The Black Republican., 1865-05-20
A VIRGINIA PLAN OF ADJUSTMENT.

| Inc Auoblity OA tue aFlSLOCFtGkI
classes Of the South to the principles upol
which our Government is founded, and thei
determination to secure, if possible, in tn
| coming reconstruction, a recognition 0
their favOrite doctrine of State rights, i
well illustrated in q recent letter of Mr.
Edward A. Pollard, q conspicuous repre-
sentative of that Virginia school of polti
clans who have uniformly placed the Statt
above the nation, making allegiance to ;
part paramount to fidelity TO the whole
This AIR. Pollard, it win be remembered, was
for . time q political prisoner at the North
but was subsequently released on parole
and finally made his way to Richmond
where, since Leeia surrender, he has beer
prominently active in laboring to establish
Virginia Party, with view of obstruct
ing the restoration of the State to its proper
relations to the Union. In the letter which
Is now published, he undertakes to indicate
the terms upon which alone the people OF
Virginia can be induced to return cordially
TO their allegiance, these terms being as fol
lows:
l. Virginia to return TO the Union. as of
her own will and dehberation. by the action
OF her proper representative body: and not
by the force of any Federal proclamation,
military decree, or other interference
2. The integrity of her territory: or that
question to be decided by a convention
the Pierpont Government, if recognized at
all in Richmond, TO be recognized only un-
| til the State authority can be reorgani2ed-
to fill ouly the transition period
| 3. The preservation of our State institll-
! tions.
4. No importation of foreign magistrates
-Virginia to be ruled by Virginians.
BIS. Virginia to return to her allegiance
naturally aud by the force ofcircumst3nces
| and not by the ceremonies of oaths or anv
| symbols Of subugation.
| 6. The repeal of cOnfscatiOns
In these propositions we have embodied
all the arrogance all the lust of rule. all the
claims as to absolute State sovereignty and
| the incOmpetency Of the General Govern
| ment to cOcrcc or assert its authority by
| force OF arms over a revOlted State in sup
| port of which the South resOrted to war:
| and we are deliberately asked, after having
| subdued the rebellion and established the
| supremacy Of the nation, to abandon every
| thing thus acquired, and permit the very
| men who originated that rebellion to cstab-
| ish themselves afresh in the public admin
| istration. Virginia withdrew, or attempted
| to withdraw, from the Union, without
/ justification or excuse, and in defiance
of law and right defying the Fcdc-
| raj authority, she set up a rebellious and
hostile Government; that Government for
| four years exercised its usurped authority,
| levying war against the nation: her fields in
| all that time have contributed to the sup
| port of the armies of the Confederacy; her
| capital became its capital; her fortunes be
| came Identical with its own. And after all
| this, now that the enemy has been driven
| from her soil and the Confederacy is broken
| to pieces, Mr.. Pollard tells us that if we
| would have Virginia return TO the Union. we
| must not compel obedience to rightful alI-
| thority, but permit her to come back with
| all the pomp and honOrs of cOnQuerOr
| by 1.-THE action of her proper representa-
| tive bodyH-the very body that carried her
into rebellion, and for four years kept her
in that attitude of hostility, RAISING and
| equlpplng armies to resist the nation in its
| struggle for unity and the restoration of
law Nor is this all. We are asked to blot
out the State of West Virginia, and to hand
| over the loyal people OF that young and free
| commonwealth to the tender mercies of
| these irresistible Virginia aristocrats, whose
skirts are red with the blood of freemen,
and whose hands are tarnished by every
crime which men capable of treason can
commit Then, too, we are to cOncede to
these Virginia gentlemen q recognition
OF all their State institutions, including
slavery with all its denominations. It Is
amazing that Mr.. Pollard does not ask
the rendition of the f1gitiyes who have
escaped from bondage during the progress
OF the war, the payment of damages done
to property in the prosecution ofthe war for
the vlndicatiCn of the National authority.
and the assumption by the Government of
Virginia's portion of the rebel debt: but
these items are probably reserved for a
1utnre demand. Finally, if we wish yir-
ginia to return to her allegiance. we must
repeal all con1iscatiOns; in other words
must remove all the penalties, as relates to |
property, imposed by law for the punish |
ment OF treason, and admit the dislOval |
owner, whose resources have been employed |
against the Government, to the same adj |
Vantages and prerOgatlVes. in the final ad. |
1IStmpnf hA hv !
loyal citizens whose means have all been
employed in It's defense.
These conditions once complied with Mr..
Pollard declares that Virginia viii readily
return into the Union, as Of her own choice
and with some dignity" There can be no
douor as 10 the correctness OF this last CON
clusion. returning upon such terms, Vir-
glnia would come, indeed, in triumph, with
the whole loyal people playing the part Of
hctOrs to clear the way. Returning thus.
every traitor in her borders would be SUI
perior in political power, even in his
treason, to the constitutional President of
the United States, and might well boast
that his dignity had not been rufied by 50
much rs a breath.
1t must be obvious to every observer that
Government 1T the South can never be re-
upon bass in which the aris-
tocratic classes and the opinions to which
they hold receive 3 paramount recognition.
/
doctrine OF State rights and the local repre-
sentative bodies organized III the interest of
and therefore in every respect
would be to INCORPORATE into
the restored establishment clements Of dis
which must constitute a per-
pctual menace to the National stability, and
render fresh outbreaks possible at any
with Or without provocation.
Safety lies, not in this course, but
in treating every State as within the
Union, with its functions temporarily sus-
pended, and in re-establishing the Legitimate
by such processes as legislation
iesignates, subject to Constitutional re-
vision. Already, Congress has established
as IN Louisiana and elsewhere
under which the loyal people and all who
were willing to take the oath Of allegiance
and submit to such penalties as participa-
ion IL treason may have rendered neces-
;ary, were enabled to exercise the Drerooa- |
lives OF citizenship and restore q strictly
republican governments; and the same |
method may be pursued in Virginia and else. |
where with equally favorable results. In |
his way, Government is established upoD |
| safe and proper basis, 2tfOrding security ;
or the present and guarantees also for {
he future. The question is low, not how {
he " dignity Of Southern traitors and
lIlstocrats shan oe preserved, but how the |
National authority shall be restored, the Il.
Oyal people receive their rights and rebels ,
he punishment which they deserve; and it
S fortunate for the country that both tho ,
Government and the people, appreciatinr
he character of the rebellion and the snf- !
nus Of its supporters, are united in q !
deliberate and solemn resolution never Ia
urreader, to treason disarned, what treason
rmed has failed TO wrest from our grasp.
JACKSON AND New ORLEANS RAILROAD
We learn that the repairs On this road have .
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