Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-03-05

taken to remove It. II seemed, therefore
eEpeditnt 10 say that, notwithstanding ou
opinions remained unchanged, we we're pre-
pared to change oar coarse Of action, snC
would not make the incorporation into our
State constitution of the principle Of negr,
political equality, Of itself, ground for re
iecting Il, If otherwise acceptable: that WI
held that policy a settled Que, and, hesevei
unWisely, IN cur view, We could yet
live under T., and, we hoped, prosper
under Il. We deemed it eKpedient to say
this, because by saying II, we believed that
Congress, oTce satisfied that the colored
population Of Virginia would he protected
there, in the eni Iyment of Political rights
the same as The white, would not demand
OF suffer others t. demand, more but far
Their, would see to it, that the c llored peo-
pie, and their m ,nagers, should not, on theiI
part, by any device or arrangement whsiev.
err, deny to or deprive, the white nan Of the
same eq1sl political privileges, IN ell re.
spects, which 1t had demanded should be
secured to the black.
TIE white people OF Virginia had had
thus far at Washington, no organ, author.
ICED or unauthorized, to speak for them and
present them truly. There we're many
there TO speak against them an | misrepre-
sent them all, either already hauqueting
on the spoils of the vsDqnished, or eeger to
begin. Some members of Congress of the
dominant party. on whom Fight had begun
to break, suggested that some Of the citi-
zans of the STATE, whose statements would
he entitled to respect, should repair 10
Washington to represent truly the con Ii
ton Of things in Virginia 10 Greer that tn,
Senate might not act, as the House had &C
ted, in the dark, or misled. Out of this
suggestion grew the hasty meeting at Rich.
m0ud. There was ne timo to assemble a
general convention. It was tho right,
| certainly; under sueh circumstances, for
those assembled to 60 themselves, or dcpnte
others, to Washington, for the purpose In.
dictated. They thought proper TO d. the
latter. The committee sent there protested
no authority TO speak the views of any Int
themselves and those Who sent them. Be-
youd that, they Int expressed their hope
and belief that the same viewa which
Influenced their own political action would
govern that, also, Of the body CT thor fell
lnw-citiZens at home. They cnieaynred
besides, lin conjunction with few patriot
| ic citizens who gave them their valuable
CO. operaticn) whenever an opportunity
OF red, or the occasion required, 10 repre-
sent truly the condition aud CO n1uct of our
people. and 10 dispel the many erroneous
views regarding them, both collectively a, d
individu lily, which they fonnd Trrvalen, at
Washington, growing mainly cut of the un.
founded and Injurious Misrepresentation
-d inter, sted parties. This WIS the W. ole
extent Of their mission.
do not believe the people OF ' irginis,
whether they agree with rs, or 4 Fl r. as to
the exp diencv of our course, will see IN II,
or can be made to see in IT., either ambition y
or arrogance, or stlf'hnefs, or hun,lmiion,
hut only, just what IT was. sincere Il ut t,
do for ourselves, and onr State, in a nose
criiidai exigency, all we conld to avert
great aud tbreatnlDg cAlsmities. But II
they shond see II la either IL these liz hts,
greatly as l regard th,Ir favorable judge
tnent, womb, lbdetO, regret their inius.
tice, hut not uOubl ub, Ut my course.
IL any importance or character, different
from our eApt c,auoD, was afterwards at.
tached TO QUO mission, il was through no
agency ol Ouis, Tut Is to be referred in part,
doubtless, To the 81 ayity Of the Interests in
vowed, aud III par, perhaps, TO that exilte p
prestige witch has ever attached to Vrg,ula
falling, Ia sUme degree, even on tue Lum
0iest vi her sons who might be devotm G
themselves 10 her service. No ilicit q, ous,
no cring'ng supplcAtions, no comph ances,
unworthy OF her or Ot themselves, twete
asked or given. ln many of those Ia whose
hauds actually resi-, now, so much, TO her,
OF good or oyll, received us With favor or
honor, we rrJolce at II, not Tor ourselves, but
as Vi good ono n for our country. IL they
vol only heard courteously tho statement OF
our objects, but ilyited from us the ex
preston Of our views as to the best mode of
attaining them, We have a right to feel n
patriotic satisfaction at so elig,b means
OF advancing them having been Tered MS.
How VIZ discharged ourselves of tbs siiicv
Is before the pnbnc. 1t may have fallen
s.f IAuf
Would they bad been with us to help us !
But, it they had, they might, as we did +,
have concluded not to load their plan with
anything which it had been plainly hopeless
to expect Congress to undertake, but-as
TO questions falling within that category
10 content themselves, as We did, with stat
ing the existence Of them, aud laying the
ground -woi of their future solution, rather
than 10 place unmanageable impediments
in the way of what might he possibly attain
ablo now. IL Is sometimes wiser to do
4" well " than to do "beuer," and we should
bs only too happy to secure for Virginia
the good we aim at, however short of that
perfect felicity which We might wish, and
which others do not, think, much advance
by merely depicting.
What degree Of success Is 10 follow or
action is yet to be seen. do not think II
can well be less than they have secured who
have stood alOOf in the presence Of great
and acknowledged public danger, or only
interviewed to impe 10 our, at least we'll
meant, efforts to ward il f. Thus mnch,
at any rate, think our appeal 10 Congress
has so far accomplished.
IL has kept yet at bay tho vote on the
Underwood constitution, which, 10 my be-
lief, would else have already been voted on,
AMI, If vstvd on heretofore, been fastened
upon us.
1t has iustidel the hope nay, strong Goa
q lence, that this document, in its present
form, will never be permitted TO have even
the chance, which a canvass would give II,
Of accidental adoption; but, if submitted
at all to woe, only after being stripped Of
its more intoerable provisions.
But, Il disappo' nted Ia this, and It should
yet come at any time hereafter to be voted
on, unaltered, II will owe its defeat to the
clearer and t'onger sense Of the evils with
which it Is irsught for Us, which this move
ment has aW akened.
Leaving What ought to be, lot US face
what is.
Virginia "a ont of the Union, whether got
out by secession o put ont by conquest.
She Il totally wlthout sslEgovrrument,
enjoying political rights whatever except
as pt Knitted by archer claiming and exrr'
cising authority 10 enfrancise, or disfran-
ehise, her people at pleasure.
She is under the aolu | military rule Of
the United States G .vcrnmant, toR ratified
as valid by the consii,ucn y Of that Gov
ernmt Mt.
The Government now demands the resto-
rati' u Of Virginia to thu Union, shl pro-
poses u on the terms Of the Reconstruction
acts-i. e., Of full p1lit'eil iighls for thu
colorea . pulation.
A ate Constitution Is now presented