Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-05-28
COMMUNICATED.
War or Peace

Two Virginia Conservative Congressman
we're overheard a few days ago discussing the
prospects of the passage of the Civil Rights
Bill. Said one: IF this bill passes it will show
the folly of the policy of conciliating Grant"
We beg leave to differ with this wise man; we
think it would demonstrate the folly and alb
surdity of the policy the Conservative Con-
gressmen have pursued of keeping up war
on GRAFT and bis party. II this Congressman
policy were right it would have prevented the
passage Of the bill. The measure having pass
ed n spite Of the Congressman opposition it
is very clear that his policy has Jatled But a
policy cant be said TO have failed that has
uever been adopted and as the conciIintion
policy has never yet been tried by the South
ern people it can't be condemned as wrong un-
ill it is tried 1t is true that a f:w Southern
men who have been governed by reason and
not blind prejudice and passion, have urged
the Southern people to change their policy to-
wards the Federal Administration, as the only
mode of securing corresponding change 10 its
policy towards US. But the voice of such men
has been drowned amid the roar of faction, and
they have been denounced as renegades and
traitors to a people whom they would have died
to serve Now is it not PLATO that We can never
improve our condition as long as We maiatain
our present hostile attitude towards the Ma
| toual Administration. AS long as We continue
to fight the Administration and those who con-
troll the policy of the government, just so long
will we be kept 10 a state of servltude to pow
er which We are too weak to resist. As long
as the men who represent the Southern people
continue their irritating course CT antagunlsm
to the party IN power, just so loug Will our
| people reap the bitter tults of this policy 10
all sorts of hostile legislation. We should have
| by this time learned from experience that no
good can result from keeping the white people
united against the government AS long as
the Southern white people are united against
the government, the negroes and carpet-baggers
Administration is compelled to rely 90 whatever
purity supports it in the South If then it has
no friends here but negroes and carpet baggcrs
it must bestow its favurs on its friends. Neither
rem. Grant or Gen. Washington could BE- OK
pected to reward their euemles. Cant the
bindest sec then that we have been playing
into the hands of the carpet-baggcrs? That We
| have by our obstinate resistance to fate, done
| the very thing that our worst enemies would
have advised US to do. Is it not our own fault
that carpet. baggers have enjoyed the favor of
the Administration to the exclusion Of our
own people? Has not Gen. Grant shown in
thousand Instances how ready he was to shake
hands with men whom he had met ION the peri
lous edge of battle ?" Has be not clothed With
high trusts and admitted into his confidence meu
who, few years ago were 10 deadly opposition
to the government? Can't everybody see that
by fighting the Administration we build up the
| carpet bag power? Can't everybody see tina, if
Southern men want to exercise any Influence 10
the government they must cease opposition and
| give it their friendly support? One dcIusun
that has led so many OF Us into error ls the idea
that we should all keep united. y Ii the ma
jority is 10 error why should the minority sur
render their convictions Of right and do what
their consciences condemn AS wrong. The white
people in South Carolina, Louisiana aud Mis-
sissippi like those 10 Virginia, have been unit
ed in opposition to Gen. Grant. What has it
protited them Would ut it be much better Tor
those people to have all the Influence of the
Federal Administration cxrrted ia their behalf
than against them? As long as the white people
down there are uuted against the admlnlStra-
too the negroes and carpet-baggers will be
united for it, and of course will get the spois.
| The white people in those States being help
less minority thus lose all control over their
local as we'll as national affairs. A leading Con-
servative paper last fall advised the people in
those negro. ridden States to follow our example
in eIecting Kemper and thus red ecm their
States This was offering them the cup Of
| Tantalus; our success was due TO the fact that
10 Virginia the whites are IN large majority,
in South Carolina they are iu minority In
other words the South Carolina people and the
Virginia people have pursued the same policy
of ''keepiog together" That policy has pro-
duced Kemper 10 Virginia and Moses in South
Carolina But would it not be a much better
thing for the Virginia people to control not
only their local State government but also to
exert some control over the policy OF the FEEDER
al government. Represented, as they now are,
by set of Conservative, who can only
90 to Washington to draw their pay, they are
practically as isolated from the National gov
ernment as was Robinson Crusoe, Oh his little
island, from all the rest of the world.
| RAPPAIIANNOCK.