The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-21

neoDlc of the southern States tnat even
excuses, on that ground, denial of repre-
sentation to them. We content ourselves
with saving that, in our opinion, the evil
dence most to be relied upon, whether re-
rarding the character Of the witnesses or
their means of information, shows that re-
from the southern States
would prove perfectly loyal. We cspe-
cialIy refer for this only to the testimony
of Lieutenant General Grant-his loyalty
and investigations no one can doubt. In
his letter to the President, of the 18TH DE,
cember, 1865, after he had recently VISITED
South Carolina, North Carolina, and Geor-
gia, he says:
"Boh in tareHing and 1ohilSt stopping,
7 sopr much and conuerSed freely ,cih The
citizens of those States, as ,cell rs trih otf-
GERS of the arrnY lrh0 hare been among them.
The following are the conclusions come to
by me: ,,
"I am satisfied that the mass Of the think
ina men Of the south accept the present
situation Of Gfairs IN good faith. The
questions which have heretofore divided
the sentiments Of the people OF the two
sections-slavery and State rights-or the
right ola State to secedc from the Union
they regard as having been settled forever
by the highest tribunal-armS-that man
can resort to. ,rdS pleased TO learn from
the leadinq men uhom / met that they not
onlu accented the decision drrired at rs Tndt,
bu that n0,r the smoke Of bdttle had cleared
n,rnv and time had been giren for reflection,
that this decision has been a fortunate one
for the rhole country they receiving the
like benefits from it with those who op-
posed them in the field and in the cause.
"Mv observations lead me to the con-
clusiOn that the citizens of the southern
States are d,tJ-i0AS 10 return TO Setf-gorern-
,uent ,ritbin the Union as soon as possible !;
that whilst rccOnstructing they rant ana
reg,tire protection from the Government; that
hGv are in earnest in triShing to do ,rhdt
then think is required by the Gorernmemt-
nothumiiiating TO than as citiz6,S-and that
if such a course was pointed out, they
a.: -. .,,,I pursue it in good faith. 1t IS to de
,.,l,rt,H that he'e cannot be Il greater COM
# ,,,;#,'lJ;,,l at this time bet,rsep the citizens OF
"1""ta." Wa h," tcti0us, and particularly Of those
entrusted ,rib the ta'c-m9A'ng po,rr. ,u
IS Scccssion>ss r're a practical doctrine ever
hereafter r. hc\ \resorted to, IS almost III,
t"rIy , abanJoncd 1t was submitted to and
failed before the ordeal OF battle. nor
can the undersigned imSSlh ,,Sitio mnI, ,%c he
revival is anticipated as poss,uIoi p1o5i '.'n an
committee have not recomLif> rI;,,,,
amendment to the Constitution ,,ant
against it in terms. Such an amendS. N
il cannot be doubted, the southern as we.
as the northern States would chcertully
adopt. The omission Of such recon-
mcndation is pregnant evidence that Sc
ccsson, as constitutional right, Is thought
by the majority of the committee TO be
practically mere thing of the past, as all
the proof taken by them show it to he in
the opinion of all the leading southern
men who hitherto entertained ii. The de-
ISOLATION around them, the hccatOmbS OF
their own slain, the stern patriotism ol the
men Of fhc other States, exhibited by un-
limited expenditure Os treasure and OF
blood. and their love of the Union, 50 sin
ccrc and ddccp-scatcdt that it is sure they will
hazard to maintain it, have convinced the
south that as practical doctrine secession
is cxtinguiShed forever. State secession
then abandoned, and slavery abolished by
the southern States themselves, or with
their consent, upon what StatcsmanllKe
ground can such States be denied all the
rirhts which the Constitution secures TO
the States of the Union. All admit that
to do so al the earliest period is demanded
by every consideration of duty and policy,
and none deny that the actual interest OF
the country is, to great extent, involved
in such admission. The staple productions
of the southern States are as important TO
the other States as 10 themselves. Those
staples largely enter into the wants OF all
alike, and they are also most important to
the financial credit OF the Government.
Those staples will never be produced as in
the past, until real peace, resting aS 1t can
alone rest, on the equal and uniform opc-
ration of the Constitution and laws on all,
is attained.
WHAT NAY REASONABLY be EXPECTED FROM
THE S0UTH.
To suppose that brave and sensitive
people will give an undivided attention 10
the increase of mere material wealth,
whilst retained in a state Of political inte-
rioritv and degradation, is mere folly. They
desire 10 be again in the Union, TO ENJOY
the benefits of the Constitution, and they
invoke YOU 10 receive them. They have
adopted constitutions free from any intrin-
sic objection, and have agreed TO every
stipulation thought by the President TO be
necessary for the protection and benefit OF
all, and, in the opinion OF the undersigned, |,
they are amply sufficient. Why exact, as
preliminary condition to representation
more! What more are supposed to be ne
CeSSarvl First, the reputation of the
rebel debt; second, the denial of all obli-
cations to pay for manumitted slaves
third, the inyiolability Of our own debt. II
these provisions are deemed necessary
thew cannot be defeated, if the south were
disposed to defeat them, by the admission
into Congress of their representatives,
Nothing is more probable, in the opinion oI
the undersigned, than that many of the
southern States would adopt them all but
those measures the committee connect
with others, which, we think, the people
of the south will never adopt. They
are asked to disfranchise numerou!
class of their citizens, and also To agree
to diminish their representation IN Con
gress and, of course, in the electoral col
lege, or to admit TO the right OF suffrage
their colored males of twenty-one year.
of age and upwards IA class now in con
dtion of almost utter ignorancel, thu
placing them on the same political footing
with white citizens Of that age. For rea
sons so obvious that the dullest may dis
cover them, the right is not directly as
serted OF grantings suffrage to the negro
That would be obnoxious to most of Tn.
northern and western States-so much s'
that their consent was not to be antlci
pated. But as the plan adopted, becaus,
Of the limited number of negroes in sucl