Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-07-06
MOVEMENT OF THE RADICALS AGAINST

otto policy Of Gov. Peirpoint have issued the fol-
lowing address 20 the people Of the North:
The undersigned, Committee Of Correspondence
of the Virginia Union Association, take the lib
erty 70 address you this communication upon the
subject Of reorganization Of the state Governs
ment in Virginia.
We desire 10 Law before YOU a brief history Of
the experiment that has already been made here
TO explain to YOU its resu Is ut the present time, TO
point out the dangers which threaten as, and to
Suggest what appears, in our Judgment, the only
efficient protection against them. -.
The history Of the restored Government OF VIZ
ginia is briefly this.
Immediately after the ordinance of secession
was declared adopted, convention was called TO
meet at Wheelng 10 undo that work. Ii met on
the llth Of June, 1861, annulled the secession Or
dinance and provided for the election OF State
officers TO these places which II declared vacant
b. the treason Of their incumbents. Hon. F. b..
Peirpoint was elected Governor at that election,
and the Legislature, subsequently, elected Sens-
tors 10 the United States Senate, where they took
their seats. Gentlemen were also elected 70 the
House Of Representatives. Those chosen from
the western part OF the STATE we've admitted but
those from the eastern part were rejected on the
ground that only minority Of their constituents
could vote at their election, the majority being
prevented from voting by the Rebel occupation OF
In ts63 The State was divided and new State
Government was Instituted for West Virginia. BY
the erection OF thispew State only few counties
remained subject TO the control OF Gov. Peirpoint
and the old Virginia restored State Organization.
These few counties dwindled down afterwards
through the advance OF the Rebel military lires
and the assumption OF exclusive power by Gen.
Butler, at Norfolk, 10 one county, Alexandra, and
a small part Of another Fairfax, in all contain
ing about fifteen thousand white inhabitants, OF
whom o few thousand only were loyal.
Over this territory the restored Government
claimed 70 exercise authority from the Summsr
Of 1864 TO the Spring Of 1866, its executive office
and archives having been removed 10 Alexandria
at the separation from West Virginia in 1863
In the opening of 1854 by call Of the Legisa
ture in session at Alexandria and then represent
ing, or claiming TO represent nine counties,
State Convention was convened for the purpose
Of amending the Constitution of the State. De-
legates assembled from eight counties, represent
ing a constituency " we may take the vote which
elected them as a criterOn) Of fifteen hundred
vOges in all
This convention proceeded to revise the COnst-
tuition, aud having completed the revision, de-
clared the Constitution adopted without sub
hitting it to the people.
The Constitution thus adopted, was, by the act,
TO extend over the whole State as fast as It was
recovered 20 the Uaion.
Upon the capture Of Lees army, In April, 1866,
this Constitution ~ Is claimed by its friends, be.
came the law Of the land, from North Carolina 10
the Potomac. Intellectual attempts had atseve-
raj times been made 20 introduce gentlemen into
the House Of Reprssen tatives from several dis
tricts in this State but in each instance they had
been denied admission, on the grounds before
In the Winter Of ls64-65, the Legislature
elected Eessrs. SegAr and Underwood to the
United States Senate, in place Of Bowler, de-
ceased and Carlisle, whose term had expired
hese gentlemen applied for admission but Con-
I gress adjourned without taking action upon their
cases
About the LIST of May, 1855, President johnson
issued his proclamation recognizing Governor
Peirpont as Governor Of the State, and directing
/ him 10 reorganize lis civil government. The
| Wheeling Convention Of July 18th, 1861, had de-
clared the old Constitution and Code OF Virginia
still in force. The Alexandra Convention of
| February 18Th 1864, had abolished slavery, and
| had changed the qualification Of voters 30 as 10
require them 10 take an oath TO support the "Con-
stitutiOn of the United States, and the restored
Government OF Virginia" and to swear that they
had not since the lst day of January, 1864, vol
unfairly given aid and assistance in any way to
| those in rebellion against tn. Government OF the
United States, Tor the purpose of promoting the
same" 10 provided that the Legislature might
abolish these restrictions, and that the person
violating the oath should be subject to the penal
ties OF perjury Il also provided that no person
! should hold Office who had not taken such oath,
| or who had held Office under the so-called Con-
/ federate Government, or under any rebellious
/ StaEe NONeruneQI OF WHO uhu Deeu q meulDeF OF
u e so-called Confederate Congress, OF q member
/ of any State legislature in rebellion against the
authority Of tie United States" excepting there.
| from county officers il did not make any proV-
sion that the Legislature might abolish these re.
sirictions upon holding office.
