Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1865-06-24

which Il 90 confused and unde6oed In the pub
lie mind, we 6nd go clearly and succinctly set
forth BY our friend Hall Of the Portage Co.
Democrat, as to give the matter a very inter-
esting ss we'll rs instructive feature. We there
fore copy as follows
The Government has doabtless made great
mistake 10 endeavoring to reconstruct civil
Government in Virginia on false basis. For
q year or two past Mr.. PrERFoNr has assumed
to be Governor OF old Virginia, as contr ids-
tinguished from the new State Of West Virgir-
~. His "seat OF Government was at Alexan-
dria. His Jurisdiction, professedly, extended
over two or three counties His Legisla.
ture " was composed of ten members all or
| most OF them residing 10 Alexandria This
august body elected two United States Seun-
tors, but the Senate nipped the farce in the
bud by refusing to admit them TO seats in that
body.
Bot Richmond fell. The rebellion collapsed,
and Gov" PiERPoSr assumed, with the
strange permission Of the United States Gov.
erumcnt, to be the executive Of the old Com
monwcaltb. lie bied him TO Richmond and
assumed Gubernatorial dignity. He got him
self waited upon by welcoming delegations.
He made speeches. lie gave receptions
He "went through the motions" of " monarch
OF all he surveyed"
An election for a new Legislature was or.
dered. The old rebels voted. No loyal black
man had vote. 7 be secesh took the oath of
allegiance intending 10 diaobey it. Some took
the oath the night before the election, and were
elected members Of the Legislature the next
Gay. Thus by fraud and perjury the disuniou.
lists swept the State. A disloyal Legislature
was elected, but the members elect we're also
hostile TO P1ERPoST. This august Executive
then resoried to strategy. He sent secret
circular to the members of his old Alexandria
Legislature Of ten, requiring them 10 assemble
in Legislative capacity at Richmond. The ten,
however, more sensible than the charlatap
PIFRroSr, refused to obey the summons.
But inspired by his Gubernatorial functions,
PlEaPoST went ahead. He appointed one
MAYO, base and bloody secesh, Mayor OF
Richmond. MAYO reappointed the policemen
who were the terror of Union men during the
rebellion, and prosecuted Union prisoners iu
Libby Prison and Castle Thunder and on
Belle Isle. As soon as these policemen were
sworn into Office they commenced harassing aud
prosecuting the negroes. They arrested aud
put into confinement 500 negroes in one day -
They even halted and demanded passes Of
Union coiored soldiers, wearing the uniform OF
the United States One negro, for an alleged
offence was punished by standing him 10 cof-
fn, with his hea exposed. daubeI with molas :.
ses TO attract the flies
| TERRY, who succeeded Gen. ORD in COM
mand of Richmo oud, by military order, at once
deposed Mayor MAYO, and bis Infamous police.
men, and he would have done good work il
be had gone further and dcposed P1rRroxT
himself
JoHs NJ. BORIS who has man.sired his 10y.
atty during the rebellion, has gone TO Wash
ington at the head of delegation, to wal,
upon the President, and demonstrate against
The bogus rule of PrEaPoSr. .
The fgreat mistake Of the G ovenment was,
in lending any sanction to PIERpoNr. The
clear line of policy was, as in North Carolina
and Mississippi to appoint Provisional Gov
ernor. authorized 10 act, in tie reconstruction
o. State Government. Ard that is still The
duty Of tie Government. 1t ought at once,
TO set PierpoDt aside, also his bogus Legisa.
ture Of ten. and tie disuuion Legislature, just
elected BY fraud, ard perjury. and begin by
appointing Provisional Governor. In DO
other way can peace and order be restored TO
old Virginia.
This experiment OF al election, in Virginia
ought to teach the Government, that the late
insurgents are not yet to be trusted with po-
litical power. They are too recently from
the rebellion with all its heat, hatred and an.
imosiiy. Provisional Governments and mill
tary power must have sway. for season. til!
the Southern heart, which has been so "ired"
by rebellion becomes cooler There is no
Propristy or safety 10 putting unrepentant re.
bels, like Mayor Mayo and his policemen in.
to places Of political trust aud power, nor ia
there safety 10 surrendering the reius of power
into the hands OF the disOyal, as 10 the late
Legislative election in Virginia. 1t will take
time to subdue the spirit Of the rebellion, to
produce peace and good order, aud the United
States authority must not be TOO rapidly with
drawn.
The wohle number of troops sent north
N nj was, f.o,, II. W.ah;,u,o. IL. .