Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-04-13
Gen. Stoneman's Report.

we give below extracts from Gen. Stone
man S report of his administration of affairs in
Virginia.
Number of officers in the State, 5,445; num-
Der filled by General Schofeld, 532 number
filed by General Stoneman, 1872; number able
to take the oath, 329 number of vacancies yet
to be filled, 2,613.
How many of those recently appointed will
not accept, cannot qualify or will be unable to
furnish the requisite bonds, remains to be seen,
and this number should be added to the vacan-
cies yet to be filled.
In accounting for the very small number of
persons in the State who can take the tcst-oath
of Office it must be taken into consideration that
Virginia was one great battlefield during the
war that there was small chance for escape
from the rigors ofthe conscrpt laws that near
ly every man was directly under the eye and
control of the Confederate government, and
that some time or other nearly every one gave
laid, countenance, counsel, or encouragement
to persons engaged in armed hostility to the
government Of the United States and besides,
once having engaged in the war, probably no
portion of the Southern people, old and young,
male and female, were more earnest in its pro-
SecutlOn.
The conclusion will force itself upon every in
telligent mind that if, with all the efforts that
have been made and the latitude that has been
allowed the Offices in the State have not been
filled by competent persons, they certainly can
not be filled when the restrictions Of any one
party are to be observed and complied WITH as
will be the case upon the adoption Of the pro-
posed constitution. under which it is desired by
some that the people of Virginia shall be forced
to live and to the requirements of which they
are expected TO consent.
As to the character and qualifications of those
appointed, though they are not in all cases what
could be desired, yet they are, In the main, the
best that the material afforded.
The fact should be taken into consideration
that they in most cases came from that class OF
persons who never before bad been trusted by,
and in many cases are comparative strangers to,
the people
Many were found who were willing to take
the test-oath, and who, at some time, upon In
vestigation, were proved to have been amongst
the most active participants in the rebellion.
These, with zeal ever animating new con-
verts, were willing to take almost any oath
which would secure them recognition and an
office. Discretion was very necessary In making
selections from this class. Very many who were
known to have been Union men before, during.
and since the war, have not found it compati-
bic with the dictates of their conscIences to sub
scribe to the oath required by law, and the ser
vices of such have been lost to the State.
My definition Of loyalty to the government
has been more comprehensive than the one a
dopted by some political photographers who
would restrict its application to those, and to
those only, who were willing to pledge them
selves to vote for this or that candidate for some
high Office, the number of the loyal thereby be-
ing inversely proportlonate to the number of
! candidates
That mistakes, and that some improper selec-
tons have been made, cannot be denied this,
under all the circumstances and restrictions.
was to be expected, and in time can be partial
ly remedled.
That those deemed not the most ft worthy
and competent, and their friends, should be dis
approbative, disappointed and dissatisfied, is
natural. The hostility of such is to be antici pat
ed, but not to be feared or dreaded.
The financial condition of the State is, all
things being considered, as good as could be ex-
pected it's material interests are not prosperous
and its political situation speaks for itself.
The only claim of any importance against the
State which has been ordered to be paid was
one for reporting the proceedings of the Consti-
tutional Convention.
The general quiet and good order that has
existed throughout the State since my last re
port, and even now exists, is, under all the cir
cumstances, worthy of special notice and par
ticular attention.
In the administration Of civil affairs, the fact
has not been lost sight Of that civil law still ex-
listed in the State and that the courts of justice
were open to all alike; nor of the other fact
that the people of Virginia were still citizens of
the United States, and as such amenable to
the laws and entitled to their protection.
1t is reported, on what foundation we do not
know, that MIR. Walker, nominated for Cover
nor by the Dissatisfied Wing" Of the Radica
party, is now thought by some of the friends Of
the newest movement" not to be the best man
that might have been selected for the posi-
tion-we mean the best for an electioneerirg
campaign, and for conducting a canvass. He
is a business man, and has made money since
the war-but other requisites are wanting. Il
we were to be brought to the alternative, We
should certainly prefer the Walker ticket to the
Wells ticket But the Dissatisfied ought t
help the Conservatives to elect the Conserva
tive ticket, or rather to defeat the Underwood
Constitution -Alec Gazette.
The National Intelligencer asks when viii
the Union be restored? We cannot tell. w
know of no one who can tell. We do not, In
deed see much prospect of its being restored