The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-09
4itlunol>d 0ispatth.
AUGUST ., 1869.
General Grant.

Those in the South who are inclined to
think that the President yields too much to
the pressure of the Radicals, not standing
up as they believe he ought to for the policy
of universal amnesty and universal sui
fragc," but allowing Mr.. BOUTWELL, TO give
character to the Administration, may be
surprised to learn that the extreme Radicals
look upon the President with anything but
friendly eyes. The telegram in another CO.
lumn tells the story. Indeed it would be i'm
possible for the President so to conduct the
affairs Of the Government as to please the
ultra partisans in either section. He must
gcncc, the patriotism, and the sense Of Jus
ticc, Of the masses Of the people every
where to sustain him. We are hopeful that
he will adhere 10 the declaration with which
he commenced his term Of Office. he de-
clared cmphatically that he would have no
policy to enforce against the will OF the
people. If lie shall make good this protcS-
sion, he cannot; require the tcst-oath to be
taken By the members O. the Virginia
legislature for to do so would Ger
tainly be TO run counter TO the will
Of the people Of Virginia, and also TO that
Of the people OF the northern States.
Our voters have expressed their wishes
ut the ballot-box, and the leading expo
ncnts Of public sentiment in the northern
S.n-o. eg,,r -. ,Ioi .in ynprtln oT thut Epp-
ton desire no harsh cxact!On3 to he made
III the hands Of either our people or their
representatives. The act Of Congress au-
thor;zing the voters Of Virginia 10 cxpcl
the test-oath from the constitution was
equivalent to express permission to elect
officers who could not take the iron-c!ad
oath. We do not see how it can be viewed
in any other light. 1t so happened that wc
elected a Governor and n Licutcnant-Gover-
nor who can take this cath, and who there
fore arc not personally interested "a to the
result OF the attempt to require ii Of the new
officials. But suppose We had chosen, as
under the act Of Congress VIC considered we
had n perfect right 10 do, men who could
not take the iron-clad oath will anybody
say that they could have been kept out o.
office on that account Would General
CANHT have had the right to prescribe Il
qualification required neither by any act OF
Congress nor by the Federal or tho State
constitution ? Such considerations mus
suggest themselves 10 General GRANTS
mind, aud If so, it docs seem to us that he
cannot possibly sustain General CASnY'S
Interpretation Of the law. at The samc
time let us say that we can find no law
which would even authorize, much less re-
quirc, General CANDY TO exact this oath
from any official elected under the new
constitution. WENDELL fnILLIrs de-
General GRANT as ga jockey
ond a seaside lounger," because he did
prevent Tennessee from "playing |
the same game as Virginia" Yet we
wculd f&in hope that the President can
not be compelled, even By WENDELL Pull
LIPS, to forfeit his implied pledges to a long |
suffering people who rely upon his strong
arm for protection from injustice and wrong.
We have done all tia: we understood either
the executive or the legislative department
of the Government to require of Us up to
this time. We ere ready to ratify the tif-
tccnth amendment. What more? Let &C.
neral GRANT answer az his sense of justice
md Of honor shall dictate TO the heart Of y
military man.