The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-22
4irl,mond 1lspatth.
WEDNESDAY, JULY %, 1868.
An Important Matter.


those cast in pursuance OF tine laws !"
a. force in the several States prior to the ie-
" c;slation by Congress upon the suoJeo' %
" reconstruction" This is the true doo-
tr;ne. although it is not in the power OF the
southern people to carry it out. 1t is MS an.
MOVING to the Radicals as the teaching OF
Br,1R,s letter to Colonel BRoDHEAD' anu
as revolutionary. It will provoke
perfect torrent Of terrible dehuh''a''on
from all Of the Radical papers and speak
ers that have sense enough to know that
Mr.. JOHNSON therein speaks nothing but
the simple truth. How many persons
there arc in the Radical ranks, or,
ne 20 that matter, in the Democratic,
who have not lost sight Of the truth thus
plainly set forth, we know not. Congress
has so long violated the most valuable pro-
visions Of the Constitution with impunlty,
and with the apparent approval OF Inc
peoplc. that il would not be singular IL
most men had learned to believe that wha'-
ever Congress wills is constitutional, anu
whatever Congress jlislikes is unconstltu-
tional. The President, however, as be-
comes the occupant Of his exalted posltion'
has never ceased to protest against the out
RACES practiccd upon the country by 'hiS
mack of pestilcnt partisans. he seeihe
never to weary in wcll-doing. lie appears
to the people again and again 10 arouse
Themselves from their lethargy and put the
seal of their condemnation upon these
dcstroyers of the laws, the Constitution, the
pcacc and the happiness of the country.
The electoral college bill which the Pre-
sidcnt has vetoed, provides that the vote Of
mo southern State shall be counted for any
candidate for President or Vlce-pres1den'
unless the State shall he represented IN
Congress, and unless, also, the election snail
have been held under laws passed by n re-
constructed State Legislature recognlzeu oy
Congress. The President dcnounces 'hls
as another usurpation Of power, another
violation of the Constitution on the part OF
the Radicals. The provision of the Federal
Constitution bearing upon this question
Article II. section 2--is as follows /:
"Each State shall appoint, in such man
ner AS the Legislature thereof may direct, "a
number Of electors equal to the whole num-
her of senators and representatives, TO when
the State may be entitled in the Congress
lnt no senator or representative, or person
holding an Office of trust or profit under the
,I.n ln onrnIntpI cleo
tor"
So far were the trainers Of the Constltu-
ton from supposng that Congress would
ATTEMPT to exercise the power of declaring
what States should and what should not
vote that it actually prohibited any officer
of the United States from even being an
clcctor. No man who holds the most lnslg-
nificant Federal Office can he an elcctor.
Our fathers were Statcs-rightS men, ana
were determined that the Federal Govern
ment should not have any influence IN the
choice of Presidents and so they laid the
prohibition Just quoted upon its oihcers.
But how futile the effort The Jacohlns
who now control the Government, 80 far
from respecting this requirement that no
Federal oficc-hodcr should Interfere IN any
manner in the election Of n President, have
had the unblushing impudcnce 10 pass what
they call law denying to Virginia and
several other States the right to participate
in the Presidential election ut all. They
have reversed the rule Of the Constitution.
That gives to Virginia a vote and sllences
Congress. They give to Congress the right
to cast the vote of Virginia for GRANT,
and take from Virginia the right to cast
her own vote for since Congress assumes
to say that if Virginia shall vote Tor
does in effect declare that five votes less
than the constitutional number shall be
sufficient to elect GRANT-a clear, PLAIN,
palpablc, undisguised infraction OF the
Constitution. Thus If Virginia votes, 10y
electors must vote for GRANT to elect MIN
but if Virginia does not vote, l54 Will DC
sufficient. Does not every one see that
Congress, in passing such law, actually
casts five votes for GRANT Is II not pam
that Congress thus tramples under 1oot the
Constitution, which declares that not even
u Federal postmaster shall DO an elector,
and, by implication and for q much stronger
reason, that Congress shall not have aught
IA do with such election The whole power
of Congress is expressed in the Constitu-
ton in these words;
"Thc Congress may determine the time
of choosing the electors and the day on
which they shall give their votes which
day shall be the same throughout the
United States"
Beyond this Congress cannot 60 without
violating the Constitution.
The Presidents message discusses this
question boldly, fearlessly, and ably. 1t
seems to us that if our northern " breth
rem" are not stupid asses they must soon
get their eyes open to the dangers which
threaten the Government and to the mex
pressible diabolism of the Radical faction.
If they are so fortunate as to wake up be-
fore November next they will not sit down
In political idleness and see this country
forever destroyed by the election of GRANT
to the Presidency.
Virginia has the right, according to the
Presidents message, to cast her vote under
the Alexandria Constitution--that Is, the
free white male citizens of Virginia have
the right to choose ten electors to cast her
vote for SEYMOUR and BLAIR. But as the