Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-04-14
LETTER FROM GOVERNOR
KEMPER.
RICHMOND, VA,

April l1th, 1874.
To /. c. FOWLER, ESQ.
DEAR SIR:-YOu have my thanks
! for the kind terms in which you COM
municate to me the proceedings of the
late public meeting of the people of
| Washington County, unanimously
commenting my action on the Peters
burg charter bill. The approval Of the
people of the great and intelligent
/ County of Washington. the locality
which, worthily and before all Others
OH the American Continent, received
! the name of the Father of
his Country, is a reward for duty done,
| of which any public servant might be
! Justly and unaffectedly proud.
You are mistaken however, IN sup.
| posing that any wound may have been
given to my feelings, by the personal
asperities which, in uneXceptional in
stances, have been visited upon my
official action. While no man esti-
mates more highly or cherishes more
gratefully, the confidence and appro-
val of his fellow citizens, / yet hold
! that duty, when it it is done faithfully
! in the fear of God ard not in the fear
of man, done efectually despite "a tide
of tumult and storm of tongues
carries with it lis own reward which
is more to be priced than the applause
ofthe world, Standing in the strength
of my convictions of duty, have OBJ
served with compOsure the assaults
you mention, without having expe-
rienced one moment of excitement or
one sentiment of bitterness towards
my assailants. Certainly | shall
never pause 20 notice, still less stoop
to answer, any question of the purity
of the motives which inspire my Off
cial action. Iu view of the great po-
litcal crisis through which we are
passing, in view of the necessity for
recurring and adhering to fundamental
principles in such period, all merely
individual interests, and all personal
clamor and miscOnstructlon, dwindle
into insigniflcance.
1t must never be conceded, for it is
not true, that the civil war has de-
stroyed however it may have invaded,
any of the rights of the States or of the
people, or any of the vital princi-
Piles of American liberty, We have
passed the epoch which marked the
emancipation and acknowledgements of
our late slaves, the removal of the ele-
Incnt which broke the homogeniety
and the harmony of the States and Sec
tons, but ourselves have lost no sim
gle article of the liberties which as
freemen we inherited from our fathers.
The area of the common liberties has
been enlarged without validating 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 citi-
Zens, AMI clothes them with the same
political rights which Gforetime at
tached exclusively TO the white race
This great change was sudden and
revolutionary. 1t was undoubtedly
repugnant TO the cherished traditions
and sentiments of the masses of
the white people. Without any of
that preparation for the duties and
RESPONSIBILITIES of citizenship which the
founders of the government held to be
essential to its purity and safety. the
colored people, unenlightened, unedu-
Gated, just emerging from the debase-
ment of slavery. were in q moment in
vested with full proportion of the
power to control the government, and
TO determine great questions of life.
liberty and property. But however
precipi DRY The change may have
been made. however hazardous or I'M
welcome to any portion of the people.
it has been consumated in the organic
law of the Union and of the States; il
is acquiesced l.: as finaiity by all sec
tons and parties We have ourselves
accepted it "a a fundamental condition
underlying the existence of the State
as restored member of the Union
every officer and representative with
in the State Is hound by the conslitu-
tional oath TO recognize the equality of
all men before the law; and in view
of actual results, il would be as wise
to attempt to turn back ward the course
of time and events as to quarrel or
repine over the unalterable past.
The people of Virginia intelligentIy
realize the results of war and it is by
fairly conforming 10 the necessities of
the situation, and by securing equal
rights, liberty and justice to all men,
that they hope TO obtain enduring
peace and build up prosperous Com
monwealth
IN passing through such period of
transition, no ooUnsels of violence,
nothing but the forecast and prudence
of a calm craftsmanship, can guide US
to safety. We must again and at sall
hazardous. erect the original land
marks of the pure and simple republi-