The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-01-20
SENATOR SAWYER ON THE ADMISSION OF
VIRGINIA.

SENATOR SAWYER ON THE ADMISSION OF
VIRGINIA.
In the course of the debate on the admission OF
Virginia in the United States Senate on ho1oths
instant, Mr., Sawyer delivered speech in which
he urged the adoption of the joint resolution
'sThat the State of Virginia is entitled to repre-
sentation in the Congress of the United States"
We subjoin few extracts from the speech;
sIf we should now insist upon the taking ofthe
test-osth by the members of the Virginia Legisla-
ture it wouldbe exacting conditions after they
have complied with the conditions already laid
down.
''Unless il can be distinctly shown that the peo'
pie of Virginia have not complied with the condi-
tions which were laid down in the act under which
their constitution was formed, believe the good
faith of the Republican party requires that we
should pass the joint resolution which has been
reported by the committee, and without delay.
t.If understood the remarks of the Senators
rightly here this morning. the real objection TO her
admission is not that she has not complied in form
and letter with the acts of reconstruction but it s
that life and property and person are not as safe
in Virginia as we might desire they should be.
And here let me say to Senator's that acts of Con-
gress will make life and property safe in the
Southern States that test-oaths will never make
ing on that kind of Legislation to insure peace in
the States Of the South will prove to be relying on
broken reed, and the sooner we dispossess our
selves of the idea that this that particular oath,
this or that particular qualification for public Office
in those States will conduce to the preservation OF
the rights Of liberty and property, the better it
" ill be for us and for the people of those States.
"For thirty years in the States recently in in
surrection there has been rule, not OF law, but
of violence. For thirty years preceding the re-
belon there was but one class Of sentiments that
could be expressed with safety in the South. Let
me ask Senators if they suppose, after the excite
ment of the last eight years, with all the passions
aroused by the war, with every incentive to vio-
lence and outrage which has been presented by the
war and the years which followed it, that society
shall so suddenly change in those localities that
we shall have in places where outrage and violence
have prevailed for years the pence and good order
which prevail in Massachusetts Those who ex-
pect it mey look in vain to statutes, to est-oaths
to exclusions under this or that amendment OF the
Constitution. Sir, there certain evils in those
States which can be cured by time and by time on
ly, and the civilization which will be sure to come
upon those people now that the root OF bitterness
the fountain of all the evils almost which afiilct
those societies has been taken from them. The
violence, the spirit of lawlessness and disorder
which prevailed in the 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 cure it.
"Mr Presiden', from the bottom of my Ee,rt
am Republican. I believe the principles of the
Republican party are the principles on which alone
the administration of this Government can 60 on
prosperorsly for the nation. believe that the
duty of the patriot at this time and for the last
seven or eight years is and has been to be Re-
publican. believe that the principles of tho Re-
publican party are the principles of true republi-
cauism. But, sir, if we are to take the. ground
that we will not admit State TO her practical re-
lations with the Union until she sends to US Rep
resentatives and Senators who are professors of
the faith of the Republican party, submit that
know not why stand on this floor submit that
| know not the mission of the Republican party.
believe that were that our object, we should by
a postponement of this resolution do more to de-
feat the true interests of republicanism, than we
should by admitting State every one of the mem
bers of Congress from which had to have his dis
abilities removed before he was admitted and
every one of whom would vote with our Demo-
cratic opponents.
II have seen something in the past few years Of
the effect OF political prescription, and know
that there are all over the South hundreds and
thousands of men who but for the tcst-oath would
have been with US to-day, acting with the Repub-
lican party and supporting the acts of reconssrHe-
ton in good faith. / believe the cardinal evil Of
the reconstruction measures as originally passed
was the exclusion of those men who were the nat
ural leaders Of the Southern people from partici-
| patton in the formation of the new governments
While those men are where they can exercise no
political power, where they can hold no political
Office they do not hold themselves responsible for
the disorder and peace Of the communities in which
they live. Takc from, them those disabilities
which lie upon them, and then you can say to
them 'you ore as responsible as am for the peace
| and good order Of this community" But while
men who have high social position in the com.
munty, men who have the natural and acquired
capacity for administering the duties of the offices
in their neighborhood are prescribed from holding
them, you cannot with any sort Of reasonableness
call upon them to assist you in doing work from
which you have by statute excluded them"