Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-03-11
FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH II, 1870.

thousand who had applied, or whose names
were placed among the applicants by their
friends, We had expected to see the general
bill, for the removal of al! disabilities i'm
posed by lac AaepdInents and Reconstruc-
ton acts, taken up and hurried through
beth Houses of Congress. Yet VIC lind the
names of individuals daily presented and the
general bill still sleeping on the table. The
restoration Of nearlvsall the seceeding States
to the Union was a recognition by Congress Of
their '.loyalty" and yet it has failed to re-
store many of their best citizens to their
rights as citizens Of the United States or
even of their own States. This is a severe
comment Oh the good sense of Congress, and
is a stigma upon those therein who have
failed to rise equal to the occasion and to
set at naught that partisan prejudice which
has so MARRIED its legislation and the inter-
ests of the country for several years past.
There has, however, been a step taken in
the right direction. The select committee
on the removal of disabilities to whom the
matter was referred, reported back to the
Senate, on Friday last, the following bill
with the Recommendation that it be passed
Be it enacted, That an act entitled "An
aci to prescribe an oath Of office, and for
other purposes, approved July 2, 1862,
and all parts of other acts requiring the ia
king or administration Of the oath in said
first mentioned act prescribed be, and the
same are hereby repealed
This oath has been, in the main, but a
stepping stone to the unprincipled. Some
good men have taken it and that conscienli-
ously. but thousands have merely used it for
the positions and opportunity fo- plumber it
afforded, some striking examples Of which
have been exhibited in the Congressional
Halls. Would that we could add, land
only exhibited there" 1t has proven, as a
general thing. a net to catch the competent
and qualified and fill the majority Of officers
in the South with the incompetent, Or I'M
principled. It is therefore high time it no
longer disgraced the congressional statutes.
1t is said, with some degree Of authority,
tlat the above bill will pass both Houses.
Ne trust it may, and we would regard its
passage also as the precursor to the passage
of the general amnesty bill. and the entering
wedge to more magnani,nous legislation on
the part Of Congress, and with the best
effects on the interests and prosperity of the
country.
We publish in another column an inter-
estlng extract from the Baltimore SAn on
the effect Of the decline in gold and the be-
ginning, as it would seem, Of the resump-
zion Of specie payments. Gold feli during
the past week 10 $1.131 with a slight fuc-
tuation at the close. Immediately the retail
dealers Of New York, Rochester, Balti-
more and other clues commenced tc give
small change to their customers in silver
This they were enabled Il, do at a losso Of on
~ 81 per cent, by exchanging gold in
Canada for silver at a poht of ten per cent.
which loss was more than made up TO those
who commenced the resumption by their in
creased sales.
Several banks have also strongly intima-
ted that they will speedily resume specie pay
ments. This looks as if specie would be in
circulation in q short time, to the exclusion,
at least, of the abor,iaable postal currency
now in use. We have long believed that
the resumption of specie currency, TO the
exclusion of G~reenhaeks and National Bank
uotes, was not reasonably to be expected for
many years to come, there not being gold
and silver enough in the country to take
tllcil place, and very little likelihood Of this
being the case, except through the lapse of
years. That there is enough to take the place
place of the postal and nickel currency, and
chat it will be thus used is probable, if our
paper currency can be kept at or near par.
That this would have the effect of ulti-
matcly bringing about the return of Il specie
currency, is evident, but there may be many
fluctuations in the value of gold as compared
with The paper currency before even hard,
money change will be permanently in use.
We hope, however, that this may be the be.
ginning of the return to the long looked fol
and anxiously desired specie currency of the
past. f
Won't we feel happy when we can heal
even our small change jingle once more ?
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad havt
effected Il loan from English Capitalists o
SOC, 600 pounds sterling. for the improve
meat and completion of the road between
Baltimore and Wheeling. The mortgage
TO protect those !oaning the company th'
above amount, has been recorded in som,
and is 10 be recorded in every county through
which the. road passes.
= These who read the above will see tba
the Baltimore & Ohio r R., is a borrower
and hence how futile iac assertion that thi
road could and would build lbc Vale,
Railroad
The enabling act, to authorize the icga
voters Of the city of Baltimore to vote on thu
question of subscribing 81, 600. 900 to tn.
stock Of the Valley Railroad, was passed by
both Houses Of the Maryland Legislature OF
Thursday Of last week, ana was sent to til,
Governor for his signature.
According Ia the ordinance. nassed hu thl