The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-04-02

u1cnt which W0ok044 tu0 kIUsr00nt shU
added 10 the growius hostility 70 bis policy
towards the Spsth. -
The President had during NJ previous
session Of Congress vetoed tho Freedmen's
Bureau bill, the Civil Rights bill, and the
constitutional amendment, arguing to show
their unconstitutionslity with great force
and clearness. The Congress had passed
them all over bis vetoes-still holding to
their ground that the States had violently
separated from the Union, been conquered,
and must be legislated back In such man
ner - Congress deemed proper. The Pre-.
sident, submitting to the constitutional
majority, proceeded TO discharge his duties
In putting each law In force q far Is was
incumbent upon him.
Thefall elections were Overwhelmingly
against the President, and added largely
to the power Of the Radical party. Con-
gress had indicated clearly its determine
tion--vix., that no State should come into
| the Union save with It's consent, and that
It's consent would never be given until me-
groes were politically elevated to equality
with whites thus claiming the right to
regulate the internal affairs Of the States
on the ground that they were merely con-
quered provinces, which right the Presi-
dent disputed on the ground that the
southern States had never been out Of the
Union. The northern people overwhelm-
ingly decided against the President.
An important part of this history is the
course Of the South in the interim.
Naturally, the attitude Of the Presidentin
1866 called forth the gratitude Of the peo-
pie of the South, and the southern press,
which had been in 1865 held in check by
the military authority, felt degree Of
liberty which was grateful, and which they
failed not to exercise. Therefore 1t teemed
with defences of the President and severe
denunciations Of the Radicals. The cha
racter and spirit Of partisan philipics OF
other days were emulated if not excelied.
The anomaly was presented Of spirited
and passionate discussion amongst people
who had no voice on the questions at
issue-a discussion which was never seen
or read by those who had the decision in
their hands, save, indeed, the more violent,
ill-tempered, and inconsiderate portions Of
it. These were freely used as electioneer-
ing documents, and did great mischief to
the President, in whose support they were
written.
This brings us down to the recent session
Of Congress, whose final act is too well
known to us all. The South has been the
victim of departmental war in the Go
vernment which the South itselshas helped
to turn to its own disadvantage. The friend
whom We sustained, and who was weakened
by our support, has fallen. His defeat is
our own. That the present situation is
merely the result of party spirit and party
calculations and plans is very plain. But
that neither mitigates the force Of the blow
nor points out the way to evade it. The
President himself becomes the officer to
put in force the will Of the department
which has rendered his opinions and power
in the premises entirely nugatory.
In view of these facts, what is the obvi-
Gus policy of the South We have seen
how futile are all efforts of ours-any
expression Of views and circumstances
against the resolves Of Congress here. We
have seen how the issue raised by Con-
gress with the President has been sus-
tanned by the people. We have seen how
the President himself submits and puts in
execution the measures he has resisted
with all the force the Constitution has be-
slowed upon him. How can we draw any
other conclusion from all this than that we
must conform to the acts of Congress as a
matter of policy as well as necessity-that
in so conforming we should do so with the
calm dignity that becomes men who are in
deed conquered and subject to force-that
we should not indulge in vain regrets and
complaints-that we should not hope for re-
lieffrom changes of public sentiment in our
behalf, when there is no reason for such
hope-that we should recognize the act Of
Congress as the act of the numerical
power in this country which we cannot re-
sist, and which will be satisfied with no.
thing short Of complete compliance with
that act-that any attempt to thwart it but
continues the agitation upon the issue fatal
to usi
Save in this manner, reconstruction can
not take place. Even If resisted by the
majority by refusing to amend the Consti-
tuition, the power to do SO will be immedi-
ately placed in the hands of "loyal men" %:
the blacks and their white allies. So that
the duty of every sensible and considerate
gentleman is to vote himself, to advise
everybody else to vote, and to vote for
men who ,oin amend the Constitution ac-
cording to the act of Congress. Nothing
short of this will answer. Anything short
of this prolongs our troubles and ends in
the humiliation of the people to be 60
verned by the inferior class under circum.
stances the most CALLING and disastrous.
No man has studied the events of two
years past with any advantage who takes
different view of his duty. We must
have peace to recover our prosperity. We
must take out of the political arena the
issues from which We have suffered, or We
are to be permanently defeated, oppressed,
and -trodden.