The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-12

TIE cage OF virginia Virginia has been
organized inethe face Of all the world ! sli
the acts done there during the last year
have been public and notorious, under
the immediate eye of the Administrn-
ton, whose advice has been taken from
day to day. The bill was introduced
when Congress first assembled; it was
considered by the Judiciary Committee, and
reported before the vacation. All this DELHI
GRAFTON has been already had, and no person
has yet been able to suggest reasonable
excuse for further excluding that State
Now, is the Senate to wait until it can re-
surrect party Of defeated candidates9 Is
the senate prepared to hesitate, and signify
by constant delays that it is willing to fall
sify it's record that it is willing to say to the
world it did not mean what it said when it
passed the reconstruction measures; that
it did not mean to let the States in if they
complied with them, and that it wants an
excuse for excluding them, and is willing to
wait, with the record before it, without pre-
senting any reasonable excuse for delay ?
If there be people in Virginia who have
been so outraged; if their rights have been
so trampled upon; if they desire an ap-
peal from General Candy and the Admins
tration to Congress, why we're they not
here at the beginning Of the. session d? Be-
cause they supposed, as matter of course,
that the Congress of the United States would
regard to some extent its obligations to COM
ply with it's implied contract. Did say i'm
piled ? 1t was not implied, but it was we'll
understood when We were prescribing what
should be done by the people of Virginia
that if they did it they should be admitted.
That WAS understood, and it was supposed
by everybody that Congress was bound by
its action. Consequently you had not the
defeated party here. But now you hesitate,
and invite them to come. Will you benefit
Virginia thereby? Can you put the defeated
party in power. If you con, how long can
you keep them thereS Can they execute this
Constitution Can the minority in Vir-
GINA secure equal rights, or must you have
the majority herel You have the pledge
of the majority that equal rights shall be
secured. This is grave matter. The
Senate, of course, is the best judge of its
own action and ideas-to leave this question
to o vote of the Senate upon yeas and
nays. am willing to concede anything by
way of courtesy; but when we see such
important interests involved, and no rea-
sonable excuse for delay, it seems to me
that postponement would be violation of
principle, and would be placing the Senate
in a false position. I shall call for vote
of the Senate on so grave o proposition.
Mr.. Sherman: From what I have
heard of this matter I am disposed
to agree with the senator from Ne
vada. Virginia should BIO promptly ad-
mitted. The reason given that the mem
bcrs of the Virginia Legislature did not
take the iron-clad oath is not sufficient,
because that oath is not required by the
fair construction of the act of March 2,
1867, or any supplemental act. It has not
been required of the seven States that have
been admitted already.
Mr.. Trumbull: Before the vote il
taken let us know the grounds upon
which it is asked. I know of Nc
public reason why this measure should
be postponed for single day. On the
contrary, there are many considerations
requiring it to be acted upon at the earliest
practicable moment. It is one of those
questions which do not admit of delay
when ready for action. But there may be
considerations that do not know, of per-
sonal character, which would induce me to
vote for postponement. can conceive of
none of general character. l have but q
word to say, and shall detain the
Senate but o moment. The honorable
senator from Massachusetts pleads very
strcnuously for liberal course, and for the
ancient courtesies of the Senate. I have
been observing the course of the senator for
the last eight years, and my observation is
that to himself he is the most liberal and
courteous senator that have ever known,
and the least so to all others. Now, the
senator occupies very imposing position,
to be sure, throwing himself so repeatedly
and so earnestly upon the lenity of the Sc
nate; but l think he had better practice
awhile the principles that he now advocates
so strenuously before he asks that they
shall be executed as to himself.
A vote was taken, and the Senate refused
to postpone by one majority.
The question was now upon Mr.. brakes
amendment.
MIR. Trumbull: do not know that there
is any probability that such amendment as
that can obtain but it would be so mani
testify improper that I think it is only nc
cessary to call the attention Of the Senate
for one moment to it. If this Congress has
the right to pass such proposition, does
the senator from Missouri, by offering such
an amendment as that, recognize the au-
thority of the State of Virginia afterward
to take back it's ratification of G. constitu-
tional amendment Why, it is an admis-
sion, confession, on the part of the sena'
tor who offers it that the State of Virginia.
after it has ratified constitutional amend
ment, may rescind and repeal it. Why,
sir, an act Of Virginia resembling and re-
pealing its ratification of q constitutional
amendment would be so much worthless pa
per. And does the senator from Mis-.
souri, propose to punish the people