The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-17
8ithmond 1ispattI1.


upon the political history OF This country
At no period since the beginning OF thu
war has the public feeling and sentiment
been so sensitive, so susceptible OF lasting
impressions. The wrongs of war don'
under the heat of passion and the raging
spirit of revenge cannot be treasured W
vindictively by just and generous commu'
mites but the expressions and pcrsecu'
tons deliberately invented and unrclcnt'
ingly imposed in the absence Of war, while
all wise and good people are endeavoring tt
subduc the passions which war engcndered
and to restore harmony and concord to the
lately divided and distracted nation, can
not be forgotten, cannot be excused by th'
most forgiving spirit, and will exert a con
troll over the political conduct Of men aS
long as any of the actors of the day arc
left to fret their brief hours upon the stage
Of life.
So true is this, and so evident to men OF
ordinary reflection, that it IS hard to &c
count for n deliberate scheme framed by
any man to distress an unoiending public
TO seek to stile the public will fairly eX-
pressed under the authority of law and
in entire conformity with the requirements
of the ruling power. If we assume that
the authors of measures having tins effect
think it safer to avail themselves Of q pre-
sent advantage, through the violent exercise
of arbitrary authority, than to trust their
merits to the Judgment Of an untrammellcd
public opinion, we have q solution but one
carrying with it enduring dishonor and self
condemnation of those authors. Or, again,
If VIC assume that prejudice and tanatl-
cism combining with ignorance arc the au-
thors Of these wrongs, We have q solution
vet more deplorable; for dishonest men
may reform, and ~rascals may be practic&-
bic and sensible, and under q sense OF what
is best for themselves as well as the COM
munity, they may become serYiceable to
the public. But your fanatic, your narrow
minded bigot, you can never make anything
good or practical out Of.
But no matter how we account for the
short-sightcd and gratuitous policy which
at n period like this would cmbit'cr thc po-
litical waters and turn the sweet springs OF
national concord and social harmony into
gall, we repeat that it would have an all
pcryading and enduring effect i'll this M
ton.
Virginia, under the kind policy Of Gene
~ y 1:.:.oJ In,. FOO ,c-huG
warmed up her heart towards the National
Govcrnmcnt-and entered upon the work
of reconstruction with n chccrfulnccs and
sincerity chat ignored the many disappoint-
ments, the long delay, and the years Of
gloom and sorrow her people had suffered.
Never did Il people emerge from such aftic-
ton with so noble a spirit, with an impulse
90 patriotic, 20 obcdicnt to the will OF q
Government which had metcd out to them
20 many harsh measures. The grand old
State came forward out Of her gloom in all
her beauty and grace, arraycd in bright
ness and dignity, animatinG her children
to turn their backs upon the past, to dcVotc
themselves to the future, and attaching
themselves heartily to their National Go
vcrnmcnt to do all in their power to pro-
mote its greatness, its honor, and its glory.
And to these c~ounscl5 they were loyal.
They did all that was required Of them,
and they accompanied their acts with
the spirit of public devotion and the
frank and un~dissemblcd sincerity Of honest
citizens. They went even further than the
conception of a general attachment to their
Government. Under a sense Of gratitude
to the President for the opportunity secured
TO them by him of voting down the exccra-
bic clauses Of the constitution, which were
n disgrace to the nation, the people Of Nir-
ginia became friends OF the Federal Ad-
ministration, and had a question arisen
upon which might have been given a more
clear expression Of their sentiment for
General GRANT than the concmring in his
reconstruction policy, her voice would have
been as nearly unanimous as the sentiment
Of so great an aggregate population could
ever be.
NO", llCH, VIZ SIA W uuii'A puSh ="
frame of the public mind? Who does not
sec the vast influence it must exert in re-
storing harmony to the country and giving
new life and vigor to the national Senti-
mcnt? Who so dull as not to see how such
n spirit-such unrestrained good will and
spontaneous action-soothes the national
mind, dissipates the passions of WAR, and
inspires all the gentle and joyous emotions
Of rEACE-thOSe emotions that are indiS-
pcnSuLle to q restored Union and Il pros
Porous and contented republic
SHALL. THESE NOBLE IMPuLSES-TlIESE
PATRIOTIC FEELINGs-GE R~EPELLED AMI
EuDELY CRUSHED? Shall the popular SEN
timent through which they appear be OBJ
structed and frustrated? Shall a people
who have thus shown attributes grandcl
than any they have displayed in the battle
field, be treated as slaves-as having mer-
tied by their self-abnegation, their obedi.
cnce to law, and their submission TO autho,
rity, only further expressions ?-renewed
distrust and test-oaths ! Will General GRANT
fail to seize so grand an opportunity to pop
u!arizc his administration and do that whicl
will be ennobling to himself and an honor
to mankind in recognizing and trusting thi!
admirable popular manifestation
The great event of this year in Virgins
cannot be treated slightingly. 1t was The
sounding of the popular chord which founo
It's echoes throughout the nation. 1t was q
- pI oya,tura so full of national hormo.