The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-01-02
rNAUauRAL MESSAGE.
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, LIST JAM, 1874.


CoNrnrn,urArnrr or Vrpornr. i,
ExnCnTrvE 0rr1cE 1st Lar 1914 7
e'e"''en's@ eftee Senate ana HOUSE % Delegates !
s asu:l''le .ne eAeou'ise onloo o az srass
invoking the favor Of God for the future. /
cordially greet YOU at the beginning of our
Joint responsibilities and labors. 4,
Il is an unusual circumstance. arising
from recent changes of law, that the lepis-
lature and the executive are now both
iuaueurated al the same time. NV official
relations and INV access to official sources
of Information begin as This MESSAGE ia
Communicated and II il NOT 10 be expected
that the incoming executive. at the moment
of Installation. shonld TRANSMITS to The
general assemble detailed information.
with Recommendations embracing ali tha
varied interests Of the commonwealth which
claim your attention and rare. Hereafter
and as occasion' shall from time TO time
reouire. such further detailed and snacif;c
observation-disclosures will he addressed tp Won,
from This Office as shall he deemed usef,,i
in facilitatinc the DISCHARGE of yo,,r
weiphtv trnsts.
Yon orOaniye Mt an era which "a dest;nea
to shana the fort,nes If V;rr;n;a far genar.
atoms "a come. Ratore von nrocaed IL
exercise tbe i.w-makinp mower i Is weIl
that we na,,se ana calmly comnrahend tha
political Situation. N''0''N 80
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RACES.
We have devolyed upon us TODAY the
solution Of this great problem: How to
make and administer laws SO as to secure
life, liberty and pronerty. SO as to estab-
lish enduring peace, order, Justice and
prosperity. in a community composed of
two distinct races. not largely differing in
numbers. but dissimilar in intelligence.
color and other characteristics races
hitherto standing toward each other in the
relation of master and slave, but now
suddenly and bv inyiolable organic law
clothed with equal rights. ALTHOUGH such
problem has not elsewhe or in any age
been peacefully or successfully solved.
although our great ancestors recorded their
opinions declaring It impossible of solu.
ton, vet do not hesitate to affirm, SO
encouraging and decisive has been the
progress of the last four years, so clearly
developed by the past are the obligations
of to-day, that If we are but guided by
prudence, if we 20 forward with courage,
tempered with forbearance, and if no
federal legislation shall intervene to disturb
the relations between the races, we cannot
fail to bring our great experiment to sue
cessfur and prosperous issue. 81 80
One patriotic aim, controlling our coun-
sells and impelling us to avoid the example
of extremists Of whatever section or class,
must always be to establish and perpetuate
relations Of cordial corporation and good
will between the races and this is to be
accomplished not merely by distributing
equal burdens and benefits to each, but by
promoting such connections of kindness,
confidence and interest between them as
will, without impairing or touching the So
cial Independence of either, enlist each in
increasing the prosperity of the other, and
both in advancing common veal, In this
direction instructive and significant progress
has been made in Virginia within the last
four years. The constitution made it oblig-
atorY upon the general assembly to provide
for the gradual, equal aud full introduction
of uniform system of free schools into all
the counties Of the state by the wear 1876,
Our predecessors. undismayed py the i'm.
poverished condition Of the people, and re-
jecting all arguments for delay, proceeded
in 1870 to organize comprehensive system
of free education, now fully operating
throughout the state, which challenges
comparison with any organized scheme of
public schools elsewhere, under which q
sum of money is being annually expended,
in impartially educating both races, not far
short of the amount required to meet all the
other current expenses of the government,
and this system has received the deliberate
sanction of the white race, who chiefly
contribute the means by which it is main
tanned. AS respects all. other interests as
well as that Of education, our people are
subject to no state laws except such as
provide equally and alike for both races,
without a single discrimination. AT no
time since the people of Virginia resumed
control Of their domestic affairs, has the
interposition Of the federal government
been occasioned upon any complaint or
pretext Of injustice or inequality in their
code of laws, or in its application and en-
forcement between the races. Nor has our
past policy of according equal justice and
benefits to both races been wanting in
bene6cent results. Recent events prove
how futile, and how disastrous to its
authors, must be any future attempt to
array the colored race as political COM
binaton upon any principle OF antagonism
between the races. All such attempted
combinations of the past are dissolved and
dispersed, and we are afforded golden
opportunity for settling forever the inter-