The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-28
General Grant and Virginia.

The result of the registration a"u
vision in Virginia has been e4"ai = so,,,o
most sanguine expectations OF our psVi -.
1t clearly places the political PoN'' y: ~
sta,o ~ Tho hands of the True Republicans
ona conservatives, and We may eesln ="
Id, .hoad and consider the process OF re-
construction to it's completion with reier.
.ncc 70 the most efficient establishment Oh
"PEAcE." .... =,
;sa matter of general knowledge tina.
,,o srs. manifestation Of really liocrai
d;snosi,ion towards Virginia in any cihcien'
form-or in any manner that carried such
force with it as gave us solid ground 1or
hono-wos from General GRANT. When
.nnroached in January last on the subject
he freely expressed his adherence OF inc
u,,rpwooD constitution, and declared that
Il was an organic law under which no peo-
Mo ought TO be made to live. He mentioned
objectionable features oil the instrument,
showing that his attention had been dlrec'co
n Il and there cannot be q doubt amongst
any of those who are familiar with his views
at that time that he had arrived at the con-
clusion that the expurgation OF those op]cc-
t;onable clauses ,rds condition precedent
to the inapquration of Peace IN INC mos
prominent Of the States thai "o@ Sece"'"
from the Federal Government.
Those views of General GRANT ne has
steadily adhered to. He never IN the IN.
,erval between January and the Attn OF
March expressed any other, and when nc
WINS clothed with the authority OF CHIEF
MAGISTRATE OF THE UNITED STATES he
kent faith with the Virginians, and hnally
fulfilled his promise by calling the atten-
ton of Congress to the Importance OF al
lowing the people of Virginia to vote upon
the infamous clauses separately from the
constitution. The Congress which had pre-
viously treated the matter with indifference
if not contempt, out Of respect to General
GRANT, acouicsccd in his wishes, and au-
thorizcd him to submit the constitution 10
the people of Virginia and also such clauses
separated from it as he deemed proper
The resolution for this purpose passed both
Houses with vote approaching unanimlty'
General GRANT desired to relieve us
from acknowledgements and disquailflca-
t;ons. He did not want to see this relief
delayed, and therefore did not wish to see
the constitution defeated and the conse-
quent delay of another convention with all
the agitation and bitterness it would entail.
He desired that we should vote out the bad
fcatures,-or the principal of them-adopt
the constitution, and, with the general right
to vote and hold Office secured to all the peo-
pie, to come into the Union promptly, and
be at peace.
He has furthermore fulfilled his intcn-
ton by so authorizing us to vote on the 9th
Of July. We have prepared for the event,
and will, under the privilege accorded to
us, abolish the Objectionable clauses, adopt
the constitution, and thus carry out the
GRANT policy and secure triumph to the
liberal party in the pending struggle.
1t is a remarkable fact, that the leader
of the illiberal party-the party in favor
of keeping the clauses denounced by Gen
cral GRANT in the constitutions Go
vernon WELLS, who is understood to have
ingratiated himself into the good graccs Of
General GRANT. Governor WELLS, during
January, February, and March, was ear
Mostly engaged in opposing the views of
General GRANT, and urging Congress, with
all lis art and influence, to grant US no
favors; not to allow us to vote on the OBJ
jectionablc clauses separately; and not
even to allow us to have new registration,
for that would add $4,000 votes to the
white vote, and destroy, he said, the Re-
publican party in Virginia. 1t is needless
to quote him here again. Our readers are
familiar with his course. :
But finally, after General GRANT had de-
tcrmincd to make his appeal to Congress,
Governor WELLS changed front, and de-
clared to General GRANT that he was in
favor of expurgating the disqualifying and
disfranchising clauses from the constitution
But he never made this revolution in his
policy public until after the lst of May, In
his GARLAND letter.
Yet, notwithstanding his change of policy
to conform to General GRANTS wishes, he
has given no satisfactory evidence OF any
real desire that the Objectionable articles
shall be left out of the constitution. lie
does not press his views upon his follow
crs-nearly all colored. He tells them 'ha'
he is against the test-oath, but that need
not affect their opinions. He may oppose
that oath and be Republican, and they
NAV sustain it and be no less Re
publican Indeed, the tone and tenor OF
his remarks on this point can be regarded
in no other light than an exhortation to the
negroes to vote for the UNDERWOOD consti-
tuition as it was originally framed. No I'M
martial man who has heard Governor WELLS
can resist the conviction that he most ar
IDENTITY desires to see the UNDERWOOD con-
stitution, with all its aboniinable features,
fastened upon the people of Virginia.
This double-dealing on the part of Go
vernon WELLS is gross. breach of good
faith to the President, who has given him
evidences of his favor. 1t is q species Of
treachery characteristic of the man, and it
is impossible that General GRANT shall not
find him out in due time and properly ap-
preciate him. TAXA
But the people of Virginia, wearied with