The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-01-18
The South and Her Prosecutors

os Mr. Coxx,r>.s fourth proposition :" "
sche,lu,e of Reconstruct ton introduced '"'o ~,
House of Representatives on i"e>"'s
fourth proposition i - ioiioWs
.rn,r,, The impartial diSiriom,,'"
,o,,,,c,i mower among all soct'onS.i, W sh,iI no
try. 50 that four millions VI - I'm The into.
'ohs'i ~ -, .ryrandi2ement. ana At IN
80 ,i,,e bc excluded from Poh"V"i l''''
leges and riShH'
r., ,,oor South Sectional aggrandIzemen',
,,deed She has been for years III hop'''S'
minority. and now were she re-admiiiea' eve"
uron a represent tionbased 0a p"pnt"to"' si'
would be in greater minority than ever h"'
Mr.. CoNkLIS was ambitious OF making ""'s"
.onnding ring of his fanatcism, ana ps'N "
"conkshell with this extra'agah' 80,
He merely meant 10 say that h'ei0 .,,.,,
onch, IN vote or ought not 10 he represent"
ron this point see the reinafh"
MAJOR I.vKESCk In to-day D'SP"'S'.' ,.,, -,
nm Mr. CoNxIIS has anothei f''i ,,,,,,
,,s admirable list, when '''"' ,,,,,o
while others aiming nj II nav ", 1900,
tho bush 1t Is his fifth VINO" WIS
nv the telegraph, and IL n iono"'
.r,r,h heclec,ion Of Senators anu i hrr'..
,entaiives III truth loyai % ~ r,tc revolt. nor
md never ringlcaders In the nv nr.r.d,,.
amu Of d,stardlv hetrayals whlCh Pie''n''.
sna yvar or OF atrocities when W.T. ''"h''
extenuat" ....,
r.m,rkablr feature of the fanatich
... ,,rr,.s on against rs IN Congress tha' Inv
,,.ssio, of those " no wagcii cannon DO Kepto"'
o.or3i,,ry resolutions submitted FOR thu
.,,s,acrafion of the body. II has been th'
common custom in the English Parliament
a.. American Congress in former days, and H.
,,a VIRGINIA legislature rs we'll rs the delio'
oro,tye bodies of most of the States, TO preserve
\ parliamentary language, To give me seuh
bla..ra Of dignity - all papers o.b'N''''
,he,r ASTON. Ii has been heretofore thu idea
-.-. .r...- -, .',.' hoi% >hon nd
b, to promote the public good, In nj h0f's'
truthful and diguiEcd way-and that passion
and vindiciiyencss should never appear IN ti'
language and expression OF matter ac"d upon
nr IL. hocanse such would be- alike ~ war
with its character and object. ms having
been well established, men never ohereu pas
sionate and unscemly resolutions because
thew knew that such would not he enter 'ain'"'
But things are changed We nave !" nv"
Heaven and n new Earth-a new Blole '.iu q
new Congress Passion runs riot no" w
lence is the order of the day, ana VIII ~ "'i
they run their heads against wall WIZ
will most assuredly be their fa'e'
Rut 10 the resolution: II asserts 'h"I ho'e
but {" loyal " men must be elected 10 the 'ni''"
States Senate and House Of Representatives,
Aswe all claim TO be "loyal, any one "a :"
might be so elected, but Mr.. CoSKLlN sholso ''
any such fallacy rs that. Ihere are " oe Nv
:. ring leaders in the late revolt elected, MOI
any guilty of dastardly betrayais when pre-
ceded the war, or Of atrocities when Wal Gun
M, extenuate." 1t is easy to see VINO MI.
CosKLIy would exclude. We could, uhoef HIS
schedule for running the South, eiec' ho
prominent man whatever; indeed no man WIZ
would likely receive the honest preference VI
any Southern community. What "ouio pe
right thus restricted? No rlsht ~ an ihis
was considered the other day III the Virgins
Legislature, and that body plainly decided 'ila'
election meant selection, and that there was no
riph1 about il unless the sutfragans conld give
expressions to their preferences. proper
self.respect would prompt all frank and mani!
people 10 decline privilege so res'rlcteo'
Much better would it be TO have the military
.occupation That would preserve order ana
insure security. The compulsory election OF
men whom we do not want, and could not
represent us, would be 4 nockery the most
offensive The supreme authorities mlSh'
appoint them for us but ii would be the last
point of humiliation that we should approve
our own abasement by going through thef"fms
Of election
Pertinent to this.point, we take occasion to
saw that, being all rebels, just anu pohne
view of reconstruction would prompt the
Federal Government to drop all test oaths,
determinations and disabilities, with regard
70 our people. Detection and Infideli'y are
the true spawn of Suspicion and Dlstr"st.
wbep the war was over and the Southerners
accepted the situation, there was an END.
They should have been trusted. They could
have been trusted. Honest and sincere men,
the oaths required of them We're paihiui 10
their sensitive natures; but they We're taken.
Had that sutficed, things would have quleted
down and reconstruction would nave com
menced in earnest. But no. The flood gates
of fanat icisn were opened upon us, and
denunciations such rs we did not hear during
the war-possibly because the mails were cut
off-have been showered upon us rs album
dainty and rapidly as the utterances OF men
and the capacity of the press would allow
The efforts of the President 10 restore har-
mony--thenselves somewhat tardy, out OF
Difference to the prevailing temper at the
North-are DISTRACTED in every possible way,
and nothing short of the most complete degra-
dation Of the South VIII appeas" Inc "fa'i vi
the hour.
Now, is this the way 10 restore The Union Is
this the way TO make treason odious? II the
Crusaders had racked their brains 10 discover
the best mode of widening the breach and
making a real restoration impracticabie for
ever, they could not have decided upon
BETTER. If they had felt il their duty TO dignity
TREASON and award enduring honor to RE
BELLIos, they could not have chosen Il more
efficient means. The fanatics have taken the
Tree of Rebellion under their most careful
cultiyation-they daily water il and they
sprinkle the ground about it with bone dust
from the remains of the heroes of the war
There can be no reconstruction under the
auspices of such men. Their counsels can
only perpetuatc Hate and install Anarchy ana
Ruin for several generations IN the South.
With President JOHNSON, and Generals
GRANT and SHERMAN Sustained by Conserva-
tism and the true interests of the Northl on
the side of Reason and Common Sense, against
these Madmen, we may hope that their race
will soon be run, and that there will be Peace
once more.