The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-01-26
Senator Sawyer ON tho Admits
sion OF Virginia.

sion OF virginia.
In che course of the debate on tho
admission of Virginia in the United
States Srnato on the 10th instant, Mr..
Sawyer delivered a speech in which
he urged tho adoption Of the joint re-
solution "That the State of Virginia
is entitled to representation in the
Congress of the United States" We
subjoin few extracts from the speech !:
"If we should now Insist upon the
taking Of the tcst oath by tho nom.
bers Of the Virginia Legislature it
would be exaoting new conditions af.
ter they have complied with the con.
ditions already laid down.
"Unless it can be distinctly shown
thet the people Of Virginia have not
complied with the conditions which
were laid down in the act under which
their constitution was formed believe
the good faith Of the Republican par.
ty requires that we should pass the
joint resolution which has been re.
ported by the committee and without
delay.
eff l understood tho remarks of
the Senators rightly here this morn.
ing, the real objection to her admis-
sion it not that she has not complied
in form and letter with the acts Of
reconstruction, but it is that life and
property and person are not as safe in
Virginia as we might desire they
should be. And here let me say t,
Senator'S that acts Of Congress will
never make life and property safe in
the Southern States ;that test oaths
will never make life and property safe
in those States; tbattrelyipg on that
kind of Legislation to iusurc peace in
tho States of the South will prove to
be relying on broken reed, and tho
sooner we dispossess ourselves of the
idea and that this or that particular
oath, this or that particular quali6ca-
tion for public office 10 those States
will conduce to the preservation of
the rights of liberty. and property,
the better it will be for us aud for
the people of those States.
"For thirty years in the States re-
Gently iu insurreotio ion there has been
q rule, not of law, bat of violence.
For thirty years preceding the rebel.
lion there was but ono class of sonti-
monts that could be- expressed with
safety in the South. Let me ask
Senators if they suppose, after tho
excitement of tho last eight years,
with all the passions aroused by the
war, with every inoontive to violence
and outrage which has been presented
by tho war and the years which fol-
lowed it, that society shall so sudden.
ly change in those localities that We
shall have in places where outrage
and violence have prevailed for years
the peace and good order which pre-.
vail in Massachusetts3 Those who
expect it may look in vain to statutes,
to test-oaths, to exclusions under this
or that amendment of tho Constitu-
tion. Sir. there are certain evils in
those States which can be cured by
time aud by time only, and the civili-
zation which will be sure to come
| upon those people now that the root
of bitterness, the fountain of all the
evils almost which afllict those socie-
ties has been taken from them. The
violence. the spirit Of lawlessness and
disorder which prevailed in tho South
for years before the war is the same
spirit which prevails now. 1t arose
from the peculiar relations of the
subject race to the dominant race in
those States, and our legislation will
not oure it. a%
"Mr. President, from the bottom Of
my HEARTH ANA Republican. be-.
lieve the principles Of the Republican
party are the principles on which alone
the administration Of this Govern
,aent can Sc on rrosperously for The
nation. I'believe that the duty Of tho
patriot at this tlme and for the last
seven or eight years is and has been
to be q Republican. | believe that
the principles Of the Republican par,
ty are the principles Of true republi-
canism. But, sir, if we are to take
the ground that, we will not admit
State to her practical relations with,
the un:ca ast;l she sends 10 us Re-
presentatives aud Senators who are
professors Of the faith Of the Repub.
lican party, aubmit that ] know not
why I stand on this floor; / submit,
that know not the mission Of the
Republican party. bolieve that
were, that our object, we should by
postponement of this resolution do
more to defeat the true interests Of
republiosnism, than we should be ad.
mitting State every one of the NOM
Ders of Congress /. from which had to
have his disabilities removed before
he was, admitted, and evory one Of
whom would vote with our Democrat.
10 opponents.
"I have, seen soin netting in Tho past
few years Of the effect Of political
prescription, and I know that there
are. all over the South hundreds and
thousands of men who but for the test
oath would bayo been with us to-day,