Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-24
In or Ont Of the uniOn-Whioh 2

The south has been kept for one year on the
.tool of repentance, and during that year mas
bssn excluded from the Union. 1t has been
denied representation in Congress, deprived OF
all Federal offices and hOnOrs, refused all par
ticipation in the affairs Of Government, and It's
people are as much strangers at Washington
as thew would be in London OF Paris. The
traveller from abroad, who ascends the steps OF
the National Capitol, has as much sense Of
Joint ownership as we Of that venerated State
in honor of whose greatest son the metropolis
was called; the freedman has more, much
more sense Of ownership. He is not seowled
at as an intruder, nor tabOOed as an object
hateful to gods and men, when he enters the
doors of that building. So important and inhu-
entail, 80 sacred, indeed, has he suddenly be-
come, that the loyalty and trustworthiness O.
the white man has come TO be measured by M,
admiration for the negro. If, as ga matter O.
taste and SMELL he cannot bear association
with him, he is at once declared unworthy o
American citizenship.
With cheerfuluess and alacrity that have
been construed by some as evincing whetted
appetite for Office, the Southern people re
sponded to the Overtures of the President, and
elected their legislators and representatives il
Congress. The alacrity they manifested wa
intended rather as a wsrm-hesrted and grateful
response to the Presidents generous overture>
than as a greedy and unseemly struggle for
place and preferment. 1t was indicative, too
of proper and laudable desire, common 10 all
Americans, to make themselves useful, and t.
perform those duties and functions dictated by
the instincts of true manhood.
1t has not as yet been remarked upon, per
baps not generally noticed, how, when refused
recognition at Washington, the Southern re-
representatives. elect withdrew themselves fron
everything like controversy, or contest for
their seats. Neither entreatlng, complaining
nor threatening, they retired from the city tC
which they had been invited, but where they
we're not welcomed leaving the question o.
their admission to be settled by the two Houses
Of Congress at their leisure.
Meanwhile a marked change has taken place
in our people. So coldly have all their demon
STATIONS been met so unjustly have they been
construed, and so strociously have they been
abused and illuminated, that they have be-
come almost Indifferent to the action Of Con
gress on this subject. They have almost come
to regret that they took the trouble to g
through the form of an election and, if it was
so do over, they probably would altogether
dispense with so useless and unavailing cere-
mony. We have been much struck with let
ter published in the last number Of Wakes
Spirit of the Times, written from Georgetown,
D. c., in reply to some structures on the South,
contained in that journal. The writer says -
- We submit, and do as We are bid. When
'' you, through Congress or the President, say
=. elect representatives. but prescribe no
% conditions, we elect them to suit ourselves.
=. If you want them to suit you, why don't you
q appoint themf Why go through the farce OF
=. an electloni We are in your hands. Ifyou
:. say to US 'elect to 60 out or stay in the
81 Union we will elect to go out. OF course
g We will be glad to do that peaoeably which,
a. for years, we sndeavored to do by force Of
- arms"
We deem It proper to say that we do not
concur in the last opinion expressed above
At the close of the war, and after receiving
of generous kindness at the
hands of the President and the leading Federal
Generals, the South showed not only a will
ingness but an anxiety to return to the Union.
Shattered, devastated and suffering, she would
gladly have elected to " stay in the Union."-
It is now idle to talk about what she would do
If the choice were left to her. 1t is the destiny
Of the Southern States to form part Of that
Union, either as dependencies or as equal
States. 1t is not for them, but for the Govern
ment 70 determine which relation they shall
The ardor of the Southern States
for re-admissiOn has been greatly cooled by the
manner in which their efforts have been met by
the dominant party in Congress. Without
pride, men are as beasts, and our pride has
been deeply wounded by the disdain for, and
disbelief of all our prOtestations and pledges,
manifested by that party. The Southern people
begin to feel hopeless and respondent. They
feel that they cannot satisfy the unreasonable
demands Of the exacting and imperious sec
tional party that at present rules the cOunsels
Of this country. They begin seriously to con-
Iider whether it is not better for them to be
entirely passive as regards all efforts that may
be- made for their restoration to the Union
Mr. LINcoLN's great fear was that the South
would not send representatives to Congress-
The grounds for this apprehension were re-
moved by the cOnciliatOry and benignant
policy of President JOHNSON, and she sent them.
She Is no better of than she would have been
if she had not sent them.
Nitro-Glycerine.