Year: 1869

On the reception of Governor Walker. Of
Virginia, in Binghamton, n. Y, on the
18th instant, he said:


Fellow-citizens of Binghamton. When
left this place, fourteen years aro. was
a poor boy, with nothing to assist me but
good constitution and desire to do my
duty. have been fortunate in mea-
sure, but my triumph would be nothing to
me if the people of my old home did not
rejoice with me. In meeting you this eve
ming perhaps it would be proper to say
something about the events which have
been the cause of bringing us together here.
We have just passed through great cam
paign in Virginia, the issues and details
OF which I need not mention to you
for regard this demonstration to me as a
man and child of this place rather than on
expression of your views on the political
tissues of the State of Virginia. l have been
elected, as has been announced to you this
evening, and as nearly all of you know,
Governor of the State Of Virginia, Com
monwealth known as the Mother of Presi-
DENTS During the campaign I announced
on the stump that I was native of the
State Of New York, the great Empire State,
and | was proud of it. But tell you here
tonight that in the course of ten years Vir-
ginia will take the laurels off the brow of
New York and wear herself the crown Of
the Empire State and advance to the lead of
all the States in the Union. The work of
reconstruction is going on gloriously, and
the permanent prosperity of the State has
been secured. | want my old friends and
school-fellows to come down and help in the
great work that we nre speeding forward, and
make the old State what 1t should be and what
it is destined TO be. We want you to come
down there ms settlers to engage in the in
dustrial pursuits that need your energies
and experience and ability; and we want
you to come in such way that the interests
of the people of Virginia will be your in
terests. We want you to come and fill the
place Of those carpet-baggers who, since
the election, are leaving the State in gene
raj stampede across the Potomac. The late
issue was not so much contest as to whether
Republican or Democratic sentiment
should prevail in the State, but the issue
was whether the virtue, property, and intel
ligence of the State should control it, or the
organized ignorance and poverty should
misrule it. The virtue and property and
intelligence have triumphed. The poverty
and ignorance party, organized into mid
night associations, appealed to low passions
and Misrepresentation, and cast their votes
for Wells and against the Administration. We
have won the victory over them, and Virgi-
MIA is to-day fully up to the requirements
of the President, and will stand by the laws
of Congress. She has gone for the Govern
ment and the Administration. The victory
is relief from carpct-bag rule, and that is
the reason it has created so much enthusi-
asm. The triumph was u victory for the
principle that makes all men equal. We
have knocked the shackles off of the white
men and given the blacks their equal rights.
We have given every white man his rights
under tile laws, and the rights Of the colorcd
men arc now better protected in Virginia
than they arc in this, my native place. We
are rcconstructing OIL the right hasis-the
principles of justice and equality"