The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-13
The President and the Mother of Presi-
dpnfS.

Eight members of the Legislature OF Virginia
waited on President johnson, on Saturday, to
present certain resolutions unanimously adopted
by their respective Houses, endorsing his views
and pledging their support TO his policy of
restoration.
These gentlemen are set forth in the report as
representing every section of the State, and
''every shade of [ber] past and present politics."
yet we cannot recognize one of them as having
been a Unionist in the struggle that so recently
Conyulsed our country. Unionists there were in
VlTginia-achHe Unionists-good and true, If not
maryland some of these are members elected
when Rebels scorned to vote) of the present
Legislature; but we recognize none Of these as
having been deemed worthy to convey to the
President the satisfaction with which his policy
is regarded by the other sort The conclusion
seems significant and notable.
Then there are half a million of native Vir-
ginians who were heartily loyal as a class--who
were Unionists by instinct and from the outset
and most of whom owe their personal liberty to
the triumph OF the Union over the utmost efforts
OF those who elected the gentlemen who repre-
sonted Virginia in the conference on Saturday.
This half million are not quite half the surviving
inhabitants OF old Virginia; but, add the whites
who were also Unionists throughout, and they
constitute full moiety of the Vrginians of to-
day. Is it quite fair that all these should be
suppressed and excluded where the loyalty of
Virginia is to be certified and guaranteed
The deputed eight make no pretense of repre-
senting or speaking for "niggers"-they would
scorn the idea. But they would voucn for the
good intentions and kindly feelings of those
they personate tOlCdTdS their colored neighbors;
so let us hear them on this point:-
"Ihe condition of the freedmen among us, and the
policy to be adopted with regard TO them, will be
highest faculties of the statesman and the REST feel
ings of the Christian philanthropist The General
Assembly OF Virginia is engaged earnestly in the
consideration of the subjects; and in anticipation
OF the results OF their Iabors can only say that
whatever policy may be adopted will be adopted IN
good faith, and with KIND feeling to the improve.
ment Of the physical intellectual, and moral cond:
readily believe that the feelings people toward
these freedmen are those OF Kindness sympathy and
and injustice is opposed much to our feelings as
it is to our interests and our sense ofrlght."
Fair words, certainly; but they compel us TO
remember what the 'Interestso and the ."sense
OF right of these gentlemen and their cOnsti-
tuents have prompted them to do aud to forbear
towards these, their humble neghbors and
former dependents, up TO this time. Not only
has Vrglnia-the Virginia Of Messrs. Baldwin
and Co.-never ettmade any provision whatever
for the education and intellectual development
of her blacks but she has made it a felony to
teach them even to read the Bible, while she
has systematically sold their children into even
harsher bondage than their own, until it has
been carefully computed that all the property
in old Virginia at the outset of the Rebellion
was not worth so much as she had realized since
1900 Tor her own human flesh and BLOOD sold to
subdue and till the cotton-felds, rice-swamps,
and cane-brakes of the further South.
And that this horrible traffic is now ended for
ever, and legal possibility OF education and IN
tellectual progress opened to the Virginia blacks
is solely due to the defeat and overthrow of
those on whose behalf Messrs. Baldwin and Co.
scout the suggestion that Uey could regard and
treat the freedmen otherwise than humaney
and justly. Would not their assurance on this
point have been strengthened mad they been able
truly to say, MIR. President we, the legislators
OF Virginia, have abolished all our laws which
subjected any class or race to legal or civil dis
abilities; and this is our answer to those who
question or distrust our disposition 10 deal fairly
The President in his reply to the delegation
forcibly says:-
"I feel that the day is not distant 1 speak conf.
people, when taey will determine that TINS Union
shall be made whole, and the great right OF represen
Genuemen-tbat fundamental principle NO taxation
without representation was one OF the principles
which car led us through the Revolution. This
great principle Will hold good yet and but per-
form our duty, II but comply with the spirit OF
the resolutions presented to day. the American
people Will malutain and sustain the great doctIne
upon which the government lnaugurated 1t
can be done and il will be done; and think that if
the effort be fairly aud fully made with forb ear.
ance and with prudence, and with discretion and
wisdom, the end is not very lar distant"
-,Truer words were never spoken and they
indicate the true and final solution of all our
remaining troubles. Let Virginia adopt for her.
self the great prllCpen here enunciatel by the
President, and no power on earth can prevent
her compete restorato on, not merely to repre-
sentation in Congress- but to fraternity with her
steadastly loyal sister States. no matter what
a few prominent men may say, the North is
eager to shake hands with the South and forget
all that ever divided them. The chief obstacle
to this Is the determination evinced by those
who monopollze power III the South 10 keep the
blacks forever in vassalage, and thus prescribe
and uample on those whites who have been
always Tor the Union.
We claim that the South was never heartily
Rebel-that it only seemed so because the aris
tocraiic caste so used their monopoly of power
as TO crush out or stfe the Union sentiment
that nevertheless existed and thus plunge the
country INTO sangulnary and destructive war;
1or which there was never any need or reason.
And now we ask to be secured against a recur
renee of this desolating horror by a universal
recognition OF the principle so teTsely embodied
in The maxim, mo tdIdtIon lCithOut reDreSe1ltd
ttCn." Establish honestly and fairly the rule
that all men who possess the requisite intel
lectual and moral qualifications shall thereupoI
be recognized members OF the body polite, anC
the restoration will forthwith be complete. Say
If you choose that a man must read or read anC
write, before he can vote; say that he must have
paid tax, or even that he must be the owner
OF real propeItS-and we are content, so lonl
as you interpose no barriers to the acquisition
OF whatever you require. even though its lnstan
effect should be an exclusion OF ninety-nine O
every hundred blacks from the electoral body
Give them a fair chance; and If the grea
mass prove vaerans, idlers, and prod
gals, we are content that they be, for Tho
reason, debarred from voting. But restora
ton based on caste-on the principle that onl
whites are fit to be intrusted with power
that representation shall be arbitrarily divorce
from taXation-Wil give us no genuine lastIn
peace but new and eveT-recurring feuds an
contentious. The "iTrepressible conflict b
tween Democracy and Aristocrecy-the RICH
OF man and the privileges of color-cannot
juggled nor mesmerized into any other than
supCrIClaI, mOmeDtarV fallaClOuS truce, In L