The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-08
,oyaIisis OF Alexandria fo Con.
-rcss.

#.-tlrptu The undersigned, citizens
,nvaudria, Va, desire 10 make known
"' .N ,rr honors that the military recon
90 ,....,,t,n hill passed by Congress on the
81 -, - March has been openly defed by
~ ~ .rtrori;ios Of this city in the election
,',s. held for municipal officers.
Thst bin distinctly and positively en-.
.-,,csjse3 the colored citizens Of the
rnLel States" vet the men controlling
so rovcrnmen; Of Alexandria utterly re.
...od 70 receive and count their votes, or
zen 10 record the names Of such as en-
.s,yored TO exercise this right and they
,.<ed their refusal upon the ground that
lie laws Of Virginia are paramount 70
lose Of the United States.
Although 1919 votes were cast for the
T-,on candidateS-a large number of them
r., discharged Union soldiers-and only
rr'l votes for both the diSloyal tickets
many Of these being cast by returned re.
bel ,oldiers-yet the existing Provisional
& eminent insists upon ignoring the
I,;an vote and declaring the candidate Of
The opposite party elected Mayor, although
De received only $50 votes, and is, more
over, disqualified by the law above referred
81 rom holding the office.
Before il was fully determined to boldly
violate the law, disloyal employers threat
rgrl 10 discharge their employees if they
f,~rd 10 vote the Republican ticket. More
orsr il was openly asserted upon the
..-se;s that blood would be spilled if the
..,orcd peoplc attempted to vote, and your
,'noriaIjsts arc fully satisfied that nothing
~. The known presence of troops sent
.-m Washington prevented riot.
However, being protected by the mill
.,ry. the Union men of the city opened
,...s of their own, at which over fourteen
'.,3rrd votes were cast by white and CO.
'.-rl men. We have taken this step so as
+. move 10 members OF your honorable
1ns.rs and to the world that the Union
,,ra Of the South are numerous enough
ami determined enough to do their duty il
congress will only pass snch laws as are
needed 10 secure safe and fair elections.
Unjust bc evident 10 every man that
when the law is thus contemptuously de-
fad within actual sight of the capitol
where nothing but the presence of mill
nrv force prevented the murder of good
and true men for simply attempting to ex
,-ef,c the franchise with which the nation
had invested them, that tits folly to expect
faithful observance ofthe law throughout
the rebel States generally.
longing for a speedy loyal reconstruc-
lion of the Union, and knowing that it will
be impossible 10 secure it under the pro-
visions Of the military reconstruction
Ill. )" we desire to bring TO your notice the
blowing important defects in that mea-
ure:
/. Although there are not soldiers
nough in the country (who can be spared
r the purpoSe) to guard onc-fittieth OF
polls, the bill makes no provision for
-aniliug loyal militia force.
,. The disloyaliStS, whose apparent in
rest it is TO nullify the law, fill every
flee, from the highest to the lowest.
They are the Judges and clerks Of cleo
ions: they receive and count the votes !;
hey make and receive the returns, and
they decide who are elected. The history
10. the last thirty years. has proved that
,'c,a men win commit any and every out
Tall. and crime which seems TO be neces-
s..v 10 carry theirpoints, and we distinctly
saw 10 YOU and the country that even il
thew should pretend to acquieSce in the
law, il is certain that they will brow-beat
and swind.e enough TO carry every cleo
ton. 4 loyal reconstruction Is possible only
Hr,,aH the assistance Of loyul election ott-
GERS.
). 1t is known by everybody that the
disloyalsts hate the UnioniStS of both
aces with q perfect hatred, are continu-
ally hunting them down and numbering
them without even pretence of provo
cltiou, and yet these unarmed and unor-
..uized Union men are expected 10 meet
I'll their foes at the polls and vote them
ont of power If this is attempted there
vii be riots all over the South, and the re-
0onsibility Tor them and for the blood
which will be she'd will rest upon the souls
III. those members of Congress who insist
upon bringing gunpowder and fire together.
Distinctly and soicmnly we say 10 you,
gentlemen, that peaceful elections cannot
h. secured unless the arrogant, domineer-
ing, bloodthirsty disloyal element is kept
flym the polls entirely until such time as
il shall have become at least partially pu-
rlacd, or the loyal element organized and
thoroughly entrenched in power.
!. 1t is also absolutely necessary that
there should be registration of voters, 50
that all disiranchised individuals may have
due notice, not only that they are disquali-
fled, but that that fact is known. They
would be apt then to stay away from the
polls.
We feel ourselves impelled to say here
that the bill known as the Louisiana bill
would, if made applicable to all the non
reconstructed States, secure peaceful,
loval Reorganization of the South, and we
respectfully but earnestly urge that it, or
something akin to it, be Immediately
passed into law. There are two amend
men,s, however, which we suggest, even to
that bill, viz:
Ist. That no person having an honora-
Tile discharge from the army or navy OF
the United States shall be disqualified
from voting or holding office on account OF
previous completely in the rebellion; and,
2. 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 diSfranchised persons who
are nor truly loyal, and send them to Con-
grrs>, to have their disabilities removed.
The apparent harshness Of the sweeping
acknowledgements of that bill would thus
be removed without endangering its sue
cesstul working. If the Governor and
Council are good men, they will not pre-
sent the names OF disloyal persons, and if
they prove to be bad men, Congress can
refuse 10 regard their recommendation.
And if they fail to carry out this provision
in q liberal spirit, Congress can take such
further action as il sees fit In the premises.
We are unalterably opposed to the per-
petual disfrancAiSement of any considera-
bic class in the community, but we do ask
that an rebels should be compelled to climb
upon the Union platform before their for
icited political rights are restored to them.
THANKING CnnrrnsS for the enIranChlSe-