Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-01-29
PUBLISHED DAILY AND TRI-WEEKLY 81
ED9AR 9NoWDENs
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 29

If The ntj,rity ct tho northern people we're
not 80 bIioded by their sectional prejudice, CT
90 p!edspcs by their education and a:s'cia-
ton to believe. without ref :c:ico, sny and every
dsrogatcr7 as5er;ica that IS made ABOUT sne'F
fellow ctiz.rs Of tho South, the southern CLAIMS
aupsioo, which IS now occupying SO much OF
The lir,o ard attention Of Congress, would
afford them the best possible eViderco OF the
desire oil the southern people for the complete
restoration Of the kindly feelings that should
clarscterz, ci.;Z,Ds of common country. The
payment Ct claims for losses sustained by the
enemies oi TIE government during the war Is
prohibited ty the Constitution, and those who
could bring such claims have never enterta:ned
the slightest hope that the government wou!d
restore ono cent OF oil the war cost them. Ioey
staktd ell toey bad oo lhs hazard Of war and
lost, erd, like other people of common under
standing, have accepted The inevitable with as
sood ersca IS possible. There we're, however,
during the var, northern union men who oEn9d
property 10 the Scutb, and few southern
union men who either went North or renamed
ct home, but wLo, from the day they voted
against The ordnaros Of ,cesslcn TO the sur
render .. Appona,tox, never Ceased 70 pray
tor tie SUCCESS Ct tho Uuiou. The Claims ct
such msn for property taken for the use tt The
federal army are certainly as Just as these ct
the men vino hive been paid for similar losses
10 Pennsy ivsoia end Mrrylard. The nsyn To-
cation Of mass property. 10 couatry iSa
uoity O.; which, according to the decision OF
toe Supreme Court, has never been brokep, cia'
not affect tie legality Ct Il claim FIR tho dam.
ages it may have sustained. Justice denacdS
that oil such tl.ims slouid be paid, and Iho
fac! that tho southern people are wliiipg to be
taxed to pay their share Ct such claims Ia lie
.rorgcst proof that could be afforded Of their
restored legally, and Of their desire 10 LEI what
is p.s be fcrs:gco il nos forgotten, for Same q
these cIaiuapts, though ct their owe house.
hold, iu heir hour Of supreme extremity wSro
,hsir open aaj asowel enemies, and eznitcd
over them when the eiisf If shsir defeat vas
yet fresh The present opposition Of the north
ern radicals to The payment OF suob Claims may,
however. have beus Gcisl eHsot |! may prove
to the claimants who beloug to the republican
party, what has been long kaown By its oppo.
nents, that tha. party is governed by exDedients
sad NOT BY principles, ard that in its ctiosts TO
retain its asceudsncy 10 the North it Will sacti'
6,e them and their interests without the sight.
es! compuuotoD and, With the scales thus
removed from their eyes, they may b. enabled
to see that party ) other deformitiss aad thele
by become convinced # the Error It their way,
and be LED 10 joii those who arc striving to
restore the couatry to the hands ct thoss Sho
will guide i; sccnGi2g 10 the provisions Ct tie
laws aod the c,p>';u i,c, aud 10 the interests
Of neither North, South, East or West, but Of
those Of Ito people CT the whole U Cited Stats.
That Vireioia c,ald furnish lawyers aud
preachers, statesmen and goocrs!a Tor the whole
cjuutry aud sill keep euougb at home for the
legitimate neeas OF civilized State. 10 tue
Virsiniaa ever doubted; tut, that she could
rear class OF young men, who, besides being
equipped With such knowledge of the scieGc. 3
as is usually afforded at the bsst Of colleges, were
also both ablo and wiling to set up s:esm en.
CINE and run it. to build houso at need TO
turn straigh. furroush or to pu; w stack
that would turn water. i, Contrary TO all the
past experience Of our people. Yet such, We
are assured, is the kind Of equipment with
which the graduates Of the Agricultural AID
Mechanical College are sect ioto tho wutl.
o. The many signs Of beighte6iag prospects
for the future of the State, wo have been accus'
toned to think. that not tho least prouisiog
was tho fact that We had 10 cur midst en- It's
tuition. which Was not only attempting. bnf su'
css.fuly accomplishing this work.
1t was. therefore. wien sono surprise that We
saw that the Committee on Schools SUI Go!
leges of he Legislature had introduced bill.
which, if passed, will eraveiy threaten the pres
perity of the institution.
This bill proposes to remove froa their Oh
lions all the msm5ers of the prescott BoaId Ct
Visitors and every officer Of the college.
We cannot understand The rees3n fer this
wholesale condemnation. That oolagc, which
has had an average Of more than two hun1rcd
students on lis rolls for each Of tho seven years
OF it's existence, and who's, las. catalogue shows
that it is now educating larger number Of
Virginia students than any other Of our colleges,
should not have among lis officers some meri
torious men is not to be believed.
If the members of the Legislature think that
there are evils which need to be renedied. it
seems to US that better method would DO to
Instruct the Bcarl of Visitors to Investigate
the affairs of tho college. and to take such &C.
ton Gs msy be necessary.
The bill proposes to af1ix a stain to the repu
tation OF every man connected With the college,
not only without evidence as to who is guilty,
bu! with no evidence that anybody is guilty.
The conference relative to the State debt is