Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-07-11
SslutatorY.
July nth, 1885.

Salutatory.
In resuning editorial control Of the Richmond
VINO after tour long and weary years Of despe
"a and disastrous civil strife need only assur'
my friends and the public generally that have
no old political opinions to recant no new ones
to announce; no se.ash interests to subserve, anC
no psrsonEl resentmenis to CRAFTY. With mind
and soul and strength, deprecated, denounced
and resisted the folly and the madness ef Preci
pitats and unjustifable secession, aud sought
with deyotel earnestaess and singleness Of pur'
pose, 70 preserve the unity and the harmony ofthe
Republic, and to save Virginia and the South
from the sad and melancholy fate, which has 80
surely and irreVocably befIllen them. thought
and believed and proclaimed, four years ago
what the people Of the entire South too painfully
rsS,izs now, that secession and war would infal-
IDLY result in the sudden and violent extinction
Of slavery and in putting the liberties, the lives
and the possessions Of the people Of the South AT
the mercy Of q triumphant and trueulent North
ern majority. / demonstrated, entire ited, inl-
plored, and prayed tie Gods on Bonded knee, that
this cup might be permitted 70 pass from "a
But in vain The evil and perniciOus eounsels
Of inscriptions self seeking demagogues, aud
wild minded, half crazy enthusiasts unfortunate
" prevailed; aud the result Is upon Us in, at
least temporary loss Of liberty, in the fruitless
sacrifice Of thousands OF valuable and precious
lives, in the destruction Of cherished Institutions
In untold millions Of property needlessly squan'
dered, in unayailing lsmenIatiOu and mourning
At almost every dreside, and in wide spread de-
yastatiOn, poverty and ruin. suffering, distress,
humiliatiou-sueh il the fatal aud frightful heri.
tsgs Of woe, which the boosted champions Of the
south, in conjunction with tue reckless fanatics
OF the North, have belue4thed to the once free,
prosperous, happy PeJpe Of Virginia and her So.
TER southern states! Alas that sush people
90 patgio &c, hons 81, G. ne.ous nobIs and conf
ding-should be thus vietiInized by moasing poll
ticIsnB.
Bot vile, in ny judgment the authors Of our
calallites deserve the ssyeres punish ment which
it IL IN the power Of betrayed, outraged and
sun -rins people to inEict, Jet, on the score OF
policy, prudsa,e and humanity, am sternly and
,naexiDly opposed either to the execution, imprS-
oamsnt or further harrassment Of any PsrsOn who
was connected in any way, officially or other
wise, with the late revolution. AL classes and
conditions Of our people have already suffered
enough the guilty and the innocent alike have
drained the cup Of misery and humiliation to its
very dregs. Let there, then, be genuine fratern9l
feeling among al our citizens, and q solid, sub
s.antial peace throughout all our borders.
Tam equally opposed TO the mean, brutal and
cowArdly policy Of con6scation. The possession
Of property, whether little or much, is not crime,
nor is il recognised as such in any code, written
or unWritten, Of any nation, civilized or savage,
on tie ace Of the earth. And let not the best
government the world ever saw" make Itself the
wo1. and the most desPicsbls by the adoption
Of q policy which seeks 70 determine and mea-
sure the guilt Of an offender by the amount o.
his property. The revoltisg absurdty Of such
policy is allied only by is Atrocious injustice
Tor the original fre-eatng advocates OF secession
50 far al least a. Virginia is concerned, wsre gen
orally men cut a. the elbows without Niger"
or dollar 70 their names. The men OF substance,
for the most part, were men Of peace, rstin1g in
spJsitlon, conservative in political sentiment
opposed 70 all Tadicalism, agitation and dscOrd
and content as their fathers had been before
them 70 live IS freenen and equals, beneath the
broad, protecting folds Of 8 conmon Consl.tution
and = common Unioa. I indulge the confident
hope. therefore, that President Johnson will not
only restore 70 its proper and legitimate owners
AL property heretofore declared forfeited, but viii
also, without further hsrrsssing and injurious de-
Law. expunEe that heathenish $4,000 exception
from bis late proclamation, and thereby give 70
his fsIow-cItizens, North and South, the emphatic
assurance, nOW 30 essentially necessary 70 the
speedy and permanent restoration Of commercial
Intercourse and harmonious relations between the
various sections Of the country, that justice mod.
GRAFTON, Iberality and truly conciliatory polic5
are 70 characterize his administration Of the Gov.
eminent and Pervsde all his dealings with the
people Of Virginia and the South.
In conclusion, my principal object and wish, in
rsassociating myself with the public press at the
present time, Is TO bear some humble part in re-
establishing civil authority and order in Virgin.
Ia, and in restoring to the proud and VenerAted
old Commonwealth something Of her original
prosperity and happiness. The hard hand Of war
has borne heavily and cruelty upon her. Many
Of her noblest and best conscieutiously battling
for what they believed 70 be her interests and
honor, have fallen hsroically in the front Of the
fight, and nov sleep TRANQUILITY in her bosom
Many, too, have been mutilated manned and
maugled and many more Of both sexes and Of
all ages and conditions who, before the war,
were in comfortable and even sfiusat circum.
stances, have been rendered homeless and penul.
less. Her fields have been rayaged, her homes
have been dssolated, her villages have been de.
stroyed and her towns and cities have been given
ND 70 shot, and shell, and Ere. Eyen large por-
ton Of her once proud and beautiful Capital is
nothing but saddening and siekenlng heap of
ruins. Such being the dsplOrAble aud melsn-
eholy condition Of the dear old mother Of rs all,
bring. myself, to the noble task Of her tegene.
ration, a right loyal hear. and right willing
hand and I reVerently invoke the Almighty
Father TO 90 guide the Judgments ana direct the
sneEVies Of al her soma a. that she may, In due
time and in all respects occupy her naturs posi-
ton Of pre-eminenee among her sister States OF
the B1public.
awith malice towards none and with charity
for all" sd yet With viii unacceptable aad
heart for any fate / to-diy, launch my frsil bark
On the wide, tsmpestuOus ocean Of political life
'N'' N''" r, RIDGWAY.