Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-05-25
RULE OR RUIN.


and proposed by the enemies of recon-
stluction to defeat it in this State. Artful
in their tactics, they are also fertile in
ingenious theories, and are continually
thrusting before the public new devices
by which their darling object may either
be promoted or obtained. They encroach
upon the gullibility of the people and
as one by one their theories are exploded
and their expediants fail, they are ready
with another, which, in the temper of
the public mind, they must be prepared
to see fail also but still, it MAY unsettle
some persons opinions and deceive him
in his action.
These ill-considered suggestions and
expedents but family conceal the real
opposition to the Union and to the re-
construction of Virginia which are the
mainsprings of them ALL The restless
and dissruntled spirit, which must now
see and know its own defeat, can have
no rest. Very plainly the signs all point
to one result-the whole course of events,
the whole action of the representatives
of the people and of the people them
selves-all indicate, Enthusiastically, that
they have made up their minds to carry
Virginia into the Union under the plan
of General Grant and the Committee of
Nine.
Last week the Norfolk Virginian put
forth its dismal, lugubrious and exceed
ingly gloomy appeal to Raleigh It.
Daniel to call together again the State
Convention. For what purpose To
unite the fragmentary elements of OPP
position to reconstruction. There could
have been no other purpose; for at its last
meeting the question of calling.a popu-
lar convention wat discussed and set
tied. The Virginian land one or two
other presses) refused to submit to the
decision; nor would these presses pro-
badly submit t. any decision adverse to
their own views. Hence they must be
regarded as in rebellion against the
great body of True Republicans and
Conservatives in the STATE.
But the Virglnian of Monday un~
dertook to instruct the people" How
to make Nominations. it may be
that the people who favor reconstruct
ton do not IN Ter stand this part OF their
business; and, ii 20, they have heard
the saying that lit is sometimes wise to
take counsel ftom their enemies.
Let us see whether the counsel of the
Virgiuian is what We stand ia need of.
Norfolk must be we'll represented
in the next General Assembly" "It
is delicate task to harmonic the con-
fctiug clements which we have il our
midst; Northern and native born pep
pie. True Republicans and Conserva-
tives, expuryators and no constitution
men are curiolsly tangled up" The
nominations for the General Assembly
should be given to tho best men we
can find among the old residents of our
CITY," Plausible but not strengthy, as
Chief Justice Ruffin once said of an
exceedingly tangled argument at the
bar.
But the gist of the Virginian's ar
ticle may be found in the concluding
paragraph:
=" We again beg our people, while en-
deavoring to defeat the test-oath and
DISTINGUISHING clause, while battling to
strike Gown the Constitution as whole.
to enGeavor at the same time to secure
the best government for the State prac-
ticable under the circumstances, To
this end let our people take counsel to-
gether and bring out their best men
available for office"
Out jumps the cat from the bag at
once, and the whole secret is revealed
delicate and cautious as is the concep-
ton. Battling to strike down the
Constitution as whole !" The ib~