The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-02-14
Affairs in virginia.


Politically, Richmond is just now alhot
place. AS in the days of the Confedcraey,
Unienism in Richmond is at a low ebb. 1t
exists, it is true, and there is q person who is
called Governor GOV. Pierpoint, but he is
so only inname 81 The Eraaainer, which leads
the JEFF Davis radicals, is very much the same
paper it was during the rebellion. There is
no loyalty in If. It is thoroughly rebellious,
1t ridicules everything that sayors even lof
loyalty; and judging it by its editorials, it
would exult to see the national flag torn down
and the Confederacy revived. tisl;f.a 70 +
+. 1t seems that, socially, the Federal army
officers and the loyal Union families have
been prescribed from Confederate" circles
in Richmond, as they have been elsewhere in
the, South; and that at length shops were
gotten up by the former at the chief hotels
in Richmond, which are described by the
papers-the Republic, the loyal paper, doing
justice in its description to the company as
sembled, and speaking of the shops in ap-
propriate terms, and the Examiner assailing
those who were present at these shops" with
its choicest weapons of ridicule and sarcasm.
The managers and committees for the occa-
sion were composed of such gentlemen as
Maj. General Terry, Gen. E. W. Smith, Gen.
Turner &C.; and Gov. Pierpoint and family,
the daughters of John NJ Bolts, and many
others, forming brilliant circle, were in at
tendance. The Richmond disloyalists were
so well pleased with the Emminer's descrip-
ton of the Spotswood shop that the edi-
tion containing it was soon exhausted, and
the article containing the description was
again published in that paper, so as to afford
full supply. The following brief extract
will give our readers some idea of the E.etm
iner's description: g,... - ~.
"There were mingled roses of every hue
the supercilious jessamine of New England,
the wild prairie flower of the West, the creep
ing honeysuckle of the North, the hawthorn
of the East, and holly y-hock, twining about
the poor little daisy of Virginia, and the
Southern rose, that thrives most when tram
Piled on" and gives ont its sweetest perfume
beneath the iron heel. Poor bleeding rose
your garments are dyed in the blood of the
slain.n J w 1Has ~ 9a Ea
A "number of ladies of Richmond, of the
first responsibility" have written the Editor
of the Examiner letter, thanking him for
his description of the Spotswood "hop."
The Examiner is also very severe on some
of the Union men of Richmond, because
soon after the city was occupied by the fed
eral forces they held meeting to +" ferret
CUT the disloyal. These Union men had
suffered terrible persecution, and the step
they took was at that time natural. The
Examiner ornaments its article in relation to
them with dog cuts, and calls them !" .tter7etsn
and many other bad names Our North Car
olina readers may form some idea of the Ec-
anainer's article when we inform them that it
is very similar in style and tone to those ar
tieles of the Confederate, during the REBEL
ion in which it crucifed and mockcd the
Union men of this State. Godpity our peo-
pie if they should fall again into such hands!
g. We copy the following from the Richmond
Republic of Monday last: F
Whatever of ill feeling Virginia Union
Association" may have exhibited towards
portion of the citizens of Richmond, soon af-
ter the evacuation-and we do not pretend
to say that there was ever such secret or
ganization-no one will assert that Colonel
Lewis or John 81. Anderson, or the proxies
for the Orange and Alexandria railroads, or
doorkeepers, etc., for the General Assembly
which met in June last and removed the
4" disability" from the people, were members
of that association; or that they were not
dismissed from Office because they were Union
men. ~ iaGo
We learn that after the evacuation, meet
ings Of Union men-some of whom had been
driven from home by Confederate conscrip-.
tion-were held and that few those
present evinced disposition to ascertain the
political siatus of leading men here, to re-
port the same to the military authorities;
but that majority of the attendants opposed
the movement, and thus saved those leaders
much annoyance. Some of these Union men,
now called " ferrets,n not only opposed pro-
secutions for past offences, but gave their
time to endorsing applications for pardons,
and in writing letters pleading for mercy
For that kindness, they have since been
sneered' at and denounced by those whom
they endeavored to serve. Were the history
OF these Union men written, it would bring
the blush OF shame to the checks of those
whom they have aided. 9 +reT
There is no justice in the persistent efforts
OF party leaders to stigmatize any portion of
the Union men of Richmond-the :. ferretsp
as one journal is pleased to call them with
the. desire to persecute the reconstructed
Unionlsts." Does not every reader know that
these lOyalists could, after the evacuation.
have filed :. Castle Thunder and the "Lib-
by" with leading rebels, if they had made
formal complaints to the military authori-
ties ? Is it not perfectly clear to the mind
of every citizen that the so-called ferIr,ets'
kept scores of political leaders out of the
hands Of the military, by their intercesslons,
and and thus preserved the liberty of their per-
sons, which, otherwise, would have been in
great peril Were the written testimonials
and endorsements of the eferretsn-now on
file In Washington, and which we are endca-
yorlng to get copies et-made public, the peo-
pie of Virginia would be astonishad at the
extent of the ingratitude manifested towards
that class of citizens No man could have
labored more earnestly and honestly in be-
half of his fellows, who had brought them
selves under the ban Of the law, than did
Charles Palmer; and yet, when he came be-
fore the voters of Richmond as a candidate
for the State Senate, he was Defeated by an
overwhelming majority. Was it because he
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