Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-04
TIE RESTORED GOVERNMENT OF VIRGINIA
TIL . A. III

To The Editor Of the Wig.
In former letter, presented, for the considera-
zion Of your readers, some thoughts suggested TO
INV mind by the perusal Of Mr.. Wickham'S letter 70
Mr. Stearns and propose now 20 consider few
other points OF interest raised in that letter.
Nv former letter had reference, more particularly,
n ire present condition and wants Of the State ;
The present shalt be devoted 70 the consideration Of
the manner in which the great want the protection
Of civil cove nment and law is 70 be secured. In
an bat shall say Ii will be taken for granted that
The insurrectiou is failure that its power and
sources have been exhausted that all hopes Of
establishing government, independent Of that OF
the United states, have been abandoned; and that
the people desire TO secure the protection of gov
rnupnt and law By returning 70 their allegiance to
that government which they have vainly attempted
% subvert.
There have been two plans proposed and advo-
Gated for the rest Grafton OF the Federal authority.
The FIRST is founded the theory that by the act Of
secession the inSurrectOnary States lost their
i,tence As States, and should therefore he dealt
with in all respects, as territories belonging TO the
Federal Government; acquired, if You please, by
CONQUEST. This is Mr.. Sumler's plan. The other
theory is that States cannot loose their existence
and that Shcy 70 be restored to the Union by the
,oluutsrv action OF their loyal inhabitants. This
vas Mr.. Liucoln's theory, and has received, in one
way aud another, the sanction of every department
Of the Government.
L desire 20 call particular attention TO the fact,
that whilst according to the latter theory, State
NAV NOT commit political suicide, its people may
because 10 is only through the loyal people OF
State that It's relations with the Federal Govern
Iuenf may be resumed: that Government ignoring,
Inn the meantime any pretended Government that
may have been instituted in violation Of the cOnSti
rutions relations Of the State 10 the Union. Hence
the loyal people Of a State are the only people in
the State politically speaking, none others, in the
ewes Of the law having any political existence
This is In entire accordance with the laws OF all
civilized countries in regard to the crime of trea-
son against the Government; one Of its penalties
bsug the forfeiture OF the political rights Of cti-
yenship. This may be taken as a well-settled prn-
riple having been virtually adopted as the rule of
action by both the parties TO our recent untOrtU-
nate strife by the SO-called Confederate autholi-
ties in the admission OF members 10 the COnfede-
rate Congress from Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky,
and the districts embraced in West Virginia by
the State Of Virginia, in admitting 70 membership
in her Legislature representatives from the various
counties Of West Virginia and by the Federal
Government in Its recognition Of the restored Gov
eminent Of Virginia in admitting 10 membership
in the Union the new State of West Virginia, the
child OF the restored Government as, also, in its
DEALING with Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Nor does it initiate against this theory in the
least that under il the vital functions Of State
may b. indefinitely suspended; because they can
only be finally resumed by the action of the lOyal
people and a State could only die in the event
That no loyal people could ever again be found with
N It's limits.
Uappilv. ia the present case, there is no lack of
.,ch b,S, TOR the restoration OF the functions of
me States as integral parts Of the great American
Union. IL is a fact well known TO all that there
have always been Union men in all these States
sn5 thar in no incOnsiderable numbers; and by the
enlightened and leDient policy OF the Federal Gov
eminent in allowing the great mass Of the people
no reacoure political existence and political rights
by renewing their allegiance under the solemn
sanctions OF an oath, all difficulty in regard to the
restoration OF government Is removed.
The restored government Of Virginia has existed
since NJ, 1861, and had its origin In the actiop
of the loyal people Of the State who denied the
rigbt of secession, aud consequently declared the
art of the Convention, in assuming TO sever the
relations Of The State 20 the Union, as being un-
constitutional and illegal, aud consequently as hav
ing no blndiug force upon the people. This Govern
u,snt has from that day 20 this, exercised its
functions over an that part Of the State which
has Al any time been brought under the permanent
TroteetiOn of the Federal arms and now comes 70
ne people OF the whole State, by virtue OF the
,,-,,iete trim mph Of those arms, and claims the
Sss1sct and acQuiescence Of the people whom 1t
rooses 10 proteet IL is TO be observed that It is
not proposed 70 thrust upon the people military
government. and compel obedience TO an arbitrary
6ower. On the contrary, military authority is
only 10 be used 70 protect the loyal people who
desire 10 re-establsh free government for them
selves, by their own act, against the laWless ana
fuSubOrdinate. Il IS. TO be Republican govern
rnsnt established BY the act Of all the loyal people
Of the State TOR the security and welfare OF the