The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-03-17
The Game Of the Ultras.

R;s very clearly the policy Of the ultra
men who are in Office in this State, ana
those who expect to be in Office in few
days, to postpone indefinitely the elections.
They did not come here to restore Virginia
to TIE Union, they came here to hoio
Offices, and It Is their opinion that inc
longer the State is kept out Of the Union
the longer they will hold the ofhces. IN !.
this they make voluntary confession o. y
unworthiness, since they are afraid 70 'tus'
the Judgment of the people upon their
claims to Office
Such is their evident policy; ana all VINO
know the men know that they will make
M .noyement inconsistent with their per-
sonaa interest. They have exerted aii she'r
influence and ingenuity to defeat any
attempt to get fair election, or to after 'ns
UspgawooD constitution in any manner.
fan election was to be had, they demanded
that Il should be held according to the plan
Of the, UNDERWOOD convention; and if o
constitution was to be adopted, they de-
manded that it should be the UNDERWOOD
oonstitution-frst, because the State was
so serrymandered by the convention as to
throw the power in the hands OF the ne
oross /; and secondly, because under the
uxpEawoop constitution they would neces-
sarily hold all the Offices, as no cifizen OIL
the State who could not take the lron-ciao
oath would be eligible to Office
Quite sufficient reason for the ultras. 10
wa have had them the past winter logging
the committees Of Congress and button
boiling the members of that body, lmpio-
ring them by no means to relax the harsh
and rigid provisions Of the UNDERWOOD
constitution. With unexampled effrontery
they solemnly declared that the people Oh
Virginia were still rebellious, and that
they could not be trusted with the rights OF
citizens! p"
Governor WELLS and his brethren do not
ut oil desire an election in Virginia. This
has been their position on the subject all
the time; but they are less inclined now
than ever, as they have had their ticket
hopelessly damaged by the placing OF
negro upon it. No set of men in this Union
have greater aversion for the negro than
these men, and they fully appreciate the
danger of going into an election with the
dead weight of the negro for Lieutenant
Governor fastened upon them. There will
DO no election if they can prevent 1t.
On the other hand, the more respectable
class of Republicans-those who are here
10 stay-who have interests to be benefited
or destroyed by good or bad government
they ore not for postponing the elections
they are not for prolonging the condition OF
uncertainty and paralysis Of oil the lnte-
rests of the State. They desire to restore
the State to the Union at as early day as
possible. They 60 further: they are for
ending the day of intolerance and proscrip-
ton: they would resnfranchise the white
people of Virginia, and thus revive their
energies and spirit, and restore to the Com
monwealth their wisdom and experience.
This is what these more liberal and honor
able men are DESTROYS Of accomplishing.
We now have the worst Of governments.
It is neither civil nor military. The mill
tary is, indeed, the superior authority, but
it is exerted only as experimenting. 1t
does not penetrate into the interior of Off
cial economy, and does not act upon mere
questions of competency in office. 1t pre-
serves order, fills the Offices, and sees that
the wheels of civil authority ego through
the notion" That's all. Experienced men
have been turned away by reason of ineli-
gibility, and newcomers with little expe-
rience and less talent are filling their
places pro lorna.
This sort Of government suits nobody
but those who are in office. The intelli-
gent Republicans who ore here to reside,
and who have something in the way Of
character as we'll as property to lose, are
utterly opposed to its continuance. They
heartily sympathize with the great body of
the people in being wearied with delay and
with longing for the day Of deliverance.
They are anxious to unite with all people
who would put an end to the present state
Of things and restore good government to
Virginia.
Surely with such dispositions and their
, overwhelming motives, strength enough
may be concentrated to crush the party of
plunderers and give us government which
will inspire confidence and revive prospe-
r;tu