Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-09-03
The Test-Oath in Virginia.
Editorial Correspondence of the Washing
ton. d. c. Express,

After period of suspense we are TOLD
at length that the President will counte
nance Candy in the enforcement of tht
Test Oath in Virginia. SO passes away
the faint hope Of wisdom and moderation
in this Administration it becomes es-
tablished that the President is under the
ban of his Radical advisers. What wa:
more than half suspected of him will fine
broad and palpable confirmation in this
piece of domestic po!icy-namely, that be
is the lay-fgure OF the Executive branch
Of the Government and that its policy is
framed and controlled by faction Of his
official subordinates These latter seem
to regard lightly the pledges which theil
Chief Magistrate has already given to the
world !; they entertain, it would seem, but
little respect for the more catholic impulse
Of his inaugural address. Aud thus the
proof that Grant has changed base under
pressure," and does not mean to fight ii
out on the line OF his inaugural, Gt it takes
all summer,) lies along-sid Of the more
melancholy issue, that his record hence
forth will be moulded by his creatures -
This record, however, will not be set down
to the account of Mr.. Boutwell, or Mr..
Creswell, (oei er a'aachiaaa,) but placed in
the reckoning of Mr.. Grant own steward
ship Of a high public trust. Tr"e, he has
had little to do with his own elevation to
the Presidency ; true, the contingency Of
greatness has been thrust upon him but
this misfortune will not secure him against
the responsibilities Of the high station to
which be has been called. BY the record
as it will be written-not as he has made
it-must he be judged.
But the most remarkable phase Of this
matter is, that in this the Radical leaders
seem to have forgotten the quality of their
cunning. If any one thing could contri-
butte - the more speedy annihilation Of
their rarty in that State it would seem to
be such an act of bad faith toward u ma
jority Of her people, and this, too, after
due tieliberation, s,tce tie result Of tie e5ec-
ton hos been made hn0t0a. BY allowing
this piece OF Legislative folly to die a natu
raj death the managers of the party utt3ht
avail themselves of the turn Of events
which put Walker into office. They might
by such a show Of magnanimity have tenn
pered the visible majority to the support
Of a milder policy toward the South, had
such policy been adopted by themselves
patient sick unto death is treated by
the skillfal physician with those soothing
stimulants to existence which, while they
may not restore health, yet serve to pro-
long life. Unless the Radical party, }lav-
ing outlived its usefulness to the public, is
predestined by law of Providence, over
which no human agency has control, to
premature perdition, the example of the
doctor with his patient should commend
itself to those having in charge it's tempo
raj well being.
The necessity of the Test Oath-if there
has been any shadow of reason for it in
the past--has now expired by common
consent, by limitation of time. The occa-
sion which brought it forth-if any occa-
sion there aoas-has passed away with four
years of patient and peaceful submission
! to the Gov crnment. No one needs to be
convinced that there is no Y no danger of
another uprising 1t the south. If no such
danger exists, no reason can be maintain
ed for the perpetuation Of the Test Oath
none, at least, which is based upon con-
siderations for the general good. AS there
is no danger of another rebellion in the
excluded States, land Test Oaths would be
far from preventing it if there were,) the
application Of the oath is q wanton prosti-
tuition Of the prerogatives of the General
Government to the misconceived ends OF
party. The result. if plainly put, will be
the practical disfranchisement of the cit1-
zens of peaceful State by foreign power
Assuming, with no warrant in the SUI
eighty of one of On aggregate of sovereign
ties, whereon and whereby alone the Gov
ernment has existence. If such measure
was not meditated for the good of the
people of Virginia, land surely they are
themselves the better Judge of what is good
for Them it must be meant for the benefit
of those who, having devised the oath, find
now convenient opportunity for its ap-
plication. The party whose representatives
urged the oath has met at the late electio n
q signal defeat in the very State it's mana
gers are now endeavoring to control by
this enactment passed by alien legislation,
in which the State of Virginia was not per-
mitted to have voice. This of itself is a
doubtful outrage, aud carries with it
a significant and damning infer
had succeeded instead of the Con
servatives there would have been
no occasion or desire to enforce
the oath =! Nay, the enforcement of the
oath entered directly into the issues of the
canvass, and was, in substance, repudia-
ted by large majority of the people. Still
worse than this the election was suffered
in due form anu without interference to
proceed, and the disfranchising clauses CT
the proposed constitution were permitted,
under the authority of the General Govern
ment, land with the express sanction Of
General Grant } to be voted down. Dis
reimbursement in the State constitution
having been repudiated, this Reputation
involves, in principle, the whole question
Of the application of the Test Oath. What
mockery does such an election become
when the people of Virginia may be rob
bed Of its most important result by the ac-
tion of Mr.. Grants Cabinet, after the vote
had been taken under his sanction and au-
thority, with machinery of his own choos-
ing, upon points Mt issue which the Cabi-
net, with Grants acquiescence, now pre-
sumo to decide in another way to suit
| themselves Would the body of the peo-
Pile have taken themselves to the polls at
all, had they foreseen that the result of the
election would not have been accepted in
good faith by the Government under whose
protection and authority they had held it?
Would they, thus encouraged, have lent
themselves to the miserable farce of rem
dering decision by the ballot upon any
question, had they conceived it competent
for little bevy of Radical officials, by a
private edict, to reverse the decision as
they gave it, and thus to nullify an express
sion of opinion directly affecting them
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