798 



UNITED STATES. 



On April 12th the "Whig," a newspaper is- 

 sued at Richmond, contained the following in 

 its pages : 



An address "to the people of Virginia," earnestly 

 requesting the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 

 members of the Legislature, and various prominent 

 citizens of Virginia, to assemble in Richmond on the 

 25th inst., is published in to-day's paper. The sig- 

 natures to this call will secure for it not only the re- 

 spectful consideration of the persons addressed, but, 

 in the present attitude of afiairs, will induce many 

 of them to respond with alacrity to the summons. 



It is understood that this invitation has been put 

 forth in pursuance of the plan of proceeding as- 

 sented to by President Lincoln. At all events, it 

 will be hailed by the great body of the people of Vir- 

 ginia as the first step_ toward the reinstatement of 

 the "Old Dominion" in the Union. 



It is probable that some of the members of the Leg- 

 islature may decline to come. In every such case, 

 the people of the county or senatorial district should 

 select some influential and intelligent citizen who is 

 willing to take part in this business, and commission 

 him, as far as thej[ can, to represent them at the 

 conference. The views and purposes of the mem- 

 bers of the Legislature should be ascertained at once. 



Every one can foresee difficulties in the way of for- 

 mal action in the beginning. Several complex ques- 

 tions are to be met at the threshold, but "where 

 there's a will there's a way," and whatever the diffi- 

 culties presented the important business must be 

 undertaken. 



The following is the address referred to : 



To the People of Virginia : The undersigned, mem- 

 bers of the Legislature of the State of Virginia, in 

 connection with a number of the citizens of the State 

 whose names are attached to this paper, in view of 

 the evacuation of the city of Richmond by the" Con- 

 federate Government, and its occupation by the mil- 

 itary authorities of the United States, the surrender 

 of the Army of Northern Virginia, and the suspen- 

 sion of the jurisdiction of the civil power of the State, 

 are of the opinion that an immediate meeting of the 

 General Assembly of the State is called for by the 

 exigencies of the situation. 



The consent of the military authorities of the United 

 States to the session of the Legislature in Richmond, 

 in connection with the. Governor and Lieutenant- 

 Governor, to their free deliberation upon public af- 

 fairs, and to the ingress and departure of all its mem- 

 bers under safe conducts, has been obtained. 



The United States authorities will afford transpor- 

 tation from any point under their control to any of 

 the persons before mentioned. 



The matters to be submitted to the Legislature are 

 the restoration of peace to the State of Virginia, and 

 the adjustment ot questions involving life, liberty, 

 and property, that have arisen in the State as a con- 

 sequence of the war. 



We, therefore, earnestly request the Governor, 

 Lieutenant-Go vernpr, and members of the Legisla- 

 ture to repair to this city by the 25th April instant. 



We understand that full protection to persons and 

 property will be afforded in the State, and we recom- 

 mend to peaceful citizens to remain at their homes 

 and pursue their usual avocations, with confidence 

 that they will not be interrupted. 



We earnestly solicit the attendance in Richmond, 

 on or before the 25th of April instant, of the follow- 

 ing persons, citizens of Virginia, to confer with us as 

 to the best means of restoring peace to the State of 

 Virginia. We have procured safe conduct from the 

 military authorities of the United States for them to 

 enter the city and to depart without molestation: 

 Hon. R. M. T. Hunter, A. T. Caperton, William C. 

