Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-11-22
PROPOSITIONS FOR CoMPRO-
MISE.

Dispatches from Washington state that many
leading men have had conferences with the
President with view to some understanding
bv which the Southern States can be at once
restored to their places in the Union-that is
TO saw. can regain what is now denied to them
bv an intolerant and despotic majority of a
4" Rump Congress"
The exact nature of the proposition is not
known, but is supposed to be general amnes-
ty for general suffrage"
We know not what the leading men OF the
South think of this particular proposition, but
we feel sure that any one which proposes to
take the control of suffrage out of the hands of
the States. and confer it on Congress, ought to
be rejected, even if the States were kept out
forever.
Let suffrage be granted to tho negroes, if
necessary, but let that be subject for the States
themselves. and let the Northern and Western
States set the example VIII they do it?
We quote Washington dispatches of the 18th
to the Baltimore Sun:
Nr. johnson has not indicated his purpose
relative to the amnesty suffrage plan mention
ed in these dispatches on Friday last, though
the gentleman who advocate the proposition
represent that the President has given them en-
enlargement to expect that he will adopt their
suggestions substantially, if not exactly in the
form they advise.
Several newspaper correspondents have en-
deavored to create doubts of the existence of
such combination Of leading men for the pur
pCse of inducing the President to accept the
propoSition and advise the Southern people as
set forth in my dispatch. In order to put at
rest such doubt, ] am enabled to say, from per-
Sonal knowledge, that such a combination does
exist. A number Of the gentlemen co-opera-
kng in it have had interviews with Mr.. John
son. and they have been laboring in the matter
for about a month, visiting and corresponding
with influential men of the North and South.
CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT.
1t has already been stated that during the
past week President johnson has had audience
with prominent gentlemen from all sections in
relation to the present condition of political af
fairs. Chief Justice Chase, General Grant and
Major Generals Slckles and Dix, among others,
have freely given their views, all of them being
actuated by sincere desire for such action as
may be best calculated to fully restore the late
insrrgent States in all their relations to the
general government.
The idea seems to be that so long as the En-
ecutive and Legislative branches are divided in
opinion, the South must remain unrepresented
in Congress. Hence, the desire is to effect some
arrangement to accommodate the differences
between them. According to current repre-
sensations, the President lends willing ear to
all suggestions in that direction, but SO farnoth
ing definite has been accomplished.
In some respects negro suffrage is not to be
dreaded in the South, if granted by the States
themselves. In nine cases out of ten the freed
men would call upon their late masters for adj
vice, and would vote with them. This would
be the case in all the rural districts where the
best of the negro population would remain
In the cities, where the meaneSt of them would
congregate, they might be led by such pestilent
demagogues as Forney and Phillips, but in a
little while the natural antagonism between the
white and black race would arise, and the latter
would be the inevitable victims Of physical
contest, just as surely as that mind predomi
DataS over matter