Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-01-26
ALEXANDRIA, January 2G, 1876.
Hon. ~ H. Rutncr Superintendent Of Public
RinL,llnun liz

ALEXANDRIA, January 90, 1873.
Hon. ". II. RuUncr Superintendent Of I~bltc
Instruction, Richmond, Ia.:
SIR: Pardon me Tor nddrcS ing you upon the
subject of your late Report to tar i7overn r, and
tn rough. MIN to the people OF this common
wealth but the structures upcn my race are So
glarngly incorrect both in fact and ticory, that
| would be untrue to myself and to those con-
fdnd to my care to allow these eli trVcs to go
forth to the world uncontradictcd. lou state
in YOUR reuort that you ara actu ted by no feel
ing of hostility but only that OF kincness and
good will, vet you speak OF the ne. 70 rs being
but little better than brute, endowed with fac
ultes that pertain to the higher order o! lrterior
anima s; that he il sensual. lrcaiab col Judging
or even discriminut ng between rish ana |ron-;
his attainmcnts y of suc Il limited Oh .rgc,er
that his ment.l powers are far inferior to his sil
imal proyensities; in short you Only THINK HIM
fiji to be q newer OF wood drawer oil watcr, or
happy Handy Andy. The civil rights bill,
which has called forth this urjust criticism upon
a race that has ever been the Wiling ana ODE
dient servants of the white man, J do not pro.
pose to discuss, except thus lar, rs coi"red
man, l would say there are certain features in
the bill that are unnecessary. aud would, ma
doubt, if pressed, eintlttcr the feelings between
life races such as the school clause specially,
which | agree with you in opposing. Win
these clauses stricken out we hope that In" bill
man pass so that every man RAY hive the right
of An American citizen 20 travel ~ he plea. ~
notwithstanding the hue OF els skin. 20 with
me. sir, during their dark days thcy were our
trusted nurses, wallets house servants, skilled
mechanics and rtians: your workshops re-
sounding with the notes OF their itb"r They
ere as ser, ants welcome lntruders l.; your most
favored boudoirs md public r!ac :. N"q4cstlons
about tie enu1,rtionS rom their bodies arose:
no delicate sense destroyed. even in your most
favored society. But aiA- when this class re-
ceiyed their freedom detects are found which
were not seen when Il slave. You S.Atc they are
the most immoral, or, to quote your words III
this RESPECT, "a few Irregular products In early
life did rot secrn to effect the Standing of u
Young womaI;'' and mere you Glass tn" sins OF Il
few upon the v hole race, who ~rc small III TO-
portion to the large numb which our papers
throughout the country are daily iiicd WITH re-
lating the nauseating DIT lis ot immortality TAX
ing tiacc in the high and rctGcd circles of the
morak class v ho, with I'll their wealth and Gull
ture are unable 10 hide their immortality IRON
the public gaze. But, for the sakc OF argument
| grant that we ar lmmora', All to nom shali
this charge be laic Not to the te'c, rs you
state, but to the msny men who were i.cis
owners In this respect We do net propose IL
cast the Rrst Sfonc but IL simply remind you
tina. in those days the mas er held the supreme
control, not only OF the ubor Of the slave, but
also his body, and l might almost say OF his
soul. Now, sir the spirit Of caste is ~ strongly
defined WITH us @s with you cur line ar- rs
clos ely drawn and our social code rs street y de-
fined Ne AIT ong tn" most cul ur"d race uppr the
z ODE, and she VINO overst.ps them * c,uily
ostrscised and in confirmation OF this fact
would refer you TO the refined circles of y ew
Orleans ard in our large southern snd rthern
cities wherein no wii man Is allowed to enter.
Wcu d it be right if the places OF the Faces were
chang d, to say to poor and degraded one
of your class-tor, like US, you have maAy such