New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-05
VIRGINIA.
A CONSERVATIVE VIEW OF THE SITUATION


1,,,, .rA 1bovn tbonght the occasion TTop''Vs' W
address through THE TRIBUNE, the conscioI I,"
sn6 fair-mipded people of the Republican -, y,
coma raaections on the situation of Virgin: 90
,iovved from the and-pOnt of "a rebeP-an unpar'
donod and unrepentant rebel-tO the end that they
NAV sea what course their interests and duties as
,otr;otc citizens should constrain them to take
respecting us. ~ Z $50 -,
Ibaye lived long enough to know that there is as
much inexpediency as injustice in those wh0lesa.S
denunciations of parties and communities which
form the staple of the spoken and written warfare OF
a campaign in politics; and We OF the South II we
had not learned that lesson before, will never mere
after need an admOntiOn to that effect. am equal
y satisfied that is the extreme OF absurdly 10 ignore
in the estimate Of character and acts OF party us
real or supposed selfinterests." And accordingly
have no idea Of expecting magnanimy OF any eAaleu
virtue from any political organization History anus
no example OF such virtue, and never Will But uh
thoroughly persuaded that persecution and cruelty SIM
ply for the sake Of fcng pain are not charactescs
of any civilized people, and that what zoe regard the un
paraeled wrongs Of the past four years are releaoe
10 some real or supposed party necessity which the uohe
inant power Of all States without difficulty mistakes LOT
public necessity.
fair survey Of tAe political situation in this state
cannot but prove therefore at this tme 70 DC OF
The Constitutional Convention which assembled III
Virginia in December 1867 adjourned in April 1868 nav
ing formed an organic law obnoxious, that IL caeu
forth a public denunciatOn from Gen. SchOheu III the
only address he delivered in Virginia Anticipating
is submisson to the people, the White Of the Com
monwealth of all parties, united at once Tor us oeeaV
into tho strongest political organization mot bound by
aths and fortified by secrecy that existed IN any
State The Republican leaders were probably uh"hilns
70 risk at that time the moral effect Of disaster III VIZ
gina-were Also il is probably just to say uh"nR W
indorse the prescriptions Of the instrumen-and were
foff
tal election 20 the hazard Of any act which might DC
understood committing them to policy when eouiu
not been defended before the people Of the Union
The November election took place and in every stare
but eight the Republican party triumphed by maloies'
in most instances quite decisive.
In that election, Virginia not allowed to partcl-
pate. She still, four years after peace was es-
tablshed debarred from practical relations TO the
Union"
But the Presidential and Congressional elections arc
over Republican ascendency in the Government is
secure four years a least and with the enormous
power which the distribution Of four hundred millions
of dollars per nothing but internal discord
can we'll imper its protraeted sway, unless fatally ana
occasionally oends he moral Of the Republic Then,
indeed party discipline may for a while maintain the
anpearance strength but the canker is at the heart OF
the marty and the first storm will PROSTATE IT, The al
,pj,trston Of the elder Adams is conspicuous ustra
top Of this The Alien and sedton laws were utterly
ohnoxious 70 the public OF the Americans OF U.s.
Vet marty discipline procured the almost unanimous
dsapnroya by the states of virginas protest thereto
and 80 maintained the show Of strength that while the
electoral vote IN 1897 stood Adams H. Jefferson CO. the
election Of 1901 showed hardly any change Mr. Jefferson
obtaining rs to Mr. Adams g. But this apparent strength
was 80 iusory that the party which gave MI Adams
sobapdsome vote in 1901 never again appeared in
american Politics while its adversary, that seemed TO
have so doubtful victory, ruled almost without inter
rupon for half century.
IT. in the solution Of existing political difficulties, there
Vas no element to considered the probable fate
of the Republican party It due 10 ranKneSs to say that
shall welcome its persistent hostility the moral
Of the peope as the surest road its utter destruction
this hostility is TO be manifested in the shape Of the
ds calamites TO my state and my felowciiizens, my
for their prosperity outweighs all desire Tor
It's extinction.
What is it. then that the honest people, leaders led,
ofthe Norththose who ardeny and without qualification
supported the War-desire. preliminary 10 a cessation
Of hostites toward us ask the question in tins form,
because its answer must elicit that moral sense"
which no party can afford despise in this Government
that moral which, II violently assailed, viii
assuredly grind 10 powder the assaant.
In the first place take for granted that the honest
people Of the North do Dot insist that Virginia shall
guarantee the ascendency, within her limits Of par
tcuar party. And fortunately for the Republicans they
too strong to require reacherOus and unreliable an
ally feel sure that Of average honesty would
dare proclaim that he opposed 70 any Reeonsrnc
ton unless the people all became RepubcaDs-unlessh his
sense was inverey his characteruness he were the
DarrOwest Of all narrow minded blOckheads
H. take il for granted In the next place that we have
heard the last OF guarantees for public order" Virginia
is ruled by aliens and soldiers use the Woru aHen
merely as descriptive She has, believe, but one Judge
in all her borders who is not imported An Army Judge
Advocate by detail Of the three Judges OF her su-
preme Court OF Appeals the other two are strangers ut
tery unknown 70 u.s. Her Governor IL a stranger Her
Public Auditor is Army Quartermaster The secre-
tary OF the Commonwealth is staff officer OF the Com
manding General She has no LieutGoYernor and 10
Attorney General-no Legislature. Trial by jury is
abolished at will by the Commanding General. who at
this moment trying before Military Commission in
this city one civilian homicide upon another The
old Municipal officers throughout the State almost with
out exception have been turned out 20 make for
natives Of other States The United States represented
in this city in the PosOnlee by lady chosen because
che was a spy midst during the war; in the Treas
ury Department by under indictment in the circuit
Court of the United PERJURY and In the judicial
Departuns4s ny Underworld There many counties
Of the state without sheriff a county clerk
stable 10 our neighboring city Of Petersburg, the
econd city in the State there has not been for
want Of clerk session Of the Circuit Court for above
half year And, notwithstanding all this, there is
community on this continent utterly peaceful and
arv AZ this Nothing better illustrate this than the
fact that native Of your State Circuit
by military appointment recently arrived in this city,
after tour OF his circuit having found but one criminal
IN custody in all the Counties and him he could not try
because there clerk Of the Court appeal TO the
spirit OF fairness Of the Northern people 10 say whether
80 sublime spectacle Of selfcontro 30 high a moral
force thorough example OF order and public virtue
witnessed Nor it less remarkable how reso
utely the people resist the temptation take the La in
their own hands There has not been case Of ynchin0
in Virginia except by the Blacks upon their Conservative
oooicd brethren during all this period OF judicial confu