Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-05-27

zopposEp ll11IganY IIETEaFEaEsoE,--

r@0pposEp ARY IINTEaFE.RkoE,--
nj previousEta tie adj ournmantId the Board
oeHomuon Council, last mig 1t ct, Mr. lewis
NIX ansie, zone Of Gen. sehofed ppeiuteea,g
sasa and said .that1he bad become a member OF
IA Council With reluctance, and that the pres
M action of the military authorities. and their
.snbordinates, with reference to the appoint
sssnt Of the city 'slnight wa.ohmen, did not in
-, aazpree tend to make him enamored Of his
,nosiion;, that during a conference, yesterday,
9th Col. 81 2: Bee, Military Commissioner Of
,b;s District, in Che presence Of the Mayer, he
h.dIbeen greatly surprised when informed that
IN, names Of the sixteen, ,watchmen elected at
,ba last meeting of 1.-The Council had not, yet
heeu ssnt to Gen, schofeld tor confirmation,
bnt that instead, the members of the new
watch had been summoned to appear at the
freedmen 5 Bureau, to be catechised by Col
I,aa and his subalterns. as to whether or not
thew could take the prescribed oath as ii was
sbers interpreted to them. That he thought
when tho watchmen were elected the only thing
hey had to do. was to go before the Mayer the
next morning, qualify, and enter at once upon
their duties that if any Of them could. not,
quality, the Mayor would so intormaths Counf
ecil and Others would be elected Id Their places
He HasIsisk and tired of. any SUCH satrapy as
that now attempted and never had been in IA
vor of il, aud ii the names of the entiresixteen
we're net sent down to Richmond, and returned
confirmed, it would be for him to determine
whether he would serve any longer as mem
Der of the Council, and that II be did continue
to serve he would never agree to new election
until such action had been adopted. He had
not supposed that Gen, Sehofeld had anything
to do With tho officers elected by the City
Council except to- confirm their appointments.
and that it was incum bent upon the members
iof the Council to,stand up for their dignity, as
long as they had any left, and to resolve not to
Be triaed With or made tools Of by Gen SchoI
ield OF general anybody else, and as far as he
Individually was, concerned he would not be
humbuggei wifh. He had learned from the
Gazette, which seemed to know every thing,
that foul: OF the newly elected watchmen had
decided not to. take. the OATH but that he had
received during, the evening . note, signed: by
two Of these FOUR addressed to Che City Coun-
Gil, in which they stated that they had, come ito
such conclusion in consequence of having had
the required oath 50 distorted at the Freed
mems Bureau from its legitimate sense that
they were apprehensive they could not consci--
entiously take it, He was, utterly opposed to
any such interference, and thought the Council
fully competent to attend to its business with
out supererogatory military assistance.
Mr.. Mckenzie S short speech was received
with applause. by the large audience assembled
to witness the proceedings, and hewas congratu-
lated by several members of the Council, who,
ike himself, were appointees Of Gen. Soho
field. 40 zlus,q,ra
The following is copy Of the letter Of the
watchmen referred toby MIR. Mckenzie 81
7seTzss ALEXANDRIA, May 26th 1868,
7otAe Honorable CITY Council, :
GENTLEMEN !: The undersigned respectfully
take this occasion to thank you for the conf |
dence manifested by re electing them as watch |
men, and will here state that they are prepared /!
to take the prescribed oath. Under a misap |
prehension, and having the oath distorted from |
its legitimate sense, We were apprehensive that
We could not take it., but after fair explaDa-
ton OF the wording of the OATH and serious
consideration of the subject, we are prepared TO
take il, aud we arc unwilling to be superseded
without the proper legal steps being baken to
remove US.
Respectfully your obedieDt servants, IN
- .S!.,a 49, Basil @WARING. Sr
~ -. ,,,.,...rlss GEORGE WILLIAMS.