The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-06

public on the terms prescribed by Congress a
few months ago. General Canby's indication
of purpose to impose the ''iron-clad' oath
on the newly chosen Legislature was never
prompted by the Northern Republicans, and
is generally regretted by them. OF all who
have discussedit, at least nine-tenths have re-
garded it with disfavor Mr.. Kelley there
fore, fights phantom of his own creation.
Let us recall attention to the order of
events:--
l. The people of Virginia were invited by
Federal authority to hold a Constitutional
Convention and reconstruct their State
through its action
=. The conservatives (ex-Rebels) attempted
to carry that convention on the basis of no
political rights for colored men, made a des-
perate struggle, and were badly beaten.
.. The Republicans (mainly colored) carried
two-thlrds of the convention, and made therein
a thoroughly national Constitution, wherein
the equal rights of the colored men were
guaranteed in the strongest manner. If this
constitution does not secure those rights. we
see not how any one could.
4. The convention further proceeded to
disfranchise and exclude from office all those
who had taken conspicuous part in the late
Rebellion.
.. General Grant, on the appeal of the con-
servatives, submitted these disfranchising
clauses to separate votes from the residue of
the Constitution. And, in the election Just
held, the conservatives, acting with a minori-
ty OF the Republicans, have voted down the
proscrlptive clauses by very large Majority
and have chosen their State officers and Legis-
lature, while the residue of the Constitution
is ratified by an almost unanimous vote.
Now, then, it seems to us that the ma
Jorlty has done right in every case-right in
voting down the conservatives when they
undertook to prescribe the blacks: right in
voting down that larger section of the Re
publcans who attempted to prescribe a large
portion of the whites. And we propose that
the majority shall rule. We protest against
the eXaction of the test oath as meditated by
General Candy; we want the leading conser-
vatives to take their seats in the new lepisla-
ture, swear fidelity to the new Constitution.
and ratify the fifteenth amendment: and we
want the State admitted thereupon to repre-
sentation in Congress and to ali the rights of
self-government, And so, we are confident.
do very large majority of the Northern
people. Then what is Mr.. Kelley grumbling
at And why does he talk of the Federal
Government spending four hundred millions
per annum, when, apart from the payments
of debt, its entire outgoes are not a third of
that sum ? If he is coming back into the
Union, why not talk as though he belonged
here
AS to our Radical correspondent. we cant
help telling him that we think those who con-
cocted and put through the proscriptve
clauses Just voted down are fairly responsible
for much of the bitterness evinced by the late
Rebels whereof he complains. Suppose he
owned a thousand acres of land, and forty
black men, living thereon and dependent on
him for employment. shelter, and food, were
to vote that he should nevernore vote or hold
Office, perhaps he would like it, and then
again perhaps he wouldn't. And if he didn't,
he might somehow evince his displeasure. 1t
is the foolish attempt to disfranchise oppo-
nents that has divided and temporarily pros
trated the Republicans of Virginia, and they
are blind bats if they don't see it and govern
themselves accordingly. And, if they do, they
will soon recover their lost ascendancy. They
must not hope to rule at the expense Of funda-
mental Republican principle.
We believe we have now given all the space
we need to the late Virginia election. ''Let
us have peace.