Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1867-06-18
LETTER FROM VIRGINIA.


SJ,aai Correspondence Of n, Journal and Sa1smdn
CAPEvILLE, NORTHAMPTON Co, VA,,l
June 10, 1867.
DEAR JouRNAL:-R RECONSTRUCTED ia going
on very quietly, with little or no excitement
among the f. +. VS.. Now that they know
they cannot avoid II, some few OF the able
leaders recommend mastery inactiyity"
AZ the true policy, hut the great mass oil the
people are now finding out that they are
emancipated from the calling yoke Of a class
despOtism, as udiOus as ii was anti-republi
can. If General Schoneld's orders are lit
| orally carried ont, no one OF any prominence
heretofore IN tins State can vote or hold
office, as they all did some one or other act
referred to in his orders Of June 8, dis.
/ qualifying them from voting or holding
office. lie there laws down the lRw-who
| shall vote and who shall not vote--brOadly
| enough to cover almost every man in the
| State, but he modifes it somewhat Part
OF il is vague and uncertain as to minor
offenders, but 10 the ring leaders in the
late rebellion it is plain enough, and will
| rs completely take them out OF the political
arena as il they were in Japan or bad died
fifty years ago. That they are swept out of
| political existence will be one OF the very
best results OF reconstruction that can posi-
bly, befall this State. They were the Mar
| plots that cursed her, always made her ma.
terial interests conform to their political
ones, and when the two ran counter to each
other, the States hest interests were always
sacrificed, with little care or thought to their
own private wishes or interests. This ex-
elusive conduct OF the Richmond iunto has
cost Virginia more money than IL would II
the people had, by tax on themselves,
bought out a lew of the F. f. VS., with the
) understanding that they were 10 pack up, bag
! an u a 10 oil hap
The soil, climate and minerals oil Virginia
J are hardly equalled on this Continent. Hei
water communications and water powers are
no where equalled, yet with all these great
! advantages she has seen State alter State
come up and pass her in representative ratio
and all because few families combined L
keep themselves at the head OF affairs in thii
: state, and the maintaining of their positions
d; necessarily required the Ignoring of all pro
i sreSs, Tor TO let the people rule IN one thinI
was to let them rule in all, so that the
power, once broken, their occupation,
= like Olhello's, "would he gone" They or
ganized reign Of terror in Richmond, tina
: permeated every town, hamlet and farm
:, house in the Stale, to throw every obstacl
y in the way OF all Northern settlers comm
'. " here, and so eilcctualy did they keep on
, emlgranis, that II was as much as u man
= life was worth, if lie was an Independent
Y out-spoken one, 10 come and settle here
10 while large portion of the common people
:, hecomng disguised with this state oil affairs
, and seeing no hope oil remedy, lett tn
State and went where they could feel thu
they were American citizens, and not I'll
mere seTls OF few couceied, sell. le
~ first families Happily now all this
=, changed. General Schohed's orders haV
Il. swept them out Of existence and the commo
H people are free at last. That they will max
I, good use Of their freedom, you will see
T. !, The work Of the Convention that will assen
~ BILE To make new Constitution | say
n new" one, lor the old one ia so cut an
I. carved in the interests Of the late "rcigniT
Il, families" that II cannot lie altered to me
- the demands Of the times; bnt the Convei
- tlon will make a new liberal one, Iecogni
~ ing merit ortalent, and not a landed arlstO
W rncy as The ruling element in the State e
,,s the future. This will have the effect
~, Keeping her own people at home, and attrat
' 'a, ing large emigTant population here, as Il
To- natural advantages Of the State cannot
,.ie surpassed on this Continent; so that out
io the great crime OF secession Virginia W
ho eventually emerge in different cOnditit
nS than that contemplated by the getters-up
:, that great crime; but am free to say in
~ fur better condition than these same gent
~ intended II to be. They intended to dri
n W., out all who would moi bow their knees
v %s their Baal, but they have only succeeded
81 getting themselves driven out OF polite
power, and it is to he hoped forever.
&c. anticipation of this happy result, wish
in see large influx of Northern settlers, as
a better place can he found than tins Sta
On The climate IS so varied that they can chot
ASS the cool sen shore or mountain ridges,
ion warm southern yallies; almost any kind Il
the fancy dictates may be had in this great Sta
ex- for great she is in all the elements that CT
Dns siitule true greatness. Yours truly, T
a