. Sup
pose you 60 to China for coolies can they
compare with our laboring population :?
Surely not. Suppose you drive out the
negroes from our state by Iace-war upon
them, and undertake to supply their place
from the pauper pens of Europe; could
the substitutes which we should get from
that source compare with our negro
laborers? Surely not. How could the
conduct of laboring class be better, as a
laboring class, than that of the negroes?
They are never on strikes. They are
never in riots. And as to morale, how is
the case as to that ? l was not speaking
of morals, | was speaking of that thing
which the French call morale. When the
Frenchman says an army has lost its morale,
he means that it has lost it's discipline, is
spirit OF obedience, and has become mob.
or n, <(
one which knows its place, keeps its place,
and does its duty in its place. In that
sense, repeat now. what said in Lynch
burg, that the morale of the negro popua-
ton OF Virginia is as good as that of any
laboring class in the world. In the matter
Of punctually voting the Republican ticket,
their morale is all that could be desired.
THAT SPEECH AN HONOR TO yIR-
GINA, TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
AND TO HIMSELF.
Gentlemen, stand by my Lynchburg
speech-every line and word of it. | shall
always be proud of it. 1t does honor to
the Republicanism of 1873 of Virginia.
1t does honor to the civilization of Virginia
and the magnanimity of her people. For
it has had its intended effect. 1t has ar
rayed the just and magnanimous public
opinion of the people of our state against
this unworthy race-movement of the Con-
seryatives. The people have demonstrated
with the Conservative writers and speakers
against their course in this regard. The
Louisville Coarier-Journal, too, the
leading Democratic journal of the
United States, has pronounced it un-
worthy of great party, and shamed the |
men in Virpinia who raisad n Orr ,,,I;+;
cal adversaries are sick of it, and disgusted
with their own course in raising and press
ing 1T for so many months of this canvass,
1t is so fagrantly false to their profess
ilons of 1863 and 1879, as to have shocked
The moral sense Of our people, and recoiled
Upon its inventors to plague and curse
hem. l glory in speech that has pro.
iuced this effect upon this nef arious
movement and its overthrow.