Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-10-04
PUBLIC LEDGER.
GENERAL HOAR AND
THE ELECTION OF SENATOR'S
FROM VIRGINIA


have Virginia reconstructed and brought
back into the Usion according to red
tape, fears to stir, even so much as
hairs breadth, without the opinion OF
President Grants Attorney General to
fortify him. At first it was matter OF
some doubt whether the Legislature OF
Virginia could Assem- bic and ratify the
Fifteenth Amendment without hrst
taking the iron-clad oath Then, after
that question had been decided In the
affirmative, another arose as to the power
of the Legislature to elect United States
Senators before the admission by
Congress of the State sgain into the
Unisu. The Attorney General was ad-
dressed by letter from Gen. Candy, asking
his opinion upon the latter and moo,ed
question, which opinion has beea rem
dared and forwarded to the headquarters
Of the First Military District at Rich
moud. The opinion is in favor Of the
power OF the Legislature 10 eject Senators
on tia assembling on the 9Th of October,
which is to morrow. Why Gen. Candy
should be in doubt about the matter is
little surprising, for it certainly has been
the practice of States asking for sdnis.
sion into the Orion to do SO with all their
representatives. elected to both branches
of Congress
The election is preliminary only, and
the members elected have DO authority
to act or duties to perform until Congress
sees ct to admit the State with the rest
thai compose the Federal Union; and
then. even would the right to seats in the
National Legislature. by these representa-
tives be passed upon. and determined
only BY the members of the respective
houses to which they have been elected
In no event could it be supposed that the
Legislators OF virginia would De acting
hastily and without authority, since
there could be no harm arising
from the people expressing their pre-
ference for representatives in Congress.
Why then should Gen. Candy kick mp
a dust and create hubbub about mat
ter that certainly did not concern him 80
military commander of the First Districtf
II appears TO our mind as it the peo-
ple of thar State are hot to be allowed
any privileges unless they sSst The no.
tons and ideas of two upstairs and self
constituted despots-tbe Attorney Gene'
al and The commander of the district
We would ask Gen. Candy The question,
BY what right would he assume 70 sntsr'
fare with the sction of the Virginia Leg
isla,ure should the members thereof con-
clude to pass and do any other act
preliminary, and to take feet only after
Virginia was sovereign State7 Such
course would not be in violation OF the
reconstruction laws, because they do
not inhibit-and in reason could not-the
acts of body which pretends TO have
no authority until the State is State in
the Union, and until the reconstruction
laws shall be nudity on the statute
book. Poor down-trodden and OPP
pressed Virginia, the mother Of
statesmen and the land of heroes J
What will the future historian of this
county think when he is called upon to
note the fact that the mother State Is
now at this time sat upon, and her peo-
pie judged by two Northern selfstyled
rulers, who lords it over the Old Do
minion as IL her people were subjects
and not freemen born. Think for mo
ment-tbe people OF Virginia on
Blended knees before the headquarters Of
a little satrap asking permission to elect
representatives to CSngressi How, in
deed, have the mighty fallen.