Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-05-04
The Governor and the CoIOred People
From the Richmond Wing.


The colored members Of the General Assem-.
| bly,, Including leading colored citizens Of Rich
| mond and other portions of the State, called on
Governor kemper at his Office on Friday, and
we're courteously received j. B. Syphax, the
spokesman Of the party, addressed the Cover
| nor as follows:
Governor. The colored members of the Gen
| eral Assembly would not leave the capital with
out paying that respect which is due TO you as
Governor of our State. In doing SO We conf
IDENTITY express the hope that your admlnistra
ton in the future may prove what you have
shown in the past-your devotion to the true
glory of Virginia and the true Interests OF all
the people, without reference to color or condi-
| ton In taking leave Of you We invoke the
blessing of Almighty God upon our Common
| wealth and Governor.
The Cover or replied as follows:
Senators and Dctegates.' recognize the
courtesy with which you Inform me of the OBJ
| jcct of your call this morning. As representa-
| tive men of your race you come to signify you T
respect for the chief executive Office of Virginia
and its incumbent. thank you. | an trying
to do my duly here according to the coustitu
ton and laws. | am trying 10 dispense justice
with impartiality. In executing the laws l
havn't any favors for anybody but-as far as
| know myself-tairness and justice for all.
Let me tell you that you and your race now
stand on new and untried ground. Your race,
as race has never yet maintained civilized
free government for itself. You were but the
other day clothed with the rights and franchise
of freemen A great experiment. Is being tried,
and the result of it is TO settle the question how
far your race is capable of liberty and worthy
of possessing it, The eyes of mankind are upon
you, and the country waits to see what sort OF
capabilities and merit you are going to de-
| velop. You have got to work out your saliva
ton with your own hands Z lucation and in
telligeuce aud character aud property are now
free gifts. They mus. be worked for. The
government can't make this experiment sue
cess. Other people can't make you worthy of
liberty. You now have fair chance, and 10 the
future you will be measured by what you do
for yourselves. You can never succeed except
by making up your mind now and for all time
to lead lives of sobricty, honesty, industry, f-u-
gality, courtesy, by practicing the Christian
virtues towards all men, by doing unto others
as you would that others should do uuto you if
you we're in their place and they in yours |
wish you success but | tell you those who
make the greatest profession Of friendship
those who fatter you-are no more your friends
than those who hate you.
Let me tell you another thing. You have
no right to have particle OF unkindness rank
ling in your hearts against anybody on account
of the past. You ought to quit looking back,
and 60 forward with the work of your own re-
demption. You owe no thanks to any party
or any class of men for your freedom. 10 1861,
while the war was going on, the United States
Congress resolved that they had 20 purpose to
set you free, that they were fighting to force
the South back into the Union, but not to in-
terfere with slavery in the States The North
ern people repeated this over and over again.
Late i 1862, Mr. Lincoln issued his proclama-
ton Inviting the Southern people to come back,
and promising that slavery should be protected
if they came back, but warning them that the
emancipation proclamation would issue if they
didn't lay down their arms. They refused to
do that, and then the proclamation came as a
war measure, and not from any love for you.
You owe your liberty to no man. You owe 1t
to the Providence OF God and to nothing else
1t is time for you to stop following after any,
body, and to stop striving against anybody 90
account of the past. They will be your friends
10 the long future who act by you justly and
without Hattery. None can ever be as valuable
to you as trlsDds as the people amongst whom
you live. NothlDg can ever do you half as
much good as to make friends of the white
people in whose midst you live.
Another thug. You should remember that
intelligence is one OF the main foundations on
which free governments rest You know
education aud intelligence are mainly to be
found among the white people. You are not
to be blamed; it is not your fault that your
race is not educated, but that does not alter the
fact. Those who have the intelligence ought
to rule. The white people are majority, and
an increasing majority of the State, and it
would not be right, and it must not be expect
ed, that they should give up the government
and turn it over to YOU