The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-05-13
@ttaba fret Gra0er
VfrGfnia.

Virginia.
The question of reconstruction has receiv-
Cd at the hands of President johnson, so.
luton which, though it may displease the
radicals, will be apt to prove satisfactory
to the couIty. He repudiates the Sumner,
Whiting theory that the states are desd-re-
duced to territories, and must be re-organ-
issd and re-admitted into the Union az new
states; and in lieu of it adopts the theory
winch he himself always has held IN common
With the mere conservative politicians gen.
orally, that the states have not died-hsve
not gone out ofthe Union-have been shorn
Of no rights under the constitution as long
IS q loyal man is left in them.
The hrst practical application he has made
ofthis doctrine is to the case of Virginia. The
history of that state for the last four years is
about as follows: In 1861, by shrewd man
agement rather than the will of the people,
Virginia was, by her legislature, voted out OF
the Unios. The loyal people, particularly in
the Western part OF the state, demurred to
this decision, and at the time of the regular
May election that year, elected loyal Gov
erner, legislature, state officers, &C., in oppo-
sit,on to the disleyalists elected to the same
offices for the government at Richmond
The loyal Governor then elected was Pier.
pont. For about a year he was recognized
BY the federal government and acted as the
Governor of the State of Virginia, as was the
legislature, &c, elected with him, the seat of
Government being removed" to Wheeling.
In the spring of 1868, the movement to d.
vide Virginia into two states took place, and
the "loyal" government at Wheeling having
given its consent to the measure, the North
western counties we're set off into new state.
now known aid recognized as "West Vir.
ginia." This took from the Pierpont govern
ment nearly all the loyal territory; but there
were still few counties left, and exercising
authority as Governor over these, the seat Of
Government of Virginia was removed to
Alexandria.
Recognising the principle on which all
these proceedings we:e based, that the legiti-
mate governments of the rebel states are in
tie hands of the loyalists however few of
those states, President Johnson now recog-
nizes PisrpoHt and the Alexandria legislature,
DC, as the legitimate government Of Virgin
In, and sends them to Richmond to take pos
session of the state property. archives, DC.
and execute the laws the same as if the regu-
lar government had not been interrupted du-
ring the rebellion.
The same course will be pursued with re-
ference to Tennessee, where the Government
over which Brownlow presides, will be fully
recognised as the only legitimate government,
of the state.
And so, when the people of North Carolina,
IN pursuance of the laws of that state, select
legislature consisting of loyal men, chosen
by loyal voters, the state will at once be re,
cognised as fully as though there had never
been any rebellion or secession.
This is said to have been Lincoln's plan.
and i, the same that was agreed upon at the
protracted cabinet meeting The day before his
assassination. 1t is, in effect, the plan of the
proclamation of Dec, 1868, with the onis-
sion of the one-tenth" clause