Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-07-05


Oath was the last spasm of Welsism
tt failed signally. Not nusket left
the ranks. Mr.. Lewis, our candidate
fgr Lieutenant Governor, went to Wash
ington to see the President about the
Iest-Oath. Here is the result:
ALEXANDRIA, 5 o'clock, !
... June %, 1869
F. Stearns, Esq.
Ny Dear Sir-I had an interview
with General Grant before the meeting
of the Cabinet, and one with Secretary
Rawlins after the adjournment of the
Cabinet meeting. 1t will all be left to
the Attorney General who is absent.
Secretary Rawlins says 60 ahead with
our elections, all will be right.
! am more than plea ed with the
prospect, Have no time for particulars.
Your friend, JOHN L. LEWIS
In the following paragraph the Ra-
leigh Standard goes off half-cocked.
The agitation about the test oath was
created by Gov. Wells and the Radicals.
The True Republican party nominated
their anddates with reference to the
| 18th amend ment-and as to the test
vote we have leave from Congress and
| the President to strike that out, as we
shall do tomorrow. This paper has
always held that, under this state of
things, members of the Legislature will
have no test oath to take, but only the
oath of office. 1t was General Candy,
not the papers, who asserted that he had
required the test oath in both the Caro-
linas. The following is from the
Standard, probably from Governor
Holden -tt a5t 81
"The Democratic papers of Virginia
are constantly asserting that General
Cnubr ssauirad tho T aoislatura of
North Carolina to take the test-oath
before they were allowed to take their
seats; This is not true The only oath
required was administered by Judge
Reade, and was the simple oath OF Office
required by the constitution of the
State, which is merely an oath of ALE
| glance to the constitutions of the State
AMI United States. Members We're
only required to state that they were
not Tanned by the fourteenth amend
ment. The same was the case in South
| CAROLINA
As it is under General Grants re-
commendation, embodied in a special
message to Congress, that this election
is about to be held, and the vote upon
certain clauses of the constitution taken
separately, we can hardly conceive that
any Obstacles will be opposed by him
to the restoration of Virginia, after her
compliance with the terms which he
has himself dictated. The House res
ponded to the Presidents message
promptly, and although Congress has
yet to act upon the admission of Vir-
gnia, tbs only condition precedent to
admission designated by the act pro-
viding for an election was the incorpo,
ration of the amendment passed in the
Senate requiring the adoption by Vir-
GINA with Mississippi and Texas)of the
| fifteenth article Of amendment to the
constitution of the United States. Even
this proposition was opposed by Mr..
Trumbull, who thought it time to de-
aist from imposing new conditions of
admission, and asked, when is this
thing to end When these States
come here next session other conditions
may be imposed on them 1t is
breaking faith with them, an' it is bad
policy Perhaps the fact that it is
bad policy" if no higher motive, will
prevent the dominant party from,
breaking faith" again with Vi. sinia
because the fifteenth amendment may
fail if it does not get the votes Of Vir-
ginia, Mississippi and Texas.