Year: 1879

Editor of the Virginia Star:


In regard te the situation so far as the two
political organizations of the State are con~
cerned l am free to say to the colOred people
hands off from both of them.


The Conservative or Democratic party
more properly considered believe and embo>
dy that belief always in their political and les
gislative action. That the untrammeled eX-
ercse of the right of suffrage is a right that
ought not to be fully enjoyed by the Negro,
and by various devices, already known to the
reading and thinking mind, have well nigh
dsfranchised him. The Readjuster's party
has not the strength or courage, frankness
nor manly boldness to embody these facts IN
their creed. 1t would destroy their party or-
ganzation if they did. But it contents itself
in the assertion and bOrks, that as political
| organization it is Democratic, in full spmpa>
thy with the Conservative party of the State
in all things else save Oh the debt question:
This statement itself is enough to frighten
every negro into a contemplation of sudden
exodus. Think of what the situation would
be with two Democratic parties in this State.
| Why between the two in single decade
their would not be a negro left to point The
way the rest had gone.


Mr.. Rush Burgess and Mr.. John Amber
Smith, both Republicans, undertook in 1874
the strange feat of getting themselves elected
to Congress from this Dis lrict at one aIa te the
same time, and they destroyed the party, and
politically themselves too. And TWO Demo-
cratic parties in Virginia, in their present
mode, would destroy the negro.


But no new party now can win on merely
such an assertion. For there are as many
honest and conscientious people among the
poor classes as. there are to be found among
the rich-who have the ability to meet at all
times their financial obligations, but don't ;
and it is this deep-rOoted consciousness in the
mind of the former class that has enabled the
people of this republic to maintain peace and
order through the past seven years of finan-
cial disaster and business depression. No
future party organized in this State will ever
again be able to manipulate itself into full
political control upon mere supposition, by
supposing that a class whose rights are de-
MED by it, as well as by the party 1t opposes,
will vote with it as preference simply be-
cause there is a difference between them as TO
how they shall pay their honest debts. The
colored people have already been educated
out of this sort of mudge>of-the shoulder ac>
uuiescence to a class Of Republicans who es
saved to political ascendency by protesting
in private to be their friends in the acquisl-
ton and maintenance of every political right
for them which they desired for themselves.
But in their public acts they proved beyond
contradiction that 1t was not our constitutions
al rights and privileges they were interested
for but our votes.


am glad, however, that the controversy
involved is not one between the colored and
white people; and besides, il is not matter
for which any man in the Conservative party,
after denying US the right, (for some of us are
professed Democrats,) to vote at their prIma-
ry nominations. can desire or hope secretly,
or otherwise, to have us vote with his party
this Fall on the debt question as a matter oi
principle. Nor can or ought the Readjuster's
organization to hope or expect US to rally
with them in their struggle for political suc-
cess on the bare supposition that when they
shall come into power the peoples taxes shall
be reduced-that is, simeon that always ap-
pears just before an election. No, we have
political wrongs to be adjusted, and they can
only be righted by some formidable recast OF
things through the bIllOt-boX. In regard to
these wrongs, the Conservative party now in
power has no conscience. 1t denies us in the
face Of a constitutional provision one of the
mos sacred privileges that people living
under Republican form of government can
enjoy. The right and privilege of being tried
for breach Of the law before juror of ones
peers is the only safeguard of an oppressed
peoples liberty. And If the white people of
| this State should for day be denied this
right BY the National Government, the WroEg
would at once become the seed OF revolution.
But we are as emphatically excluded from
juror rights as though we were gang OF
Feejee Islanders passing through The State
one of whom had murdered sOme body. and
insisted that a juror from their own elan
should try the criminal. We have appealed
to the Judgeof the Hastings Court By respect.
} fully petition, and asked him in the discretion
of his abundant power under the Constitu.
ton to correct this injustice, and bring col