Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-04-01
SENATOR WuTHEKs' SPEECH.

WltherS, delivered IN the Untleu o'a'eo Ne">N'
last Thursday, in reply to the irritating taun's
and insulting remarks Of Senators Morton ano
Boutwell,, brief mention OF which appeareu I'D
yesterday 5 Gozette r..,.
Mr., Wihcrs Mr. President, it is a little
difficult for a Senator, occupying INC posl',on
on this floor that ill to know exactly by what
line of argument shall meet some OF the allie
yations anu to repel some OF the taunts anu
worse ;han tauuts which have been thrown out
against those who come from my secnon 81 the
Union and couchrd 10 language which l certain
~ never expected TO hear uttered IN this cham
Der. | cannot consent, uudcr any cunc"iVahie
circumstances to repel those Insults and those
iusiuuatious 10 similar language. But, SIT, l.
desire that the Senate will consider that every
thing that a Senator and gentleman legl'l
mately may say is said IN reruisIon aud repa-
dla,iuu OF the charges mat laVe Dccn maae
against NC ard my section.
II 1t be the purpose, rs Is more imam Sus
pected oi gentlemen whn have occupied the
floor here to-day by these insulting charges
agains, Suuthrrn Senators to provoke them 10
such imprUdent utteranceS as may be mace
| available in coming political couieSt, 10 enable
them to array again one section oil this country
agaius! the other aud to give some coiorlng, ut
least, t, the allegations made Dy the Senator
from Massacl usctts Mr.. Bou well that the
civil war is not ended, and that all the hatred
and strife which have been eugc ndered thereby
are sill ID full force ADD operation, influencing
rvcrv man at the North Us we'll as At the South
If that be the purpose, l do not propose to
contribute anything to the success OF that ma
neuver. [ have said what l propose to say upon
that subject.
But, MIR. President, am happy to here
state my high appreciation Of he courtesy, the
kiudlluess Of feeling, and the manifest sincerity
which &C; uat: i the mover oil the substitute
which is now uoder consideration, IN the re-
marks which he has offered and the resolution
which he rendered. | freely admit that he
has come up TO what regard as the iull mea'
sure of craftsmanship 10 discussing this reso-
luton; and while thus return him my thanks,
findiviiuay and for my section, Tor the cour.
teous terms in which his remarks were c. uchcd
and for thar spirit OF fraternity and libcrallty
which prompted him 10 ''put himself 10 our
paccs,'' as be iorcib!y stated it, and judge US
Irom that stand point, propose, however, 10
correct what | fear are some tnlsapprehcnslous
or his part of the actual feeling ADD temper OF
the Southern people. | certainly claim to oc
able to speak auhurtat!veiy for my own State,
for my own people, tor my own section.
[ assert upon this hJor to-day, with all the
knowledge OF the obligations which such at
assertion carries with it, and also with a full
consciousness that | may briug myself under
the imputatious which have been made day
10 reference to Senators making declarations
of a somewhat similar character, that the PEG
ole of theSouthern States, certainly OF my State
have accepted the Issues OF the War 10 guoc
faith, that they have recognized aud do to-day
recognize the equality OF all men under tue law
| 10 fbot NO,
came to close, indeed long anteccdeut to tina
period, the fate Of slavery was kuOWn to be
doomed IN Virginia, and no one anticipated
whether the struggle should result 10 success:
or disaster, that slave property, rs such, W, ale
remain valuable 10 Virginia. But Wien dlSas
ter crowacd the efforts which we had made
and We were forced to accept such telm> a:
were offered US by the victorious armies o
General Graut, not voice was raised SO Ia
as | know, not an effort, organized or or other
Wis., was made 70 resist emancipation aud 1t:
necessary consequences.
I will say more than that sir, that the PEG
ole of Virginia recognized, as general rule
to which I will admit there were exceptions
the necessity which imposed upon them The cd
ucation OF their former slaves, the necessity o.
bringing them up to point where they coulo
iutelligenty exercise those rights OF CITIZENSHIP
with which they were Invested by the icglsla
lion of Congress. True it is that we we're no
prepared for the precipitancy with which these
rights we're bestowed upon these people, anc
were startled and alarmed at their probable
not TO say inevitable, consequences.
I am conscious that our peopla are misun-
derstood 10 some regards; they are to-day mis-
understood with regard to tLeir teeliI gs TO
ward their late slaves. [ assert, here to day,
that after the conclusion of the war and the
emancipation Of the slaves, SO far from belog
iuhueuc d by hate and anlmoSlty and vlndlc
tive desire to crush those people out OF exist
ence, or drive them from the county,, precise
" the opposite sentiments We're felt by u very
large porilou OF the people of Virginia. | as
sert that the Southern people have never tC
this day forgotten, and never will they forget
the obligations they are uuder to their black
population. | hope that my right hand may
be with4red aud my tongue palsed II ever
forget my owo personal obligations to them
Daring the war, when the whole manhood OF
The South Was carried to the front TO fight the
battles OF tue South, our wives aud our little
ones were lett alone uuder the ch4rge sod the
guardianship OF our slaves; aud | am proud tc
say to. day, that wilhstanding all the APP
pcaIs and all the neta.iOus l. hueDces which
were brought to beur upon that population to
induce them TO bring the war to speedy ano
bloody end, they were deaf to these appeals,
hey resisted these Influences, they were true
10 the trust reposed in them; and hope
shall never see the day when am afraid OF
ashamed TO acknowledge our obligation to
them.
This being the caes those of US who looked
at the situation divestlng ourselves OF all pre-
JUDGE, if auy existed, had to cast around and
decde for ourselves what was the best thing
that we could do 10 the then PROSTATE coDdi.
ton of all our Industries and all our interests.
The question OF the relations between labor
aud capital at once sprang Into existence tut!
armed like Minerva from the head Of JoVc,de
Ii .uding immediate recognition aud adjust
meat, aud we had to settle upon sume policy
TO meet the difficulty. The disposition was
fell by our people generally to give the prefer
euce 10 this black labor to which We had been
accustomed, If we could pravai upon them to
discharge the duties Ut iab0rers With anything
like fidelity. The Senator from Indiana MI.
MortonI has dwell very largely 10 his speeches
here upon the existence oil white llnc, ofa