Year: 1871

OF Virginia, and are prepared to speak witt
accuracy of their political prejudices and
sentiments.


We have mingled freely with them
talked with them publicly and privately
and particularly, with number of the old
leaders of both parties which existed be.


fore the war.


Men may, for party purposes, talk of the
Conservative and Republican parties, and
the black and white parties, but such nom
sense is unbecoming men of fairness. We
are divided as Democrats and Republicans,
nothing more nor less.


The Enquirer of this morning, repeats
what we have heard until it has grown
threadbare, and that is that there is an i'm
passabIe gulf between the two. We pro-
pose to consider this gulf and to show how
it is soon to be crossed.


Mr.. Lincoln, as President of the United
States, by bold and unexpected stroke
of policy, declared that the negroes of the
South should be free. He regarded it as
necessary measure for the preservation
Of the Union. The Federal army sustained
him, which, by reason of superior num-
bers and other causes, conquered us into
submission. The war closed, and as one
of its results, millions of slaves, who for
years had been held, by the consent of
mankind, in human bondage had stricken
from their limbs the chains OF slavery.
We, who had regarded them as legitimate
property, were stripped Of its value, and
our former slaves stood trembling with
fright at the sudden change in their condi-
ton. They were bewildered, not knowing
where to go or what to do. They were in
strange country, land of freedom,
where but an hour before they obeyed
every nod of the master. The master, /,
who was but little better off, was stran-
ger to the surroundings, and although an
ticipati ng the collapse, was unprepared for
its suddenness.


Standing naked, hungry, ignorant, and
suddenly whirled into freedom, that power
which had freed the negro could do nothing
less than surround him with the arm OF
protection.


That of the ballot was decided to be
strongest and best suited to his new condi-
tion. We were called upon to determine
whether we would accept or respect the
right of suffrage offered the freedmen.
We said we will, you said you would
not. We fought for it, yoa against it.
For our part, in this transaction, we have
had branded upon our forehead "Scala-
wag." Like the manufacturers mark
upon the thread spool, which in youth
we delighted to paste upon our forehead,
we wear it with pride. For your
part, you have.b been branded Democrat.
We would not like to exchange. The
American people have proclaimed that the
former slave of the South should become
your political peer. God and society will
regulate the rest.


Your opposition to his right of suffrage
and our acceptance of it, necessarily drove
the negro to the Republican party, which
existed ia the North, before he was thought
of as voter, and which had acquired
strength sufficient to control the govern
ment.


His union with our party has made the
"impassable gulf between large class of
respectable people of Virginia and our
selves. Their prejudices will not permit
them to go with the party to which almost
all the colored people belong. We say
their prejudices, because we are satisfied
there is no principle in it, from the fact
the moment negro becomes Democrat
he is gentleman, and at once commission
ed missionary to see how many "more of
the same sort" are left. There are hun
dreds of additional reasons which could
be given, known only to the native born,
why there is no principle in all this "twad-
die" about "negro equality"


Democracy will, in short time, be bid
ding for negro votes, by ceasing hostiities
against their rights land if there were
more brains and less sefshness among its
leaders it would have been done long ago),
and will obtain them, too. When its lead
ers shall have determined to acknowledge
the rights of these people we are prepared
to see them separating. 1t is right that
they should do SO, and but natural that
every race of people should support the
party which promises the most advantages.


We, as Virginians, will never yield to
the stranger or any other people more
affection for the negro, nor will we deny
tha t the savage, abusive Democrat, who
was raised with them, and who habitually
treated them humanely, is a better
friend personally than the stranger. 1t is
natural that men, who have from child
hood known each other, should have
greater feelings of friendship, than the ac-
quaintance of an hour, but politically the
Virginia Democrat has bean his enemy.
His policy has been mistaken ona and