The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-08-09
The slchmond election Nullined.

Al misstep has been made by the Adj
ministration, which arrests, and threatens
60 turn backward, the wheels of recon-
struction, and "casts ominous conjecture
Ger the whole success of President ] ohm
sons experiment.
The municipal election held few days
since at Richmond has been set aside by
q, a,military order, on the ground that the
officers elected were of rebel antecedents.
Itisnot alleged that they are unrepent-
antrebels; there is no charge against them
of present disloyalty; on the contrary,
they are persons who have submitted to
the federal authority and taken the oath
Of allegiance. If the precedent here set
is to be followed in other cases, we appre-
hend that anything resembling real recon
struction is very far off. The Southern
people have so generally participated in
the rebellion, that, if no space is to be
allowed for repentance. local selfgsvern-
ment cannot be re-established till the
present generation OF adults has died off.
The rule adopted with reference to the
Richmond officials, would oust certainly
three, and We know not how many more,
of President Johnson's provisional gov
ernors, who have not only participated in
the rebellion, but held Offices under IT,
Governor Holden, of North Carolina,
spoke aud voted for the ordinance Of Sc
session,l and held the Office Of state printer
under the rebel goyernment. Governor
Perry, of South Carolina, was a rebel
state judge anda confederate commission
er for the impressment Of supplies fer
the rebel army, Governor Parsons, of
Alabama, was a bitter secessionist, the
rebel Judge Of a confederate district court,
member Of the rebel State Legislature,
and has at least twice taken the oath Of
allegiance to the confederate government.
THERE'S neither fairness, equity, noc con-
lsistency in nuilifying local election on
account of the confederate antecedents of
the persons elected, at the same time that
persons are appointed to the responsible
Office of State governor. whose record is
equally Objectionable. The appointment
of governors likely to command the con
fdence and gain the co operation of the
southern people, has been commended as
an act of wisdom. 1t is less costly to
govern by moral influence than by physi-
. cal terror and brute force, to say nothing
Of the importance of recementing the I'm
ion by the habit of willing obedience. 1t
surely does not tend to the paeifcation
and contentment Of the South to keep
tcaring open the old wounds. Now that
the rebellion is dead why should the gov
crnment keep fighting its carcass?
It is an insulting mockery to open the
polls and call upon citizens to come and
vote, and then set asidesthe election if the
government candidates are not chosen
IL is foregone conclusion that the fede-
raj authority is to dictate to the people Of
tho locality whom they shall select for To-
cal officers, and the ballot-box is to be
mere machine for registering the DEGREES
of the government, the pretense of the
election is transparent farce. This bu-
siuess of reconstructing the local govern
ments Of the South is undertaken under
the color Of that provision Of the Consti-