The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-23
Tardy but Sure.


been disappointed. The causes Of the de'
lav are annoying enough, but We should
not be tiispirited By any means. Those VINO
desire to defeat her admission, or 10 impose
upon rthc tcst-oath and kindred restrlc-
;ions. cannot succeed In their objects.
We regret the delay that has occurred.
because il has occasioned Suspicion ana
uurmurs. II would have been SO mnch
better had Congress acted frankly ana
promptly. We do not believe that 'hc
Worth is satisfied with their conduct in this
,1sileg. The New York Tribune, The most
nrominent and influential Of all the hepu'N
Hcan papers, urged prompt acton, ana u''
piores delay. The Times, understood 10
10 the organ Of General GRANT III Ne"
York. and thorough Republican ncwspa-
nor i ~ earnest IL the Tribune in It's de-
nands for Justice to Virginia. and IFS oppc-
x;,ion to DELAY. We copy the following SIN
c,rc and nervous paragraph from II, not
,hst We wish to excite public feeling here,
hut on the contrary, that we may, by
strengthening the popular convictions that
VIRGINIA is in the right, and that northern
hubble opinion sllStains her. inspire CONF
,!ence and calmnc>S
..Uad Congress accepted the suggestion,
md micklv eyinced its appreciation OF lhe
,ayoIi1tion i'm local sentiment winch me
,,boIn proceedings revealed, justice would
h,ro bcrn done to great state. and rela-
t;n,,. hin established most favorable to the
iaoal f,Iture of the Republican party. The
,;ma was propitiouS for the performance OF
inst act in a generous splrit-a spiril tha'
would have called forth heartfelt responses
from = sensitive people, and inspired con-
fiSancc with which the entire Sonth must
have .ympathizcd. But the opportunit! was
inst 'njSappointed and contemplate Office
sa.terS were allowed TO impcach the good
fo;th of a reconstruction winch tlrou2nolit
offnrded the amplest evidence OF its bona
fde character. A fcw worthless sllncerer>
were hstcnedto III preference 10 the cil'tiac-
TER. the intelligence. the enterprise, ahdlhe
Great body of the state. Suspicion WIS ri
lowed 10 take the place OF honest tr.>' 'ill-
,,rnvised tests and unauthorized demand.
we're heard OF in quarters when Siouii nave
shown maonanimouS acceptance OF Il STU
otion on its face satisfactory. SO groundless
were the imputations, so sinister the motives
of their authors, that Ex-Governor Nels,
with n franknesS which did him honor, came
forward and urged the adoption OF liberal
and conciliatorv course. He sees, as all rea-
sonable men must see, that the sole nope OF
n Republican party in the state rests upon
Congressional action which shall justify the
claims of that party to the respect ana conli'
dcnce of the Virginia people.
And still Congress hesltatcS. Virginia
j to he punished BECAUSE Georgia has
,royed itself faithiess-an act of simple JUS
lice i postponed indefinitely because pos
sible party cXigencies lnav seem 10 call loT
some further eXactlonS. There may oc
zeal in all this. but there is neither the %ooc
Saith which wins respect, nor the >agacity
which distinguishes the policy OF the states
man from the trickcry of the partisan.
We cannot feel deserted when we have
such Il champion of our rights as the Times
That paper may speak plainly a IL speaks
truthiuslv on this subject, and Its sentiments
and views cannot be set down to ON ac-
count. But let Us. while taking much con-
ISOLATION from what that paper and its able
Republican contemporaries say OH this
troublesome question, preserve our p@-
fence. and. relying upon our right ana thc
integrity al our acts and attitude. feel no
apDrehension about the ultimate action ot
Congress in admitting our representatives.
The Georgia ease only delayed ours. II
rather increases the conviction that no re-
~triction will be placed upon Us that vii!
change the relations of the constituent and
representative body of Virginia.
What was the condition of Georgia! Her
LEGISLATURE, among its members, had several
or many persons who could not hold ofllc'
uuder the fourteenth amendment. The fact
was overlooked by al parties; and the body
denied the right of negroes 10 hold seats.
Yet Congress really has done Ito more than
rule out those who are not qualified under
The fourteenth amendment, and require the
reseating of those who We're expelled on &C
count Of color. 1t imposes TWO oathS. The
fist only snakes member OF the Georgia
LEGISLATURE swear that he il not disqualified
under the fourteenth amendpent. the
second oath requires member TO swear.
in such case, that he has been relieved rom
his disabilities by net of Congress.
Indeed. the oath prescribed is tanta-
mount TO the voter'S oath, well understood
in this State.
This. then. is all that is demanded OF
Georgia, save that she is required TO adop'
the fifteenth amendment to the Consttu-
ton before she shall be admitted TO repre-
sentation.
Now. then, if Georgia, after having eH-
Oelled the negroes from her Legislature, l.
required to do not one Wh't more thdn 'T-
giata has done. how can We imagine lha'
Congress will require single addl-
tional condition of Virginia! 1t Is
impossible. upon any ordinary ground
of reasoning, to come to the conclu-
sion that it will. Towards Georgia the
resentment of Congress was bitterly aroused.
Towards Virginia there is positively moi
the slightest ground for the proyocation OF
resentment. How can Congress VISIT VIZ
"iniu with conditions harder than those IT
imposes upon Georgia: Georgia had men,
hers in her Legislature who were dlsGual-
fed under the fourteenth amendment. Inc
Radicals, including the negroes, conniVed
at this and then the majority, including the
DISQUALIFIED. uuseated the negroes and
seated those white men who were next
highest on the polls, This act was ndeien-
sible; and yet Georgia u required 10 10
only ,rhat Virginia has done,
We have no apprehension on HIS sub
ject. The New York Times fifty censures
the Injustice done TO Virginia simply d!
DELAY. 1t is unfortunate but that, we are
sure, is all. Congress cannot and Will not
exact any more from Virginia than 1t has
done from Georgia. No negroes have
been disturbed here and General CASBf
;ook care that no person elected not
a,idble under the fourteenth amendment