The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-25


held in respect and confidence. All who
thus came to live with us and cast their lot
with ours were heartily welcomed. They
would he ever received with open arms,
ard would always be respected and valued
as useful members Of society. The carpet
heggcr could never be regarded except with
contempt in Virginia. Hurt him we would
not, in his person or in his rights. He
could be safer in these nowhere else. But
we claimed tho right which belonged to the
meancst creature on carth-to withhold
| from him our respect.
MIR. Baldwin called the attention of the
committee to the patent triple-acting, self
feeding machinery explained yesterday by
Governor Wells. 1t consisted of commit
tee Of three in each county. (Mr. Baldwin
wondered that it was not TOUR, SO there were
four principal Offices in e2cl county, This
committee wnS to receive the application of
every man in the county who wanted to
have his disabilities removed, and pass
| upon il; bit no man holding an office could
nave his application considered. He must
first disgorge-resign; that wss sine
| qotH non. The cfficc vas wanted. Now,
after receiving and passing upon an appli-
tee. and if it was fortunate enough to get
| through there, it had finally TO receive the
| endorsement Of General Wells himself be-
fore il WAS forwarded, duly recommended,
to Congress; and that body had been in
formed that it would be highly imprudent
for it 10 relieve any one from disabilities
who had not run the gauntlet Of these COM
mittees and obtained the f4al approval of
Governor Wells. lie would make no COM
ment on such extraordinary machinery as
this. He left i, to the :. gment Of the
| committee.
| MIR. Baldwin was intcrroyated briefly
| only by Mr.. Boutwell,, who stated that the
| Government felt obliged 20 Uuion men in
| the South, and would not lie willing to
| place them in position Of danger. They
| must be protected. lie saw the difficulty
of exscting any guarantee of the people of
| Virginia with this view, or, rather, he saw
| the difficulty of giving such guarantee but
| he desired Mr.. Baldwin to state what he
| could say on this point.
Elr. Is. replied in substance with an
earnestness and fervor that must have i'm
| pressed even Mr.. Boutwell, that he be-
| !ieved the people of Virginia were incapa-
| Ole of partiality or cruelty in the admins
| ;ration oS Justice, and that those called
'tloyal" or Union men would be rs safe in
| Virginia as they could be anywhere on
earth. He believed that a large majority
Of the people Of Virginia sustained the
| movement attempted to be carried out by
this committee, and, speaking upon his
honor as a Virginian and gentleman, he
| believed they were acting in good faith,
--IYh h
would carry out the laws in all fairness
| and equality to all men and classes. Their
| past conduct, their patience, and respect
for law, that had maintained the most per-
feet order in the recent period of agitation
| and irritation, were, he thought, the evi-
| ience that they we're 10 be fully trusted.
| have given you the most imperfect
| analyris of Mr.. BIS remarks, which were
listened TO with attention by the committee.
At Mr.. Baldwin's suggestion, Mr.. Frank
| lin Stearus, OF Richmond, was requested by
The committee to state what he could on the
! subject. Mr.. Stcarns very briefly declared
that the people Of Virginia, in his opinion,
| had III heart and truth accepted the situa-
| tion-that they had hoped something from
| the Democrats, but when that party was
| defeated they gave up that hope, and were
| aow ready for restoration under the recon
| struction laws. He believed that more
| han half the property holders of Virginia
! favored the plan Of the committee of nine,
| tnd were ready to submit to negro suffrage
| IN good faith, and TO make the best of it..
| He further declared his faith in the integ-
rity and purity of the judiciary of the circuit
courts and the Court Of Appeals of Virginia.
| II Il hob 10
| There had been some evidences Of bad feel
| ing in a few localities, and some decisions
| Of the magistrates courts under that
feeling; but this was disappearing, and he
aow believed that justice was secure in
| Virginia to all men.
He assured the committee that if Virginia
we're restored under the pending consttu
ton, with the te5t-oath and distranchising
| clause and the county organizations stricken
| out Virginia would Immediately 60 Oh to
| rise and prosper III a wonderful manner.
Mr.. Stearns was most emphatic in his as
surances 10 the committee that the State
government thus restored and organized
would be disposed and able to protect all
classes, and 10 maintain perfect order and
equality.
The statement Of Mr.. Stearns was brief
and lucid, and listened to with the deepest
interest 10y all present. His out-spoken
honesty and earnest emphasis must have
ca ried conviction OF the sincerity of his
declarations. BY this manly and patriotic
| act Of Mr.. Stearns he entities himself to the
lasting gratitude of the people of Virginia.
His statement, compared with the duplici1y
Of Governor Wells, is like message from
deayen, bearing peace and healing on its
wings, whilst the evidence Of Wells resem-
bled the utterings of the forked tongue Of
the tcmpter in Paradise, which were to bring
strife aud death into the world.
After few words from Colonel Wigfall
Qate Of the Federal army, now q citizen
OF Carroll county. Va, the committee ad-
iourned. The Colonel is native Of Penn
sy!vauia, but is now land-holder and re-
sideut OF Carroll. He testified to the fair
treatment of good people from the North
and elsewhere who came to Virginia to re-
side.
Thus ended the day on reconstruction.
The admirable statement of Mr.. baldwin
and the important asseverations cf Fir,
Stearns did, / am sure, a great deal e god
anl helped to fix more firmly II be -cercct
of Congress the plan of the committee #
nino.
Governor Wells and his clic,o, 80 0"ch
reduced in numbers by til" e-rchat'cn
from his relentless and homeopathic ro'lc'',
are much iisgruntled y the hcro~ehlc 1r,1
manly conduct of Mr.. Stearr". Tie re
still here, and will never giTc ". SIP
pose, until Congress decides fna ly ar"'re5s
them as l hope and believe it ill.
A word as TO the Situation. 70 havc n