The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-04-14

ss0VEnNOn .asEIEMRER on HIS OWN
yEross1EssAssE 8
RroHaofp, Va, Aprsl11, 1871
m, n Fd,aIer. ESQ: DEARsSIR,-fou
hore INV thanksfor the Kind terms 10 winch
,,o,, communicate to ME the proceedings y,
tho late nnblic meeting OF the people %
Wsshin oton county, unanimously commeB J.,
,ns nv action on the Petersburg charter Diii !,
Th h onnroyal OF the people of the greao anu
inte1l;9ent county of Washington, the locA.,ty
Which worthily and before all others ON 'ue
"A mericsn continent, received tne name e VI
Tho Father of bis Country, Is TeWalu ,ot
dntv done. of which any puoi'e ssr'ah'
,nieht be Justly and unaffectediy prouu.
Tou arc mistaken, however. IN suPposlns
that any wound may have oeen gwen " i.y
feelings by the personal asperltles WHICH, ~
evceptional instances, have Deeh vlsiteu upou
nv official action. While no man estIn tma
more highly, or cherishes more gr"te,uny'
the confidence and approVal OF nis !e.lom.
.;t;zens. T vet hold that duty, when it is done
e,ithSIlly. in the fear of God md not in the
foar Of man. done effectually despite "a tide
If t,mult and storm Of tongues" carries
with II it's own reward, which is more to be
nr;zed than the applause Of the world. Stand.
inc in the strength of my convictions Of duty
have observed with composure the assaults
YOU mention, without having experienced
one moment Of excitement or one sentiment
of bitterness towards my assailants. Ger
taiuly shall never pause to notice, still less
stoop to answer, any question OF the purity oil
the motives which inspire my official action
In view of the great political crisis through
which we are passing, In view of the neces-
sty for recurring and adhering to fundamen'
tai principles in such period, all merely in
dividual interests of my own and oil personal
clamor and misconstruction dWindle into IN.
significance.
1t must never be conceded, for 1t is not
true, that the civil war has destroyed, how
ever it may have invaded, any of the rights
of the States or Of the people, or any OF the
vital principles of American liberty. We
have passed the epoch which marked the
emancipation and enfranchisement of our
late slaves, the removal of the element which
broke the homogenity and harmony OF the
States and sections, but ourselves have lost
no single article of the liberties which, as
freemen, we inherited from our fathers.
The area Of the common liberties has been
enlarged without invading, for the future,
the title, the tenure, or the quality of the
freehold.
The new constitutional order differs from
the old in that it Incorporates our late slaves
in the body polite, as citizens, and clothes
them with the same political rights which
aforetime attached exclusively to the white
race. This great change was sudden and
revolutionary. 1t was undoubtedly repug,
nant to the cherished traditions and senti-
ments of the masses Of tle white people
Without any of that preparation for the du-
ties and responsibilities OF citizenship when
the founders of the Government held to be
essential to its purity aud safety, the colored
people, unenlightened, uneducated, just
emerging from the debasement of slavery,
were in moment invested with full pro-
portion of the power to control the Govern
ment and to determine great questions OF
life, liberty, and property. But however
precipitalely the change may have been
made, however hazardous or unwelcome to
any portion of the people, it has been con-
summated in the organic law OF the Uulon
and Of the StateS-it is acqulesced In as
finalty by all sections and parties; we have
ourselves accepted it as
FUNDAMENTAL CONDITION
underlying the existence of the State as re-
stored member Of the Union; every officer
and representative within the State is bound
by the constitutional oath to recognize the
equality OF all men before the law; and, In
view of actual results, it would be as wise to
attempt to turn backward the course of time
and events as TO quarrel or Iepine over the
unalterable past. The people OF Virginia in
telligen.ly realize the results OF war; and it
is by fairly conforming to the necessities oil
the situation, and by securing equal right,
liberty, and justice to all men, that they hope
TO obtain enduring peace and build up a
prosperous Commonwealth.
In passing through such period OF transit
ton, no counses of violence, nothing but
the forecast and prudence Of calm states
mauship can guide US to safety. We must
again, and at all hazards, erect the original
landmarks of the pure and simple repubi-
cansm of Jefferson. We have no security
but in clearing to the fundamental principles
OF. free government. 1t is to be expected
that special and local grievances will some
times result from the novel and abnormal cir
cumstances of the situation. In such a case
passion looks alone to the particular griev-
auce and urges violent correctiyes which
would so remedy q special evil for the pres
ent as to imperil the rights of all for the flu
ture. But it is the duty OF the statesman,
while deploring aud condemnng the special
wrong and sympatbizing with its victims, to
oppose himself uniiinchingly to the passions
of the hour, to take care that no rash rem
edy for temporary and particular evil shall
jeopardize the safety of the whole people,
yet ut the same time to apply with a firm
hand the most efficient correctiyeS to be de-
yised in harmony with the organism Of
American constitutional liberty.
In maintaining these views we necessarily
maintain the avowed principles and aims OF
the Conservative party. They are parcel OF
its faith. They are in strict consonance with
every authoritative announcement of its pur-
poses. What is of less but of some siSnlfl-
cance, they accord with my published accept
ance of the Conservative nomination for the
position Inow hold. They but reproduce
the sentiments I uttered and emphasized III
the late canvass before great masses OF the
people in every section of the State; and
thev harmouize with such Of my official mes
sages. and with such joint resolutions Of the
General Assembly as have relevancy TO
them.
1t has been falsely supposed by few that
the Conservative party was nothing more
than combination Of white people, organ.
lied on the idea of "wbite against black"
for the sole purpose Of perpet uating the
mere supremacy Of race. Everywhere in
the late canvass denounced that falacy, and
my review of it, which met with general
| acceptance, was, in brief, to the following
effect: That after the close of the war. and
years before the Conservative marty WIS