Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-05-15
Lee and the Virgtnians.

Our California hunkers who are still flourish
ing the scalping knife and screeching the insane
war-song against radicalsm, seem to be getting
into as ridiculous position as that of the etho-
plan minstrel who unconsciously keeps caperng
after all his companions have quietly left the
stage. While the San Francisco Examiner is
mouthing as furously as ever about the wrongs
of rebels, and calling Lincoln "a curse to his
country and to his race, the Southern Opinion,
Richmond journal, started for the express pur-
pose of advocating the lost cause, tells US that
9" the distinct Southern principles upon which
the paper was founded are dead in the hearts of
the people" and the editor expresses the pro-
found conviction that g no cause, however just
| and good can outliye defeat" While our DEM
ocratic journals and our Democratic Senator are
denouncing negro suffrage as crime, the ff-
teenth amendment an outrage, and express
ing the deepest sympathy for what the South is
to suffer from those causes, Lee and the Virgin
ians quietly accept these measures as a matter
of course, and tell they have no appreLensions
of "negro domination,'i but only seek universal
amnesty with universal suffrage. Even that
big-a1 of the Kuk-klux Ned Forrest shocks the
faithful by expressing more liking for the negro
| than for the Union white man and while our
California patriots are doleful over the terrible
suferings shall endure in this State from let
ting few negroes vote, he broadly declares in
favor OF importing fresh stock from Africa
deeming their labor specially fitted for and val
! liable to the South, and preferring them to other
! foreign immigrants. The conservative" con-
vention Of Virginia unite in recommending COM
plete acquiesceuce in negro enfranchsement, and
insist only upon the removal of the test oath ,
and other restrictions upon the rebel class. We
submit that, in view of these and similar facts,
| our California Democrats must soon become con-
scious that they are making themselves very
ridiculous by struttiug and gesticulating upon a
platform which its own builders have deserted.
The Supreme court has taken away their last
hope, by showing that the radical structure is
sound in all its parts. The dogmas of race and
class, by which they sought to make prejudice
overrule reason, have been discarded by those
most interested practically in their application
The hfteenth amendment, which is really moth
ing more than national adjustment of repre-
sentation to the situation as it is will be ratified
by States In which its evil effect if there were
any, would be tenfold greater than in California
Here, the consequence of its rejection would be
to reduce our representation, while its passage
would scarcely affect us in any way. Tue same
may be said of other dead issues which inveter-
ate hunkers are trying to galvanize into life.
Ihey have little or no practical bearing in this
State, while they have been accepted as settled
IN the States where their effect was really felt
Virginia has been as obstinate in its pride and
passion as any Of the rebel eleven Lee is now,
as heretofore, merely an echo of her aristocratic
clans; and his expressions may be taken as sig
nihcant of surrender in the last ditch-of po-
litical controversy, just as complete as his rem
dering up of the battle issue to Grant at Apo
matox. Then let us have no more demagogy
after the day is lost. Since the leaders have
left the stage, let the clowns follow. Otherwise,
we must regard them as giving US farce after
the tragedy.-Sacramento Union