Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-01-14
The movement in Virginia.

of a political settlement for the State,
to be proposed to the government at
Washington. The meeting was held
at Richmond, and was well attended
by the most prominent conservatives
of the State. An address, embody-
ing their views, was prepared, and a
committee of nine appointed, OF
which Hon. A. II. FL. Stuart is Chair
man, to repair to Washington and
make known to Congress the views
and purposes of this new movement.
They declare in their address that
while it is still their conviction, and
as they believe, the conviction Of the
people of Virginia, that the freed
men are not prepared for the intelli-
gent exercise of the elective fran
chise and the performance of other
duties connected with public affairs,
and are therefore at this time unsafe
repositories of political power, yet,
in view of the verdict of public opin-
ion in favor of their being allowed
to exercise the right of suffrage as
expressed in the recent elections, the
undersigned are prepared, and they
believe the majority of the people of
Virginia are prepared, to surrender
their opposition to its incorporation
into the fundamental law as an off
ering on the alter of peace, and in
the hope that union and harmony
may be restored on the basis Of uni
versal suffrage and universal am
nesty.
This is, indeed, an important
movement-an indication that the
'Peace" which was promised through
Gen. Grants election was no idle
jest-no purely political catchword
but the prochecy of wise foresight
and true craftsmanship. We trust
that the committee Of nine, when
they reach Washington, will be met
in spirit of becoming liberality and
magnamimity, out of which shall
come peace and prosperity to all
parts of our beloved country.
This was the result that should
have followed the close of the war,
and which would have followed it
had it not been for Andrew Johnson
and the democratic party. By them
the South were deceived They
deemed it their policy, as the Gin
cinnati Gazette truly remarks, "to
Join Mr.. johnson in his warfare upon
Congress. They were led to believe
that he would prevail against it, and
they looked to every election for a
political revolution which would en-
able them to dictate the terms.
And their current tone of comment
upon the character and acts Of Con-
gress was an amplifcation of John
sons incorporate harangues against
it from the front Of the White
House." But the late election has
undeceived them, and they are now
prepared to do what they would
have done four years ago had it not
been for the evil influences of John
son and his friends.
@ We are glad to notice that the
road laws of Ohio are receiving at
tention from members of the Legis-
lature. Six bills relating thereto
were introduced in the House in
one day. These laws, in our opin-
ion, need to be changed very mate
rially-the whole system Of road
work needs to be remoddled. As
they now stand they are nearly as
worthless as none at all. We don't
know how much money has been ex-
pended on roads, in this county, for
the past twenty years, but it has
been a very large amount, and yet,
to-day, our roads are no better, if as
good, as they were twenty years
ago. The present system of allow
ing county commissioners, or town
ship Trustees, to levy road taxes,
and then permitting the taxpayers
to work out the tax in the months
of September or October, just before
the fall rains set in, is so much money
thrown away. 1t does no good. If
we are to have road taxes, and they
are to be worked out, the work
should be done in the early spring
and not in the fall.
But we have no time this week to
discuss this subject properly. We
rejoice that it is receiving the con-
sideration of our law makers, and
there is surely ability enough in
that body to perfect some system
more preferable than the present
one.
P. S. Since putting the above in
type we have run over the tax Du-
plicates for the last ten years, and
find that, in that short time, there
has been levied and collected for road
purposes, the sum of s23, 1868 OF,
an average of over $1,000 to each
township in the county This
amount was levied by the county
commissioners, and is, of course, ex-
elusive of the amount levied by
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