The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-06-05
THURSDAY EvEN'G, JUNE 8, Is
what we want i'm virginia.

personal hates, bitternesses, and asperlties W
must weld to the spirit of the age, which u
is necessarily progressive in quality and "
character, and can no more propagate it 6
self in the line OF pure malignity than it II
can be governed by law of sheer indiifer- Ii
entism. Republican government is very o
different thing from popular extravagan-
cies. It depends not so much upon
the popular will as upon institutional
liberty, which is the higher sentiment
of a people embodied into a law of perma- 6
nency and growth. The white man and
the black man need have no warfare.
Institutional liberty should protect them
both alike, and will do so if the spirit Of
the age does not entirely give way to popu-
lar passion, or to that social indfferentism
which may prove equally destructive OF
all progress, when it sinks the blessings
of order and good government eiiectually
out Of sight.
The only colors which the Republican
party in Virginia should recognize are those
made glorious by the stripes and stars.
These are emblematic, speaking the same
language to the eye as to the understand
ing, and inspiring the same enthusiasm IN
the breasts of all who have been rightly ed
ucated in the blessings of institutional
liberty. The graves of the
heroes, North and South, cast
back upon us all an equal shadow of glory
to inspire the breast of the present with the
true herosm demanded Of us in the future.
The great lesson for the white man to learn
is mutual forbearance, mutual good will,
mutual concessions towards all. Let
the black man keep his place, claim
his legal rights, assert his constitutional
privileges, and be satisfied with the social
equality which his individual worth and
merit shall command Let the white man
learn his duties, reverence and obey the
laws, respect the moral judgments
of mankind, cultivate peace and
and amity among his fellows, think more
Of the Union than he has done in the past,
and less of pride and caste and state ex
cusiyeness than he is disposed 10 cultivate
for the present. The law is stronger thai
any combinations to resist it, and public
opinion will reassert its sway, if not
more rigid enforcement, whenever there i
q demoraizing tendency that needs to b.
checked in the direction of public disorde
and confusion.
1t is never too late to remedy the error
of the past, or to improve on the suggcs
tlons of adversely, whether they be lndl
vidual, state. or national. The history c
human progress is not more varied in char
acter or development than are the ditieren
steps in the advancement of science, tn
cultivation of the arts, or the hlghe
social conditions after which we al
reaching. The moral code presents itse
to the educated and virtuous precisely
the same light that it did in the days
Moses, or when the teachings of the Apps
ties first shed their effulgent lustre on I'll
human reason and understanding. Socief
demands the same social advancement, Ii
gal restraints, and punitive justice, now 9
then. TO the thoughtful man, ii
observant statesman, the Christi;
patriot, the great end of cover
ment is the same, and demands the san
agencies to effectually work it out.
vicious mind, however intellectual, will
/. powerless to this end, especially VIII
under the influence Of passion and guild
by no other restraint than that whit
breads the consequences of evil rather tn
seeks the more permanent effects of goo
Human passions are just as deep, revene
full, and fatal to international and int
state comfy, as when 'Greek met Greek
and Troy fell under the terrible wrath
Achilles. Ambition which is not sanctif
by noble patriotism, is of the same n
Ign quality. and may work like de-
ment to both state and nation.
What we want in Virginia is patri
ism that shall lift its possessor above
party ties whenever the good of the st
or the whole country shall demand
We want to infuse stronger clement
patriotism into our political organizatio
and get rid Of the partisan whelps t
bark at our heels whenever we propos
advance the interests of the state
the expense of mere party. What
party? 1t is, at best, only part or
ton of the community, united in opil
or purpose against another portion Of
whose welfare may be just as essentla
the public good as our own. 1t can II
be more than part of the state,
when it generates only narrow, false,
illiberal prejudces, it as eifectually all
blow at itself as at its opposing pa
and is more likely to degent
into mere faction than to
itself out of the narrow and contrs
clements from which it sprung.
things the Virginia partisans OF to
should learn to remember: The one,
Lee did not unsheath his sword to per
ate slavery the other, that Grant dit
follow up victory upon victory for the u
ofone political party over another. A h
principle of patriotism actuated bot
well as majority of those who ma
under their espectiye standards. Hat
son and true sense Of patriotic duty
vailed there would have been no war.