Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-03-13

I'd movers cannot consttulionaly in,ertcre
with The regulation of tn ln'ernal, domestic
and nolitic.l affairs of her people. l. l. sub.
mi,,rd that # this bill b cnuIe law. E!rpiria
wou!i stand before the world III tie a.! .l,ic Of
DENYING to Que of her most Important mum c.
naIirs the great body Of that right of local
self puycrrment which she III fl Gc!ilagly asserts
and claims for her whole people against all OPP
poser<. :.
La nv Judgment the bill is deeply OH ction-
able. on tn. grounds of rx3edleucy as Well as
principle. 1t is especially unfortunate that
such legislation should, al his erlIca Jnncnrc.
b. applied to a city in which c'l0red men cDm-
pose majority OF It's snt1ragaus. In view OF
The iurdamcutai cnndIiIons IN which Virginia
stands as a In,mher Of tn" Federal Uuo" IN
view OF our own solemn and swurn rrc"gn!tion
Of the political tqualry. before The law, 81 all
men, Irrespective If race color. or previous
con i,iou; the prn,osel measure. II enacted,
could not f4i. 10 sub ct u to disastrous uuI.-
construction at home and abroad. |; wouii
root o.l the srowi.g goodwill aad co.i ; ucc
| uDw daily dcv,op1g between the ia.:"s, and
plant instead the sccls !, irssil irritation and
| STRIFE; it wuu d renew and Intensity The race
aeltalions Of the past, which are being happily
settled: il would present E!rg;ula 10 III. world
| rs i,eng torn Big Intestine f.uds Ut all apparent
~ intrrLIinabic .aracIri; II would tl>cout age
and ppstp0ue, ii not rcgcl, the approach ot
! immigratinr aud capl'a:, 70 which our Most at.
| dent hopes are 'iirc.tcd; ard, more 10 hc de
| plared han ali, il woull sound rrovucatlpn
| 10 Federal ulcrf,!eEcc n cuc 'ncs,Ic affairs
| II il is argued, az is reported, that inaJ':-
itv of The voters Of Petersburg !, composed of
meu, vino are gnuran, aud unG, to ruiz, and
that it il Il '!n'y TO withdraw the government
If that city trJ,n its ieUuIanc. aud wee and "n,
trust it 10 lis virtue and cgence; let il De n.
mcnbercd such I; proposition assnlncs tn 1t The
legislature has an arbitrary discretion by wiirh
| il may separate The peu,,Ie lu;0 Glasses accori
! ing 10 il, nHn standGd NJ merit d2terliln:
what classes arc worthy or unworthy Ut sell
vovernmcnt, AID practically di>ra;ic!!l-c whom
| snevcr it will. SUCH al cXrlcts' .! dcsnntlc
! discretion and power would not Only be abh"r
rent 70 the vital principles ii free governlucn',
! hut would establish a l'rCc2:,hi !r'ugnt WIZ
Infinite dangcrs Il, il the political ;!Iutal!O!.s
of the tillurc, those. who consider themselves
virtually prescribed hy such a measure, should
cone into the contrul II The gIyerGajent tn y
might, in the tx rctsc ut the sam" arbitrary
discretion, determine virtue aud IurGgcnc.: to
reside only within their own party or race or
collar. aud following and extending the eX-
annie, now SlIuBUl W uC CstuolSii'u, III ~ ut
c,mu,it to their own parliSans the government
of. not one, but many or all the citlr, and
towns, ami even counties, OF the Cpmmon-
wealth. Such prccelrns ascrte unlliglt Il
power to the legislature, and a->uil2 thar II
NAV subscrt the principles II hncr;y al will.
They are ''blooIy Instructions, watch, being
taught, return 10 piagu, the Inventor. There
eau bc no security for liberty but in an lIluovc-
able adherence to fundamental principles. Ap-
piying the W ,rds of one OF the atl:st p'll!ic i
writer's OF any age. let me cxhurt aud cDG-
lure yt.u never 10 sutf.r au lnraslUn 1T your pu-
litlca! colStl utlOu, however mlnuc the III
stapct. may appear, tn pass by, without deter
mined per>cvrIing Resistance. On" prcc'd"it
creates another. Wha' yesterday was fact,
to-day is doctrine
L, ali legislation it is necessary to De mindful
| IF the fact, thar the 1870 races are nOw una
teraby il cOrpurat.d together IN the body puii-
tic. that 10 discrimination eau bc made, direct
IL or remotely, agaiu,t either, without impciiii
ing the rights aud the peace oi both, Or with
out infringing orgaa;c law la NY rccrn; l'i-
augura III. sage, the following " rds were all
dress d to the G.ueral Ass nby:
'Oue pa; rlnllc aim. controlling our cnu Sis
and ImpeIiing Us 10 av:ld the cXImpe OF ey-
tremist Of whatever section or class, must al
ways be to establish aud rcrprlua'e relations OF
curlial G., Cd ration AID good will b.;wecn the
races. And thl, Is to b" accolupllsh,d not
merely by distributing equal bur; hers aud be-
nctiis 10 cacn, but by pronolng such conncc-
TONS Of hipducss confidence aud utter, ST be-
tween then, as vii, vi houi impairins or toucn-
lug the social Independence OF either, enlist
each in increasing the prosperity of the other,
aud both IN advancing Il cUmmon ii.
We are afforded Il goldeu opportunity for set
ting forever The Internal atuu>lvs aud Olsen
sion, Which have hirdrrcI ouc material pro-
gress, aud Tor completing the paclfc4tlon Ut all
| the cietueutS ut the body pullc. Ii drvplvcS
upon the white rae: u,w to cun>una;e such
settlement aud plrticl'lJn. IN vlc~ Ut thelr
acknowledged supcll,rty III rducatloD aed 10
telligencr, as well as in numbers, their doml-
nance 10 every department. ot the pubic ser
v,cc, their ownership of the great mass Ut taxa.
b!c property, il would bring Ia sung oPpr"b:lum
upon them il, wiiie local s,t-guvcrnm ut IN
thu 5 unlmpaircd they should permit the rX-
| isleucc OF any prcext upon which advon
turcrs might, by tpueutlng disc lrd between
the races, distract the peace and re-
rard the progress Of the Stale, or upou
winch any federal legislation Or incrvon-
ton whatever might Dc invoked TO the la>vl!-
able disturbance Of internal tranquility. Nom
residents, whtievcr their calDo ~ eminencc,
ability or philanthropy, can never tdera;aLd
| the character or circumstances, Or wisely al
minister to the wants, Of our coior"d popula-
ton. Ourselves and 10 Others are quai'icI to
pei form the task assigned Us by Prpvidouc:.
| If not restrained AID thTarted BY sup r;or
power, W, will perform it rcsoiu: s!y aud eli ct-
ually uy promoting Tie best inicres;s OF Doth
| races. We intend to perform It by serapu
!ously guarding the uewIy acquired rights OF
the colored rau: by att,ndiug him liberal tncil'-
ties for nduca, ion. aud !Ocl;lug HIM TO Use
thcm; by developing his best qlslit!es and Ca
pacitles and interesting him III tn" prcacrva-
ton OF order. aud the enforcement OF justice;
BY shielding him against tie DEVICES Of the VIC
ious and thril!t-s By hab;tu.l Y according him
Tn" kluducss, t,,rUcarancr AID sympathy which
his comparative depend .nc; a'Ii "cnkHeS-
invites: and By cultvalny such relations Of ac-
tive co operation aud mutual trust ani en-
mon intcrcS! between thu races a * | cotab.n.
4 II 4 n ~ a II