Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-03-07
Tbs Ultra Radical Memorial 10 Congress from
The Ultras in Alexaldrie.

Representatives Of the United States an Con-
gress assembled:
GENTLEMEN: The undersigned, citizens Of
Alexandria, Virginia, desire TO make known to
YOUR honors that the military reconstruction
! bill, passed by Congress on the 2d Of March,
/ has been openly detieG by the authorities OF
this city in the election just held for municipal
officers.
That bill distinctly and positively cnlranchS
ed the coorcd citizens of the ''rebe! States
yet the men controlling the Government OF
Alexandria utterly refused to receive and count
their votes, or even to record the names or
such as endeavored to exercise this right, and
they based their refusal upon the ground that
the laws of Virginia are paramount to those OF
the United States.
" Although ,5l9 votes we're cast for the Union
candidates. large number OF them by dis
charged Union soIdiers-and only ,lOl votes
for both the dlsloyal tlckcts-mahy OF these
being cast by returned rebel sold ers--yet the
existing provisional government insists upon
ignoring the Union vote and declaring the
candidate of the opposite party elected Mayor,
although be received only jS2 votes, and il,
moreover, disqualified by the law above refer
red to, from holding the Office.
Before it was fully determined to boldly vlo-
late the law, disoyaI employers threatened to
discharge their employees il they dared to vote
the Republican ticket Moreover, it WAS open
| ly asserted upon the streets that blood wo"ld
be spilled il the c0iorcd people attempted TO
vote, and your nemoriaSts are fully satisfied
that nothing but the known presence o! troops
sent from Washington prevented Il ret
However, being protected by the military,
the Union men of the city opened polls Of their
own, at which over fourteen hunrred votes
we're cast BY white and colorcd ii"n. We have
/ taken this step so rs to prove 10 ln@mbcrS 81
your honorable bodies ana 10 the world that the
Union men Of the South are numerous enough
and determined enough to do their duy il
Congress will only pass such laws az are needed
to secure safe and far elections.
1t must be evident to every man that when
the law is thus c0ntemptuorsly dcllcd within
actual sight of the Capitol where nothing but
the prescnc, If military force prevented the
murder Of good and true men Tor simply at
tempting to exercise the franchise with which
| the nation had invested them, that it Is folly
to expect a faithful observance OF the law
throughout the rebel States generally.
Longing for 4 speedy loyal reconstruction Of
the Union, and knowing that it will be impos
sbe to secure it under the provisions OF the
"m!itary reconstruction bill, wee desire 10
bring to your notice the following important
defects in that measure:
l. Although there are no. soldiers enough in
| the country (who can be spared for the purpuScl
to guard one fitieth Of the polls, the bill makes
no provision for organizing loyal mlitia force
9 The disloyalists, whose apparent interest 1t
is to nullify the law, ill every Office from the
! highest to the lowest. They are the jadSes and
clerks OF elections: thev receive and count the
votes; they make and receive the returns, ana
they decide who are elected. The history of the
| last thirty wears has proved that these men will
commit any and every outrage and crime which
seems to be necessary to carry their points, and
we distinctly say TO you and the country that
| even ifthcy should pretend TO ncquIcScc IN the
| law, it i, certain that they will brow-b2at and
swindle enough to carry every election 4 loy-
GIrecOnStrWcti0n IS possible 0AlH thr9Hyh hte as
| sistalce Of iOyHI ERECTION officers.
8. It is known by every body thatthc disloya!-
lists hate the Unionists of both races with per-
| feet hatred, arc continually hunting them down
! and numbering them without even prctcnce of
provocation, and yet these unarrncd and I'M
! organized Union men are expected TO meet all
| their foes at the polls and vote them out Of
| power II this is attempted there will be rios
Ill over the South, and the responsibility for
them and for the blood which will be she'd will
rest upon the souls ofthosc members Of Congress
who insist upon bringing gunpowdcr and fire to-
| gether. Dintnctly and soIemniy VIC say to you,
| Gentlemen, that peaceful elections cannot be SO
cured unless the arrogant domjnecring, blood
thirsty d:loyal element IS kept from the polls
entirely, uatiI such time IS ii Shall have become
at least partially purified. or the loyal element
organized and throughly cntrcnched in power.
| j. 1t is also absolutely necessary that there
should be registration of voters, so that all
| DISTINGUISHED individuals may have due notice
not only that they are disqualified, but tina: that
| fact is known. They would be NEt chcn to stay
away from the polls.
We feel ourselves npelIed t" LAY here that
Iehe bill known rs !hc Louisiana bill would. Il
| made, applicable TO all the nUn-rccUnstructed
States, secure peaceful loyal reorganization Of
the South, and We respectfully but earnestly
| urge that it, or something. AKIN to It, be lmmedI-
| ateiy passed into q law. There are two amend
ments however, which we suggest, even TO that
BILL viz
lst That no person having All honorable dis
charge from the army or navy OF the United
States shall be disqualified from voting or hold
ing office on account OF previous coinpliclty IN
the rebelion and,
| 9. That it should be made the duty of the
Governor and Council. from time to time, 10
prepare lists Of All, except certain classes of the
| DISTINGUISHED persons who are now truly loyal,
| and send them to Congress to have their disa-
| bilties removed
Tho apparent harshnesS Of the sweeping dis
| tranclisement Of that bill would thus be re.
| moved without en- angerng It's successful work
| ing If the Governor and CGuncil are good
men they will not present the names OF ds!Oya!
| persons, and If they prove to b. bad men Con-
| gress can refuse to regard their recommended
| ton And if they fail to carry out this pro
vision in a liberal spirit, Congress can take
such further action as it sees tit in the premises.
We are unaLerably opposed to the perpetual
Acknowledgement Of any considerable cnss in
the community, but we do as; that all rebels
should be compelled TO climb upon the Union
platform before their forfeited political rights
are restored to them.
Thanking Congress for the cnfranchisemcnt
of our colored people, and hoping that it will
not wait before pass ing the yet needed laws
until the blood Of hundreds more murdered
Union men cries out from the ground against
| its members for their delay, we remain, very
| respectfully.
john G.. Underwood,
George Tucker,
John Harry Worst,
Josiah Millard
It, a. StoutenbGrgh
John Birrell,
James T. Burnett
Thomas Dayv,