Year: 1869

in the minds of the Virginians. Unless
there should be some early demonstration
in Congress tending to break its force and
logical consequences it NAV he regarded as
disastrous. I am informed by two leading
members of Congress that it was not in
tended to bear upon the new movement in
Virginia, but simply in the ordinary line of
business touching the States not admitted
| into the Union; and that the action upon
the plan from Virginia is not intended to
be indicated by this resolution. Certainly
this information is upon very good autho-
rity; but our apprehensions will of course
increase in proportion to delay in consider
ing the application from Virginia.


Not looking at the passage of this resolu
ton as aimed at the Virginia movement,
nothing whatever has occurred of an un
| favorable character, and the general express
sion of opinion has been altogether encou
| raging.


Still, however, the main difficulty en-
| countered here continues. That is the out
cry of the hypocritical Wells party (for the
best Republicans in Virginia are opposed
| to them) that if the white people of Virginia
are enfranchised there will be no safety or
protection for "loyal men," Than this
nothing could be more false, and no accu
ser ever uttered an accusation which he
| better knew to be false. Whether Congress
| will consider this statement, so completely
discredited by the history Of Virginia and
| the genius and character of her people,
sufficient ground to continue the disfran
chisements in our State remains to be seen.
do not believe it. How can they trust
men who are so evidently false to every
| obligation of honor and of justice to their
| fellow-men? How can they reconcile it to
| themselves to imperil the welfare of the
State and the general harmony by placing
| over the State men so notoriously incompe
tent, so selfish, and rapacious?


The admission of Virginia on the plan
of the "nine," under the circumstances
| that surround us, must nationalize the
public sentiment Of the State and place it
in harmony with the Federal administra-
ton. This will exert fine moral infu
ence upon the sectional relations, which,
| like bright sun acting upon the produc-
| tions of the earth, will impart new life
and vigor to all the pursuits of men.
| In view Of this, can Congress be salts
| fed with nurturing body of incompetent
| persons whose whole object is office, and
| who will curse the State with bad govern
| ment and all its dread consequences?
To-day, very much TO the surprise of the
few Virginians here, the question of the
reconstruction of Virginia was brought up
before the House Committee of Reconstruc-
ton. Mr.. Whittlesey, of the State Journal
who has been living in Richmond two or
three months, came before the committee
and made his speech in opposition to the
plan Of the committee of nine. 1t was a
tissue of libels upon the people and the
| public character Of Virginia, the object OF
| which was to make the impression that
Union men would not be safe in Virginia if
the white people were enfranchised. He
followed in the track of Wells. His state
ments were unsubstantiated by title Of
evidence that would be admitted by the
yeriest dolt who ever filled the office Of ma
ristrate. When asked if he ever knew of a
case in which a circuit court Of Virginia
had ruled differently between q Union man
| and southern man-unfalr to the former
and favoring the latter-he replied that he
never had but had heard tell Of such !"
What stuff to be canted before grave COM
mittee of the House of Representatives Of
the United States


Before Mr.. Whittlesey was called before
the committee, the political parson, Phelps,
from Staunton said his say. 1t was called
a ferocious Sermon" a sort Of sermonized
canting philippe upon the southern people,
in which gross outrage upon that people
was sought to be justified by their alleged
wickedness. The rebicund and boiling
parson declared that such was the peril in
which he lived that he had been compelled
to preach with two pistols in his pocket
A member of Congress present said to an
other that IL the parson were TO preach any
such sermon as that in New York anywhere
south of Albany he would require four pis-
tolls for his protection. He thought it doubt
ful whether even with that number he
would escape with whole bones-hardly his
life.


Mr.. Phelps confessed that the Methodist
church in Staunton-one of many he is try
ing to seize and possess-had l40-odd mem
bers, while he had none to speak of; (Mr.
Baldwin says only one besides his son, who
| is irregular in his attendance !! but only
give him the church, and his communicate
would increase as rapidly as Falstaff's in
Buckram and Kendall Green. There was
an irrepressible smile at these bright pros
poets of the red and boiling parson.


Certainly the Committee of Reconstruc-
ton must be tired Of such exhibitions of
personal rancor, hypocrisy, selfishness, and
| ignorance, as they have heard in few
days past. The comparison which they
have been enabled to draw between the true
Yirginians and those who have been vehe-
nentIy urging the continued disfranchise-
ment of the people of Virginia must have
struck them as remarkable. 1t would be
impossible for impartial judges to fail to be
,liagusted with the latter, while the frank
and manly bearing Of the others would just
as certainly have won their entire conf
dcnce. Never was there amongst men q
wider contrast.


All of the nine" are absent save MIR.
Necson, of Richmond, who arrived here
Yesterday evening. Messrs. Stuart and
baldwin will be here tomorrow evening,
and Mr.. Sutherlin and others axe expected
soon.


learn that General Wilcox is making a
tour of Virginia to ascertain whether there
are persons who can take the prescribed
test oath to fill the Offices that are TO be soon
vacated especially those of the circuit
| ;udges. AS far as | have heard, his sue
cess has been rather Indifferent. Lysander
Hill, who was subjected to MIR. Farms
worth's severe criticism, is about the most
elevated amongst the aspirants in Judge
Tbomas's district but he is looking to the
sunreme Court What times indeed! G.


Mr.. Whittlesey, editor and proprietor OF
the Richmond State Journal, who succeeds
the Rev. Mr.. Hunnicutt in the enjoyment
Of the ripe Virginia bankruptcy publica-