Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-15
MARION HILL, VA, December 10, 1888.


To the Editor Of the DIspItch:
Thanks to your courtesy snd kindness,
have been heard. The seed / have soWn
will germinste and bring forth much fruit
| am I'm no great hurry. Impotence has
Zone more harm In the world than "War,
pes,lence and famine
Quite a number OF friends baye asked me
why have not answered your criticisms OF
my late communication, one OF them yolun-
teerlng this, cit would be the easiest thing
ia he world 10 DO"
But have experience in such matters, and
have learned that It il much easier TO con-
tend successfully with an enemy out on the
open plain than in bis own fortified castle
aud the more especially so when his castle is
hedged 10 by surroundings all favorable to
tim. / content myself, therefore. by simply
asking YOU to be kind enough 10 allow me
further hearing.
might as well admit at The ouisiart that
there is a gun between us that 1t would seem
10 be impossible TO span.
Your school o. ethics is altogether dill
iereut from mine, and YOUR form Of reason
ing, must saw, is incom )rehensIbe 10 MT.
have been taught TO believe that 1.-TWO
wrongs never make right and that
"things that are equal 10 the sime thing are
equal to one another lou seem 20 re-
verse this order, and underlake TO prove
that YOU are right, because, In your opinion,
somebody else is wrong; and that, because
somebody else dOss wrong, you are justified
IN doing wrong also. Now, my idea Of the
matter is this: II 1t be wrong 10 "waye the
bloody shirt" in toe North 10 Is equally
q bad 10 "waYe" IL in the South. for Is II
not done for the same purpose-to wit, 10
concentrate and consolidate public sentiment
and peTpetuate the feelings aud anlmOsltleS
OF the war; You know quite ~ we'll ~
that hut FOR the continuance OF this sent.
meOt here the Democratic party would long
since have ceased TO exist as = ruling factor
In our politics. II IL the breath Of It's nos
trils-the inspiration that yitaliZes and keeps
1t alive.
know YOU will say this Is only opinion
and not proof, aud this is precisely what |
said OF Your reply TO my former article.
You must excuse me for saving II was no.
ethics. nor morals. nor reason. II was your
mere ipse diyh. The Republican party i' a
sectional psrty-bcCaUse you say so. The
negroes have been very sSucy since the cleo
ton. John sherman aud General sherman.
Governors Foraker and Foster, have uttered
some disagreeahle things about the enforce
ment, 10y law. OF PLAN constitutional pro-
fame Look az his ATTEMPT 10 get partisan
Federal judges to usurp jurisdiction over
questions with which they have no right to
iUlericIe. And do not fail to note that more
nan 10000 negroes are looking on and
ciapping their hands with great giee and de-
light. whilst more than 200 900 white voters
OF Virgins are froWning their contempt and
boiling oveI with indignation.
SaV so, nee Sdy so. and who dare say nav
My good friend, this may be politics. but
you will pardon me for saying II Is not l0sic,
or reason, or siatesmansbip. II Ia merely
venting spleen. IL Is the essence Of gall and
the very quintesSence Of wormwOod. know
YOU do not believe this. 1t Is hard for one
20 realize how much he Is Influenced by his
SURROUNDINGS. Bot in Rome we do a the
R0maLs do. In Turkey We are MOhammc-
dams. In India we are probably Buddhis'-.
Human nature is the sane everywhere. We
hear things said SO often that 20 uncOuifa-
dicted, aud say things ourselves 50 often
Just because others have said them. th,t
after awhile We come TO believe them aud are
willing 70 swear hy them. This NAV be IA
tural, but II is not morals, nor ressOr. nor
right. Is IL clear 10 your mind that c0nst-
tutional provisions AID laws made IN pur-
suance thereof can be eyaded and violated
riR ut to question the accuracy of your iudg.
ment without laying himself liable 70 the
charge OF wlliully and maliciousy "waving
the bloody shirt"y
Is this country truly despotism OF opin-
ion. where even the truth cannot be SPOKEN,
or reasons given for the faith that is in Us
Oh, but some negroes have been insulting
and have done sOme things not in harmony
with the refinement OF this agel Well, II
this be true. It Is bad enough. But. IN ex-
teuuation, | will say, men and women OF all
c0lors have. in ali ages, since Cain killed
Abel, done foolish, wicked. aud ill-mannered
things-irom the kings son down TO the
peasant. The negro is citizen. entitled
under The supreme law TO all the rights,
privileges and immuuites Of other citizens.
On this head hear what your President
: vs.: "Tbe Government Itself is under bond
10 the American people that 10 the exercise
Of MS functions aud powers, II will deal with
the body Of our citizens ia 4 manner scrupu-
lousy honest aud fair aud absolutely Just.
IL has agreed that American citizenship shall
he the only eredential necessary TO justify
the claim OF equslIty before the law, and
that no condition 10 HE shall give rise to dis.
erimruslion IN the treatment OF the people
by their government" Is this position Of
your President correct or noty
II II be true IL shuts your mouth and the
mouth OF "Citizsn' for all time, and closes
the door 90 all future controversy on this
head. And II is true-it Is law; II y the
supreme Law OF the land, and will stand
long sitter you and have gone 10 our long
homes. We may not like Il; we may even
hate IL, end vet II il The law. We NAV tIy 10
evade by subieriuge aud tinesse, and take
risks IN Efforts 10 overthrow the iaw. but
that will not change the facts, except. - may
be, for the worse. Is I: q killing offence 20
Insist upon 4 faithful execution OF the law,
because 1t is the law. and because law is bet.
ter than anarcbyf
For more than twenty years We have lived
In peace aud on terms OF almost perfect bar