The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-08-26
POLITICAL AFFAIRS IN VIRGINIA.

POLITICAL AFFAIRS IN VIRGINIA.
The result Of the late elections in Virginia
and Tennessee, and the certainty that all the
Southern States, as fast as opportunity offers,
Will pass into Democratic control, have rem
dered the radicals perfectly desperate. Which
way to turn, or how to avert the impending
destruction, they know not. Candy, the
military satrap who reigns in Virginia. has
conceived the plan of applying the ironclad
oath to all the members elect of the Virginia
Legislature, or an oath that they had in no
way aided or encouraged the rebellion. All
who cannot take it, to be declared ineligible
and the seats given to the next highest candi-
dates. This would disqualify enough con-
servatives to make sure the election of two
u. $. Senators Of the Wells, OF extreme radi-
cal type.
1t will be remembered that by the act Of
Congress providing for the election the man
ncr of submitting the constitution to the
popular vote was left to the President The
main issue was the clause prescribing the
ron-clad oath for all public officers Grant
directed that this clause should be voted upon
separately The result was that the Wells
party, which advocated the oath, was crushed
out by the popular vote and the clause itself
overwhelmingly defeated Now it is pro
posed by this cpauetcd and,tyrannical ass, bv
authority twisted out Of some clause of the
miserable medley of reconstruction laws, to
organize the legislature Inderhis supervisors
| 10
opinions do not suit him. Having arranged
the whole plan OF the election, and had its
provisions complied with. these fellows now
propose to overurn the work that was done
exactly in the manner that they directed, be-
cause the result does not please theml
ii is fortunate that in the affairs Of COY
crnment like ours the law of compensation is
unfailng. Deliberate in Justice works the harm
Of the oppressor. Should this short sighted,
impoltic and wicked scheme be undertaken
in Virginia, its effect on the the elections TO
take place would be tremendously damaging
to the administration. Lay these facts before
the people of Pennsylvania and Ohio, APP
pealing to them in the name Of humanity,
justice and Il regard fer our common country
to rebuke such outrageous proceedings, and
who can doubt the result? And 50 it may be
/ found that the rights which the people Of Viz
| giniu should have as freely and unqucstioned
as Gods air and sunshine, may be wrrng only
from the fears and apprehcnsions Of Grant,
Candy and the party generally.
Even the Tribune warns its friends that they
are going too far. The New York Sun, edited
| by Dana, Lincon's Assistant Secretary of
War, is fiery in its donuncation of the scheme
and Of Grants interneddling to change the
time OF the elections in other states We
copy recent article from the Sun
/ AN TNPHlNCIPLED REASON FOR a CowAEDI.Y
| ACT. We have waited to what reasons of
broad national character could be given by Gen.
Grant and the Republican press for the postpone
| mcnt of the elections in Mississippi and Texas to 50
late period as the close of next November; but
we have failed to discover any. This po>tponencnt,
coming right upon tie heels Of the Virginia election
show timidity in meeting the issues involved in
the reconstruction policy, which does not augur
we'll for the Administration. The non-purtisun
class of the people whose votes is they may be
thrown into the one scale the other, determine
| the result in closely contested elections. are the
more tolerant of ark of principle in party leaders
than of Il lack of pluck. This influential class would
rather follow the audacious red Nag than the pusil
! luminous white feather, for the former cNnre1 that
courage which of itself often victory while
the latter hatray> hat coWarlire which always in
| yiteS defeat
The course of tie Administration in this matter,
therefore, is certainly 4impote, while it also gives
its opponents good reasons for asserting that it is
! TNPIINCIrLEp. one of the solid grounds wherein
the Republicans based the peculiar reconstruction
policy which they applied to the three States Of Nr
ginla. Mississippi and Texas, was that the peace of
the country demanded an early settlement of the
questions which had long disturbed the public
tranquility. Moderate men of all parties, whether
or not they rcliShcd all the terms Of the proposed
settlement. acqn seed i'll this view of the cNigency
never doubling that the measures would be enforced
in good faith and at the earliest moment.
An important class Of citizens yielded to the
| Fifteenth Amendment, not because they liked negro
suffrage, but for the reason that they wished to
an end of agitation on that troublesome topic.
Another large class favored il on principle wholly
regardless Of the direction in which the cnlranchs-
ed negroes would east their ballots, and indeed de-
string that they should bcstow them upon whatso-
ever party they preferred. Still another class. as
numerous doubtless both the others, desired that
the colored population should have the ballot, pro-
vided they would always give ii to the candidates
of the Republican party. Powerful. however,
this latter body is they could never have secured
| the Fifteenth Amendment without the tacit assent
of the first named class and the cordial cooperation
| Of the second.
Now, while it will not prevent the ratification of
the amendment, it will certainly shake public con
lidcncc in the integrity of the Administration should
it show that it h; favored this measure mainly with
the intent of coercins or even wheeling into lis
support nt tltlIt negro VOTE LAHu Ncl We lHHk IL
would be extremely difficult for Gen Grant to give
any better. or in ruth any for the post
poncment at this luncturc Of the elections in Mis-
sisSippi and Texas till the verge of next winter,
ccpt that the experiment in Virginia has demonstrate
ed that, whatever the Republicans may desire or at
tempt in respect to negro voters, an influential share
of them will give their suifrages TO the Democratic
party.
We assure Gen. Grant that the sooner he ah1n-
dons this cowardly and unprincpcd line of policy,
the better it will be for him and his Administration.
Mr. Roberts, of Stockton. in letter to the
Ellsworth American, says that in our COM
mcnts on his demonstration in the Republican
State Convention, we expressed surprise
'.that small a mouse should have stirred
up such Il mrSS" Mr.. Roberts does injustice