 Kives, John Letcher, A. H. H. Stuart, R. L. Mon- 

 tage, Fayette McMullen, J. P. Holcombe, Alexander 

 Rives, B. Johnson Barbour, James Barbour, William 



L. Goggin, S. B. Baldwin, Thomas S. Gholson, and 

 those other persons for whom passes have been pro- 

 cured, and which have been forwarded to them, etc. 

 etc. Signed by 



J. M. Marshal, Senator, Fanquier; James Nelson, Senator, 

 Marion; James Venable, Senator elect, Petersburg; David L 

 Burr, of House of Delegates, Richmond City ; L. S. Hall, of 

 House of Delegates, Weitzel Conntv : J. J. tnglish, of House 

 of Delegates, Henrico County; William Ambers, of House 

 of Delegates, Chesterfield County ; A. M. Kelly, of House of 

 Delegates, Petersburg; H. W. Thomas, Second Auditor of 

 Virginia ; St. L. L. Moncure, Chief Clerk Second Auditor's 

 office; Joseph Mayo, Mayor, City of Biehrnond; Robert How- 

 ard, Clerk Hustings Court, Richmond City; Thomas U. Dud- 

 ley, Sergeant, Richmond City : Littleton Tazewcll, Common- 

 wealth's Attorney, Richmond City ; William T. Joynes. Judge 

 of Circuit Court, Petersburg; John A. Meredith, Judge of 

 Circuit Court, Richmond; William H. Lyons, Judge ol Hus- 

 tings Court, Richmond; William C. Wickham, Member of 

 Congress, Richmond District ; Benjamin S. Ewell. President 

 of William and Mary College; Nat. Tyler, Editor Rich- 

 mond Enquirer; R. F. "Walker, Publisher of Examiner; J. 

 R. Anderson, Richmond; R. R. Howison, Richmond; W, 

 Gpddin, Richmond; P. G. Bayly. Richmond; F. J. Smith, 

 Richmond; Franklin Stearnes, Henrico; John Lyon, Pe- 

 tersburg; Thomas B. Fisher. Fauquier; "William M. Har- 

 rison, Charles City ; Cyrus Hall, Ritchie ; Thomas "W. Gar- 

 nett, King and Queen ; James A. Scott, Richmond. 



I concur in the preceding recommendation. 



J. A. CAMPBELL. 



Approved for publication in the Richmond Whig 

 and in hand-bill form. G. WEITZEL, 



Major-General Commanding. 

 RICHMOND, VA., April 11, 1865. 



The same print of April 15th says : " An in- 

 formal meeting of citizens and a few members 

 of the Legislature was held on the previous 

 evening. The motive of the gentlemen in com- 

 ing together was to hear from Judge Campbell 

 the terms upon which President Lincoln had 

 expressed himself as willing that Virginia might 

 return to the Union. A committee was ap- 

 pointed to inform the Legislature and (Jov. 

 Smith of President Lincoln's terms, who were 

 to leave the city as soon as passports could be 

 procured." 



On the evening of April llth the President's 

 mansion and other public buildings in Washing- 

 ton were illuminated in consequence of the sur- 

 render of Gen. Lee and his army. President 

 Lincoln on that occasion addressed the assem- 

 blage chiefly in relation to the restoration of 

 the Union. He said : 



By these recent successes, the reinauguration of 

 the national authority, reconstruction, which has had 

 a large share of thought from the first, is pressed 

 much more closely upon our attention. It is fraught 

 with great difficulty. Unlike the case of a war be- 

 tween independent nations, there is no authorized 

 organ for us. to treat with. No one man has the au- 

 thority to give up the rebellion for any other man. 

 We simply must begin with and mould from disor- 

 ganized and discordant elements. Nor is it a small 

 additional embarrassment that we, the loyal people, 

 differ among ourselves as to the mode, manner, and 

 measure of reconstruction. 



As a general rule, I abstain from reading the re- 

 ports of attacks upon myself, wishing not to be pro- 

 voked by that to which I cannot properly offer an 

 answer. In spite of this precautior, however, it 

 comes to my knowledge that I am niuch censured 

 from some supposed agency in setting up and seeking 

 to sustain the new State government of Louisiana. 

 In this I have done just so much and no more than 

 the public knows. In the annual message of Decem- 

 ber, 1863, and accompanying proclamation, I pre- 

 sented a plan of reconstruction (as the phrase goes), 

 which I promised, if adopted by any State, should be 



