Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-04-15

RICHMOND, VA, April llth. 1874.
10 l. {. Fowtcr, esq.-Dear Sir \ gu have
my thanks for the kind terms in which you COM
municate to me the proceedings oftie late pub
lie meeting OF the people OF Washington county
unanimously commencing my action on the
Petersburg charter bill. The approval of the
people of the great and intelligent county OF
Washington, the locality which, worthily and
before all others 90 the American continent re-
ccivcd the name Of of the Father Of his Coun-
try, is a reward for duty done, of which any
public servant might be justly and uuafectcdly
proud.
You are mistaken, however, 10 supposng
that any wound may have been given to my
feelings by the personal asperities which, 10 ex-
ceptional instances. have been visited upon my
official action. While no man estimates more
| highly, or cherishes more greatfuily, the con-
6deDce and approval Of his tclow-citizeDs [
yet hold that duty, when it is done faithfully,
in the fear of God and not in the fear OF man,
done effectually despite "a tide Of tumut aud a
storm of tongues" carries with it It's own re-
ward, which is more to be priced than the ap-
plause of the world Standing 10 the strength
! Of NY 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 as
sailants. Certainly shall never pause to no.
lice still less stoop to answer, any question of
the purity of the motives which inspire my Of
fetal action. In view Of the great political cr-
sis through which We are passing, in view of
the necessity for recurring and adhcaring to
| fundamental principles in such a period, all
merely individual interests OF my own, and all
personal clamor and msconstructlon, dWIndle
into insgniicauce
1t must revcr be conceded, for it is not true,
that the civil war has destroyed, however it
may have invaded. any of the rights of the
States or of the people, or any OF the vital prn-
ciplcs Of American liberty. We have passed
the epoch which marked the emancipation and
entrauchisement of our late slaves, the removal
Of the clement which broke the homogcnicty
and harmony Of the States and sections, but
ourselves have lost no single article OF the lib
critics which as freemen we Inherited from our
fathers. The area Of the common liberties has
been enlarged without nvaidating, for the flu.
turc, the title, the tenure or the quality of the
freehold.
The new constitutional order differs from the
old 10 that it Incorporates our late slaves 10 the
body polite, as ciizcus, and clothes them with
the same political rights which aforetime at
tachcd exclusively to the white race. This
great change was sudden ana revolutionary 1t
was undoubtedly repugnaut to the cherished
traditions and sentiments Of the masses Of the
white people. Without any Of that prepara-
ton for the duties aud responsibilities of cit
izenship which the founders of the government
held to be essential to its purity and safety, the
colored people, unculig htencd, uncducated, just
emerging from the debasemeut Of slavery, were
in moment invested with full proportion of
|. 81, j
termin great questions of life, liberty and prop
erty. But however prcciptatcly the change
may have been made, however hazardous or
unwecome to any portion OF the people. it has
been contaminated in the organic law of the
Union aud Of the States; it is acquie>ccd in as a
tinality by all sections and parties; We have our
selves accepted it as
A FUNDAMENTAL CONDITION
underlying the cxistapcc Of the State rs a 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 rcpine over the unaltcrablc past
The people of Virginia intelligently realize the
results OF war; aDd it is by fairly conforming to
the necessities Of The situation, and by securing
equal right, liberty and justice to all mcn, that
they hope to obtain enduring peace and build
UP prosperous Commonwealth.
10 passing through such a period of trans-
ton, no counscs Of violence, nothing but the
forecast and prudence Of calm craftsmanship:
can guide US to safety. We must again, aud
the pure and simpl lie rcpublicanism OF Jefferson
| b.,,, fu h,,t in nlo ba fun
amental principles of free government. 1t is to
be expected that special and local grievances
will sometimes result from the novel and abnor
NAL circumstances OF the situation. La such a
case passion looks alone to the particular grlcv-
apce and urges violent correctivcs which would
so remedy special evil for the present as to
imperi the rights Of all for the future. But it
| is the duty Of the statesman, while dcplorng
and condemning the special wrong and sympa-
thising with lis victims, to oppose himself I'M
| finching!y TO the passions OF the hour, to take
care that no rash remedy for temporary and
particular evil shall jeopardze the safety oil the
whole people, yet at the same time to apply with
firm hand the most efficient correclives to be
devised 10 harmony with the organism of Ameri-
can constitutional liberty.
In maintaining these views we necessarily
maintain the avowcd principles and aims oi 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 siguiican
&C, they accord with my published acceptance
of the Conservative nomination for the position
now hold They but reproduce the scnti-
ments | uttered and emphasized in the late
canvass, before great masses of the people in
every section of the State; and they harmonic
with such of my official messages 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
a combination of white people, organized on the
idea of white against black, for the sole pur-
pose of pcrpetuating the mere supremacy of
race. Everywhere in the late canvass de-
nouuced that fallacy, and my review of it which
met with general acceptance, was IN brief to
the following effect: That after the close of
tho ,u.r ond wears before the Conservative