The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-30
Ritl1nJo.'nd 1ispattIt,
SATURDAY.....,. ,....JANUaRY so, 1869
THE CIRCULATION OF THE "DTS-
PATCH " IS LARGER THAN THE COM.
BINED CIRCULATION oF ALL THE
OTHER DAILY, NEWSPAPERS OF5THIS.
CITY.
THE NEW MOVEMENT.

WASHINGTON, January %, 1869.


WASHINGTON, January 2S, 1869.
This day winds up the oral statements
before the Reconstruction Committeeman al
all to our disadvantage. The temper and
character of the statements on behalf OF
the Virginia uinc / an, sure commanded
for them full faith on the part of, the Be
construction Committee, while ON the
other hand the intolerance, the arrogance,
the presumption, and rapacity Of The
persons who before that Z, committee
represented the self-styled loyalists Of
Richmond, could not have failed tc
excite good degree of disgust among
the intelligent lawyers who chiefly compose
it. These "loyalists " have had the ear Of
Congress ever since the war. On the other
hand no true Virginian representing the solid
and reliable people Of the State had come
before the committee until the " mine %
made their appearance to profer terms
of settlement and to demonstrate against
the binding of the white man while the
negro WAS elevated to all the rights and
privileges of citizen. No sooner did they
come to Washington than the loyalists sent
a strong force here to make war upon them
and prejudice their plan with the Recon
struction Committee and Congress-. They
have besiegsd the committet in season and
out of season. They have deluged the body
with all manner of trashy scandal, impugn-
ing men aud whole communities with such
conversations, rumors, and printed
stuff, tmuoh of it garbled, as would not be
as evidence against dog. They
have occupied five times as much time as
has been taken up by the "tnine." The
committee, although listening throughoutte to
their rigmarole, have not been able to sup
press manifestations of impatience, which
they must have been more or less than
human not to have felt. u, t!,s---,ssast'it&sS 3
To-day-the last-was nearly consumed
by Mr.. Whittlesey and his confrere, Averitt
(black) of Lynchburg. Mr.. Baldwin oc-
cupied only fifteen minutes. Mr.. Whittle-
sey continued his remarks on disabilities,
which he contended ought not now to, be
removed. 1t would not be SAFE. The 10y
alists would be in danger and could not get
justice if Virginians were enfranchised
[0f course.] The loyalists we're liberal
$50 is the horse-leech.] Congress ought Il
leave these Virginians to these $ loyalists.' p
wells 4 Col They would set them free in
good time. Why, even now, they were re-
commencing many a0ho hold no office to
clemency. The of6ce-hold-
ers cannot hope for mercy until they re-
sign, according to both Whittlesey and
Wells.l He prayed Congress to submit, te
the vote of the people the constitution as it
is. lie eulogized it very much, and repre-
sented it to be entirely in accordance with
the spirit Of congressional legislation, oh
give us this constitution, he seemed to say,
and with the hospitable and atfectionate
manner of the spider when inviting her
guest into her treatherous web, he exclaim-
ed, cit is the prettiest little parlor ever
you did spy.n A fsirer outside vas never
given of fou!er thing.
Finally, MIR. Whittlesey, who had for
many hours pressed his string of extracts
and rambling imputations, which were
hardly any of them sustained by any eyi-
lence not utterly contemplate, concluded
to the infinite relief of everybody. He was
TOO stolid to perceive the impatience which
was manifested with as much emphasis as
vas consistent with decency, and even
pressed points that the committee suggested
he had better pass over with an imperturb.
able assurance that YVES worthy of admi-
ration. In this line Whittlesey is without
= compeer. --s.1
Mr.. Baldwin being invited by the com
mittee, made very brief statement or
four points, in answer to Mr.Whittlesey:
First. AS to the bill passed by the Le-
gislature of Virginia in 1866, which Mr.
Whittlesey said was oppressive to the negro
and q proof that the Legislature had moi
conformed faithfully to the new order Of
things. Mr.. Baldwin stated that it was 8
law framed with especial care for the pro-
lection Of the negro. The question was new
in Virginia, and it was deemed best in le-
gislatiDg upon it to conform to the plan
pursued by the Freedmen's Bureau EE
Second. The vagrant act which Mr.. Whit
tlesey had charged to be designed for the
oppression of the negro: Before the war,
was hardly known in Virginia,
but after the war the cities SO rapidly filled
up with the floating population Of negroes
which had drifsed away from the rural dis
tricts that it became necessary that q va
grant law should be adopted to project the
) In framing that law, applicai
bic to black and white, they copied from
one of the States-he believed Pennsylya-
previous intimation, the commanding Gene
raj suspended it, the surprise of the Legis.
lature was deep and general. They could
not understand how that officer had come to
the conclusions which governed him. FL
Third. With regard to the spirit Of the last
which had been oharact erized
as disloyal, hostile to the Government, &c.,
Mr.. Baldwin read q valedictory address
which he delivered as speaker of the lower
House of that Legislature counselling tt
harmony, cancellation, kind treatment Of
I'll people, ana devotion to the National Go
vernment. This address had been printed
by order of the Legislature, and he filed
with the committee an official cory Gift
Fourth. Mr.. Baldwin concluded by. cz-
planning the views Of prominent ard intel
igent men in Virginia relative to their
right to hold Office without violating, or in
ending to violate, the fourteenth article.
Mr.. Baldwin supposed, from the zeal md
of MIR. Whittlesey, that there Was
aothing which had escaped his criticism,
,ud that nothing remained to be said touch
ug the alleged disloyalty of the Legislature
md people Of Virginia. He thought it I'M
necessary to notice his Indictment further
han the main points he had alluded to.
The chairman Of the committee lMr.
Boutwell) then called Averitt, q very black
I'D man, well known in Lynchburg. Inc
statement Of this man was the most extra
ordinary ever listened to by q committee OF
Congress. lie represented the Virginilasns IL 2 8
ls generally disloyal; no loyal man gould
,et justice from jury Of Democrats or ooI
Conservatives they cursed and damned
he niggers wished they were in he'll !; re-
iuced their wages and turned themsoft TO
ct the Yankees sec that they could not. get
long as well when free as when slaves.
averitt had had conversation with ar'