The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-11

member that great majority of all the per.
sons who are now asking for amnesty have
ever since the surrender of the armies Of the
Confederacy protested In unmeasured terms
their loyalty to the Government Of the United
States as well as their desire for peace and re.
storation, and at the same time they opposed
with remarkable unanimity the adoption OF
the fourteenth article and every other mea.
sure calculated to produce either amnesty te
the individuals, or reconstruction, restoration
and peace to the State; and even now they re.
assert their opposition to one of the most
prominent results of the war--suffrage TO the
citizen without regard To race or color, agree.
ing to submit to 1t only as price Of their OWE
enfranchisement.
.HIn view Of this fact we ask that amnesty
shall not be granted or disabilities removed
until after the constitution Is submitted to-
and an election been had by, the people OF the
Commonwealth, for we believe that this event
which is likely soon to occar, will afford the
best op opportunity of ascertaining whether the
great body Of those persons asking for amnesty
ara in such harmony with the congressional
plan of reconstruction as to render 1t proper
that congressional amnesty should be exercised
In their behalf.
stWe shall be able to determine whether
factious opposition is to be continued; whether
the freedmen are to be intimfdated or inter.
fered with in any way in the exercise Of their
newly. acquired rights and privileges; whe-
ther the congressional plan of reconstruction
is further to be resisted; whether bitterness,
strife, and animosity, Is to be continued, or te
give place to harmony, justice, and good feel.
1--WE think it is not too much to ask that
the professions now made should have the
powerful support of consistent acts; and
these be performed before universal amnesty
be extended or personal disabilities be re-
moved.n
The following addition was made to the
report on motion Of member Of the Club
"The serious lessons taught us by the result
of the operations Of the law of amnesty in the
States of Maryland and Kentucky, and the
betrayal of pledged faith in the States OF
Georgia and louisiana, demonstrate the
actual necessity OF the adoption of the course
recommended above, and has taught us the
great necessity Of being jealous Of our rights
as freemen." ~5
In accordance with the report, Messrs.
Wells, Rye, Humphreys, and Boiling, were
appointed on. the committee to present the
memorial, the President being empowered
to appoint other members should he think
proper to do 30. The committee leave for
Washington this morning.
On motion, q committee composed OF
Messrs. Samuel, Reed, Porter, Painter, and
Richards, of the Association, were appoint
ed to communicate with Horace Greeley to
get his views on the new movement. The
meeting then adjourned.
The committee, we understand, will dc
every thing possible to counterbalance what
ever effect the visit of the Conservative
committee to Washington may have. 1t il
plain that there is some uneasiness in the
Radical camp, which fact alone should give
some weight to the new movement ever
among those bitterly opposed to it.