The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-01-17
"Not Subjugated Yet."

ssNOt Subjugated Yet.''
A few days SINCE in the Legislature of
Virginia, Oh the occasion of the election of a
Secretary of State, one of the members, in
making the nomination for the place of the
present incumbent Mr. Charles H. Lewis,
took the liberty to say that as Mr. Lewis was
the incumbent and the confidential aid of
Gov. Pierpoint, it was due as recognition
Of gratitude to Gov p, and to the party
with which he is allied, for the forbearance
and kindness extended>to the people of vir-
ginia in the way of amnesties and the restora-
ton of property, that Mr.. Lewis should be
elected.
At this number of the members took fire,
and INDUCED in much empty talk about
Executive dictation, though there was no
proof, and no one really believed that Gov.
Pierpoint had taken any part in the matter
To read the remarks of some of these mem
bers, one would conclude, not knowing the
facts to be the other way, that they had been
suddenly called on to resist Russian or an
Austrian despetism. An allusion by one of
them to Gen. Lee, and the expression OF the
hope that Gen. Lee would be the next Gov
ernor of Virginia, occasioned the most en-
thusiastic applause. Mr.. Lewis was defeated
on the fifth ballot. and another gentleman,
supposed to be politically unfriendly to Gov.
Pierpoint, was elected.
The disloyal papers of Richmond are of
course, much pleased with this result The
Examiner, which still abounds with the I" us"
and the =" ks" of Daniel, though the genius
of Daniel has departed its columns, exclaims,
we are mot subjugated yet" and congratu-
lates the people of Virginia that some spirit
of manliness and freedom still exists in the
minds of the General Assembly" The loyal
paper of Richmond, the Republic, takes
different view of the matter, and says:
At time when relations of entire harmony
and confidence are SO necessary, and were SO hap
ply existing between the Federal and State Exec
utives the Legislature of Virginia, with faulty
as inexplicable as wanton, breaks up the subsist-
| ing organization of the Virginia Government and
| places in it men whom the President the Govern
| or and the country know only by their identif-
cation with the rebellion. This action has natur-
| ally produced the utmost amazcment at Wash
ingtOn and throughout the country. 1t is natural
to suppose that it has surprised the friends of the
| South there, who, from the President down. are
laboring for the successful accomplishment of the
| work OF reconstruction. Our own Legislature
has had too little of the spirit of moderation to
let well enough alone; and to permit the existing
| state of things to remain undisturbed until the
crisis should be passed. The charge that the Vir-
| ginia Legislature have expelled the Union men
| from the offices surrounding Governor Pierpoint
and supplied their places with men identified
some of them most Extensively Unidentified, with
| the rebellion, will be made on the floor of Con-
gress, and will be urged throughout the North by
extreme fanatical men TO Obstruct, and If posi-
ble to defeat the Presidents plan of reconstruc
| ton.
! Necessarily has this action of the Legislature
and the debates by which it will be Interpreted
/ greatly embarrassed Governor PierpOint Well
| might he-eXciaiming, "Ephraim is joined to his
| idols let him aone''-be ready to resign his Of
| fee But the injury which would thus be in
ficted upon the State is too great to be contem-
| plated. His action would be interpreted to mean
that public sentiment was too dslOya here to toll
crate gov. rnment in harmony with the Federal
authority: His place would be supplied by a
military Governor and Virginia would be COM
| PEELED to begin anew the tedious work of organ
| izing provisional government after the manner
| that has been pursued in the more Southern
! States Resignation is measure not to be thought
| Of But the public of Virginia should be neither
slow nor moderate in expressing their dsapprov-
al of the unwise, unfeeling and untimely pro-
scription which has been practiced"
Such is the action of public men who are
constantly declaring that, because they have
taken the oath, they are loyal, but who avail
themselves of every occasion to embarrass the
President and to defeat his policy of recon
struction. The truth is, in Virginia as in
North Carolina, the aversion of this class of
men to the national government is fixed and
bitter, and therefore they are not disposed to
act in harmony with any one who represents,
or who has heconfdence of the government.
Rather than submit to be governed, as they
should be, by loyal Union men, they would
prefer to remain out of the Union indefinite
ly. If Gen. Lee had expressed wish that
Mr. Lewis should be elected, no umbrage
would have been taken, and he would have
been elected as matter of course.