The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-23
! EDITORIAL coRREspoNDExcE.
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WASHINGTON. january 81 1860. s

'Ns'ihSNaSNf ouhuAE GlJ JCOJs
The Reconstruction Committee Of TIL
House Was TO- day the centre of attractio,
on the subject of the restoration Of Vir
.ginia. Those self-styled "loyalist
strangers" in Virginia who have TO
three long, long years had the undivided
attention, Of leading Republicans, shapin,
measures pretty much to suit themselves
becoming highly indignant that anybod!
should come here from Virginia teachin,
things different from what they have
taught, have massed their forces here to b'
thrown pell-msll upon the committee o
"nine I" with 8 view to their, annihilation
As you have known, they have for many
z days been working with great activity, oy
personal interviews with congressman, 'e
prejudice the "new movement" fester'
2 day and to-day their proceedings became
, more formal and public. They appeared
before the Reconstruction Connil'.ee. ita'
Z ing only arrived to-day, was no' present
at Yesterdays proceedings before the com
mittee. To-day the " loyalists," 80 called
appeared in force. Governor Wells headed
the column, and Whittlesey and Fields Cook
brought up the tail. Mr.. Chandler and our
friend Boniface Rye were present; also
Clements, the Second Auditor Of Virginia
in embryo. ..,...-.... .s
The Virginia committee of nine were
present, but none of them were interro
gated. The time appropriated to Virginia
was exhausted by Governor Wells. an
sure you could write down the substance Of
what that gentleman said without hearing
what he did say but, for sake of those
who may not know him so well, will briefly
state the tenor Of his statements.
?, Governor Wells {" the gentleman from
Michigan W said, in reply to Mr.. Beck and
10 General Payne of WISCONSIN, THAI he did
not believe that loyal men would be safe
from wrong and outrage if the white peo-
pie of Virginia were all enfranchised he
believed that the only mode of protecting
them would be to adopt the constitution
made by the Underwood convention as /.
was; he was satisfied that the adoption
of the plan Of the committee of SHINE y
would break down the Republican party
and destroy the last hope of loyal
lists" in Virginia; he was sure the
people Of Virginia, whatever they might
say now, would in few years take away
the rights of the negro unless the Republl-
can party became strong enoug h to protect
them and the only way to secure strength
to that party was to give it power to direct
the restoration Of the State-none but the
Republican party could secure justice to all
classes and rebuild the State-there could
DE 10 Justice, no education, no prosperity,
save through the Republican party-tha'
party would invite immigration, insure the
safe investment of capital, and put Virgil
MIA in a way of rapid Improvement. he
assured the committee that there were ten
millions of dollars ready at this time to be
brought into the State under Republican
auspices to build railroads, ETC., etc.
lie declared that the new movement
had not the support of Virginians-
that he did not believe that ten thousand
white people in Virginia would support it
that if it was carried it would have to be
carried by Republican votes; but the he-
publican party would not vote for it-they
were opposed to reconstructing Virginia In
that way they would be willing to see the
whites enfranchised after few years,
aohen 1t could be done safely: but not
now. 1t was asked whether, if the
plan of the nine succeeded, the loyal men
would have anything to compensate
them for the concession that would be
made. He replied, "None whatever"
Mr.. Beck asked some pointed questions,
which were in the main shirked by one of
the most artful dodgers " it has ever been
my fortune, or misfortune, to know any
thing about. Mr.. Beck barbed an inter-
rogatory the object of which was to draw
out from the respondent whether 1t was not
his opinion that Virginia could only be
safely restored under the direction of him
self and his co6perators. His answer was
an assertion of the highest sort Of patriotic
motives-that he was utterly unseltish-
end only meant to contend that it was only
under the principles Of Republicanism that
the State could be successfully and happily
restored
Being asked something about the party
organic ltion in Virginia, he said that there
were three subcommittee in each county
and q central committee in Richmond-that
these committees undertook to recommend
men for the removal of their disabilities,
and that Congress ought not to remove dis
abilities from anybody that was not so re-
commcnded-i. e., by the county commit
tees, endorsed by the central. Congress
merits Of citizens of the State of Virginia
as those committees, etc. In short, this
Governor assumed that the people of Vir-
ginia, who pay his salary, were still rebels,
and must be chained yet for time, while
he and his satellites governed them-of
course (which he did not mention) filling
themselves lucrative Offices, and having the
power and opportunity to manipulate the
stocks and property of the State, and
making, by hook or by crook, all the money
that they could Individually, irrespective
Of the general welfare of the State and the
nation! Meantime none were to be re-
stored to rights without their appreciation.
So bald and impudent statement made
the carpet-baggers themselves laugh in
their sleeves. 1t was notifying to see two
of the committee putting leading questions
to so swift and interruptions witness as
Governor Wells. 1t has been my lot in life
to hear vast deal of testimony from, quite
an army Of witnesses, but never in my life
have listened to evidence which upon its
face was 30 shameless and deliberately
false.
Republicans who were present, and who
had selected Governor Wells to speak for
them, giving him instructions as to what he
should say, declared that he had violated
his instructions, and said what they did not
approve.
Mr.. Rye (who was addressed as "Judge u
by Mr.. Boutwell came forward ut the con-
lclusion of Wells's testimony aud declared
that that gentleman had correctly spoken
the opinions of the Republican party o
Virginia on the subject. And Mr.. Ryedid
this notwithstanding that he had just be-
fore emphatically declared that he differed
widely from Governor Wells. When he
made his statement to tho committee about
the concurrence Of the Republican party il
what Wells said, he was asked if individll-
ally he agreed with Governor Wells, and