The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-26

1sra6sss6ensisGlu1ssll
5hr;es and scaskinr ventilation Of that
ssrste,, 1hv mr.. Bald win, I am sure, fully
aroused lie proper sense Of ashing so pre-.
s, =. rntuor,s. 40 tvfaino,s, sorspaeious.
: nv sssarns followed Mr. Baldwin, and,
,;Te Iolaus, scared over the wounds made
hg the Hercules in Topping OFF the heads OF
the hydra,, 40 that new ones, could not again
enrine forth. Mr. sfearns, however, was
acting BY himself, not in concert with the
committee. he is 6 wise, true man. His
lis not "ofice Rep ublicdT-
ISM He does not consider that he will be
maltreated aud deprived of his rights I'M
less he gets anoffice. He wants to see his
people erfranchisedy = He knows they are
TO he trusted-that 'Virginians are lovers Of
order and law-tiat theyIare flair Ito ell
men. end will never, infringe rights which
they themselves consider sacred! As for
Office. he would lsavethat to the people. He
desires them TO elect and to select, mot fear
ing the result Of their choice, and putting
,full faithmiu3 their wisdom and justice.
That is Mr.. Stearns.a acI bros efl '' 81 !,
He represents many Of the most respecte-
BILE of his party. ~ He Is a'solid, sound man;
aud an honest and wise man, Hehas hVeo
in Virginia q length,of time (some thirty
airht iyears) that enables him to speak
truly OF Virginians- he knows them we'll
and he has a stake in the country that
entities what he says as to the true
mode of restoring the general prosp erity to
the highest consideration for its good faith
and practicability b To whomis he opposed
in this p To. the present Governor. Of Vir-
p;nia-s Cmsn of yesterday: recently from
Michigan, whose career in Virginia 10 most
unfayorable to him. His followers are most
all of them exactly in his oatagory.7s% $
l. could say much on this point about
character-much that could be substantive
ted. But ye are not here TO rake up per-
sonalities, and desire to have nothing to 90
with the party of Governor Wells. Indeed,
no allusion would have been made to them
in the savings of the committee Of nine
but thst they appeared in the arena as
their asssiiants, making declarations so ut
terly deceitful and fraudulent, 80 full Of
malice towards the committee, thatit became
necessary to ventilate their stories and
their motives. This has been done with
dignity and efficiency. .7Eaa7 . .'..& &Hs :
These Wells men have, indeed, very much
assisted the cause Of the committee. II has
been impossible for them to conceal their
true motives and the evident purpose Of the
machinery they have in operation to carry
them out. They avowed that they were
only trying to secure the safety from per
sonal injury Of the loyalists. But as their
only means was plainly the Selling upon
all the offices of the State, their patriotism
and their honesty were inevitably doubted.
The question forced itself upon the most
ultra Republican, "Shall the people Of
Virginia be disfrsnchised as long as these
hungry men deem proper, merely that they
may feed upon the public treasury of the
State ?" euch question, deliberately con-
sidered in the mind of the most devoted
partisan, must cause him to pause and hest
tate long before yielding to the appeals Of
such men. a2 2t. 'al s-. u
Here comes in as appropriate the solemn
words of MIR. Baldwin "He took it for
granted that no member Of Congress now
desired vengeance. The sufferings of their
people had been such that their worst en-
envy would have nothing to wish for" And
if vengeance be not desired, shall those
suferipgs be increased simply that body
of men, chiefly strangers, shall monopolize
the Offices of the State? vengeance " is
a passion-violent and cruel indeed; but
8 passion. What can we call the cold, pas
sionless, and heartless motive that would
for such purpose fasten such persons upon
us, and submit all the best interests of the
State to the ruin of mismanagement, dis
trust, hate, and strife Compared with
this, how Mr.. Stearns's wise and noble
principles rise in dignity and humanity.
He wants true Republicanism. He wants
the people to be enfranchised and to select
their own rulers. He trusts them, and is
satisfied that there can be no peace, no
thrift, no harmony, until they are freed
and are governed by men Of their own Sc
To this we are, am convinced, coming.
Gentlemen cannot give themselves up in
this time of freedom from national partisan
agitation to mere prejudice. They must
consider the national welfare. Let US
take, for instance, General Paine, OF Wis
consin. He is one of the most decided Re-
publicans in Congress Z; yet gentleman
remarkable for his industry In investlga-
ton and for his deliberation. There could
not he more courteous gentleman and
more patient listener. His mind is strong
in its convictions, and he is very slow to
yield to things not favorable to those con-
victions. I have supposed sometimes that
he was really anxious to find out the full
merit of those things in good degree, to
see how their force was to be broken. This
is no unusual habit. But nevertheless,
take him with all this, and trusting entirely
to his thoughtful habit and patient inVesti-
cation, can we doubt that such is the force Of
right and justice in the application of the
committee of nine that it will rise superior
to any prejudice he may entertain ? He
will be called upon to make no sacrifice Of
any principle of his party. in yielding to
the wishes of that committee, but in truth
will be vindicating the laws of Congress,
which have been egregiously outraged by
the constitution of Virginia now offered to
the people. Then, what are the people Of
Virginia TO General Paine, or he to them
that is, in the way of justice and fair-deal-
ing between them? They are fellow-citi-
zens living under. the same government;
their desires are that the government should
be the best, because both individual and
national good depend upon the fair, equal,
and faithful administration of just laws.
Why should there be any longer any obsta-
Gle to the complete establishment of these
just principles in this country Has not
the country been torn and ravaged long
enough by bitterness AID strife {? Isn't it
time that we all, who must live under the
same government, should meet fairly and
frankly, give up cur preiudices. and unite