Such was the condition Of affairs upon the 70.
cognition Of Gov. PeirpOint by the President in
May, 1855. Ry the provisions OF the Constitution
and Code Of Virginia, general election for men,
bers Of The House Ct Representatives aud mem.
bers Of the Legislature, is holden on the fourth
| Thursday Of MAY. One Of Gov. Pei5polnts first
official acts, after being recognized by the Pres.
dent, was TO advise the people not TO vote for
| members Of Congress at that time for the reason,
| that he should order q special election for that
purpose upon the full reorganization OF the State
They accordingly did not vote for members Of
Congress, but proceeded to elect members Of tie
Legislature from such counties as were organized
on the day Of election.
The disloysl el,ment Of our population largely
outnumberng the loyal element, and determined
70 rule the State, almost universally subscribed TO
the oath required Of voters by the Alexandria
Constitution and men, who up 10 that time, had
openly prolessed allegiance to the Rebel State
| Government at Richmond, and to the so.called
Confederate States and who had contemptuouSy
repudlated the restored Government Of Virginia
and the Government Of the United States, came
forward and took the oath just in time TO run for
] Office and 70 vote. Such men, with one or two
exceptions, we're elected 70 the Legislature, aud
precisely such men, without any exception, would
have been elected 10 Congress had the congies-
siOnal election been held.
The Legislature elect promises to be an organ
zatiOn not at all less disloyal than the Legisla-
ture which sat at Richmond under the auspices
| Of VIM. Smith.
tia Of course Of no use to contest elections on
the grounds Of disloyal voting, or the inelgbiity
! Of members elect for disloyal men will not eX.
clude members for dislOyalty. We find ourselves
| bonnd han and foot and in the Dnyar Of n dis.
The unconditionally loyal men of Virginia have
for time anticipated that these results might
follow. They, however, relied with considerable
| confidence upon Governor PefpOint T. see IN 81
/ his reOrganiZed government did not Immediately
| Sip out OF his hands into the hands Of rebels
You have, perhaps, shared our surprise and dis
appointment in reading his recent speech 10 q
delegation from the southern part Of the State, in
which be designated the provisions Of the Alex
| andria Constitution, referred to above, as the
fury Of war legislation" p'edging his immediate
Ell, rts 70 have those provisions repealed and de-
clarng his intention 10 place the power OF the
| State rs soon as possible in the hands of those
who formerly controlled it. This is being done
as rapidly as 1t can well be effected. Already the
Legislature has been called together in secret ses
sion, the object OF the call being, as appears by
convincing proof TO abrOgate the existing con-
sttutOnal restrictions upon the elective franchise,
and In the language OF the Governor, ITO make
il moro liberal even than the delegation Of the
several counties request"
Il has, in a session OF only nine days, yielded
all that the disloyal asked, abOlishing all dstinc-
ton, so far as lay in its power, between loyalty
and disoyalty. There remains now no protection
70 those who have stood by the Union except
| what those who but recently have been in open
rebellion choose 10 award. The usual relations Of
the succe sful and unsuccessful parties in war
! is here reversed. The Union men Of Viz
| gina are IN the position Of conquered peo-
| pie. By the closing up of the war, their lives,
their property and their political rights are placed
10 the control of those who in the war were their
\ public enemies.
| II ii be the purpose Of the Government of the
| United States to re-establish in Virginia, the
state organization which has been in power at
Richmond during the last four years, that pur-