Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-04-21


in exalted terms If the letter of
Gov. kemper in reply to the Alb,
ingdon resolutions.
The Petersburg News uses the
following temperate and disr assion>
ate language touching it:
| The letter we publish this morning
from Gov. kemper upon the political
status of parties and events, will of
course be read with attention by those
Hho take special interest in such
matters, as intelligent readers gene
rally do. The Governor says much
that is very good, and much that we
take pleasure in heartily commencing,
but we entirely dissent from him
when he says that there has been no
change since the war in the rights vi
the States and the liberties of the
people, We consider that the three
last amendments to the federal con-
stituiion, acquired by coercion
destroyed the fundamental principles
upon which this COVE nmcnt was
iOrmt d, and that the rights of the
State and the people now, as con-
/ trasted with those guaranteed
in the original constitution, are no
more alike than is a pure African
negro compared with a pure white
man. The great founders of the
government, if now living. would
never recognize such an instrument
as their offspring, nor sanctiOnd it
either, except, as We do, from necess-
;ty,
The present is not the government
Of our fathers. and the Hami .tonian
and not the Jeiiersunian creed OF
estate rights now prevails, Still,
we agree with Gov, Kemper that the
situation is one which we have &C
copied, and though we accepted it
under cOmpulslOn, it is nevertheless
situation by which we are COMPEL
| ed to abide in good faith, however
distastefnl it may he to our views
and feelings concerning the proper
government of the country. The
past is gone; the present and the
future must be worked out with all
the wisdom and prudence we can
command Principles, not, men,
should govern.
Bat this is no time to discuss ques-
tons that are calculated TO impair
hte harmony of our party, and upon
which the best of men may differ
without suhiecting their motives, or
fidelity to the best interests OF the
state and party to suspicion. We
are not extremists of either class and
stand, and always have stood, where
Gov, kemper says the great mass Of
our people stand, the antlpOdes of all
extremes.
The INDEX IL APPEAL cuts loose,
after the following wild and dis
organizing style, which the people
of Washington have disapproved
of and which will find feeble echo
elsewhere.
But it needless to answer rigmarOle
with reason. When EPHRAIM Joins
. is Idols, neither expOstulatiOn nor
vituperation nor prayers nor tears
nor anything else can reform him.
Let him alone! Governor kEMPER
has crossed the Rubicon. He has
lett Conservatism behind. He would |
remand Southside Virginia to a hopes
less enS!avement to the negroes, lie |
belongs now to our enemies, and not |
to the category Of our friends and
allies. lie has chosen his way and |
We say let him gang his gait. Every
utterance he has m?de since his cleo
ton shows how far and fast he has |
strayed from the true doctrine, in the
faith and fear of which he should |
rather have died. lie seems TO have
been fatally bitten by the ambition
of Presidential or Presidential
hoEOrs which has betrayed TO ridicu
Ious failure so many Southern poli-
ticians. We have heretofore resented
the deep wrong done by him to Pc
tersburg; we mourn now the injury |
h. would Tain inilict on the State.
But while in the former instance his
veto sufhCed, the people will in turn
veto his proposition when he tries to
betraY them to the authors and the
architects of their run. All honor
be 20 Governor KEMPER's record in
the war All the more blame ard
shame to the policy of compromise
and surrender which now seems
likely to link his name with that OF
such Cont derates as LoNGsTREET?
The DISPATCH is always cool and
generally wise. Here is what it
says:
Governor Kemper's Letter.
We publish this morning Governor
KEMPER's letter TO Mr.. |. g. Fow-
LER, Of Washington county.
We must frankly say tia. while
our faitl. III tie public devotion and
high and honorable character OF
Governor KENPEE is IN no wise
abated we cannot concur in all that
is in this letter. We believe that
the civil war has destroyed rights of
the States. and that wrongs have
been inflicted upon the States in
which they formally acquiesced UNI
der duress In short, that the bayo-
net has in time of peace Overridden
the public will and folcibly establish
ed what TOuld not have been allowed
to exist if left to the public election.
We are faithfully devoted to the
Conservative party and the principles
of that party as Interpreted by the
Governor in speaking of one article