The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-05

as a criterion) of fifteen hundred votes
in ALL.
This convention proceeded to revise
the Constitution, and having completed
the revision, declared the Constitution
adopted without submitting it to the
people.
The Constitution thus adopted, was,
by the act, to extend over the whole
State as fast as it was recovered to the
Union.
Upon the capture ofLee' sarmy, in April,
1865, this Constitution ii is claimed by
its friends, became the law of the land,
from North Carolina to the Potomac
Intellectual attempts had atseveral times
been made to introduce gentlemen into
the House of Representatives from seve-
raj districts in this State, but in each in,
stance they had been denied admission,
on the grounds before stated.
In the winter of lS64-65, the Legisla-
ture elected Messrs. Seward and Under
wood to the United States Senate, in
place of Bowden, deceased, and Carlisle,
whoG term had expired. These gentle
men applied for admission, but Congress
without taking action upon
their cases.
About the LIST of May, 1865, President
johnson issued his proclamation recog-
nizing~ Governor Pierpont as Governor
of the State, and directing him to reor-
ganize its civil government The Wheel
ing Convention of June 18th, 1861, had
declared the old Constitution and Code
of Virginia still in force. The Alexan.
dria Convention of February 18th, 1854,
had abolished Slavery, and had changed
the qualification of voters so as to require
them to take an oathto support thu" COn-
stitution ofthe United States, and the re-
stored Government of Virginia." and to
s,Oear that they had not "since the first
day of January, 1854 voluntarily given
aidand assistancein any way, to those in
rebellion against the Government of the
United States, for the purpose ofpromo-
ting the same" 1t provided that the
Legislature might abolish these restric-
tions, and that the person violating the
oath should be subject to the penalties of
perjury. 1t also providedthat no person
should hold office who had not taken
such oath, or who had "held office under
the so-called Confederate Government,
or under any rebellious State Govern
ment, or who had been member of the
so-called Confederate Congress, or a
member of any State Legislature in re-
bellion against the authority of the
United States" excepting therefrom
county officers. 1t did not make any
provision that the Legislature might
abolish these restrictions upon holding
office.
Such was the condition of affairs upon
the recognition of Gov. Pierpoint by the
President, in May, 1865. By the provi-
sions of the Constitution and Code of
Virginia, ageneral election for members
of the House of Representative and
men bers of the Legislature, is holden
on the fourth Thursday-of May. One of
Gov. Pierpoint's first official acts, after
being recognized by the President, was
to advise the people not to vote for men,
bers of Congress at that time, for the
reason, that he should order a special
election for that purpose upon the full
reorganization of the State. They ac-
cordingly did not vote for members of
Congress, but proceeded to elect members
of the Legislature from such counties as
were organized on the day of election.
The disloyal element of our popula-
ton, largely outnumbering the loyal ele-
ment, and determined to rule the State,
almost universally subscribed to the oath
required of roters by the Alexandria
Constitutions and men, who up to that
time had openly professed allegiance to
the Rebel State Government at Rich
mond, and to the so-called Confederate
States, and who had contemptuously
repudiated the restored Government of
Virginia and the Government of the
United States, came forward and took
the oath lust in time to run for office and
to vote. Such men, with one or two ex-
ceptions, were elected to the Legislature,
and precisely such men, without any
exception, would have been elected 70
Congress had the congressional election
been held.
The Legislature elect promises to be
an organization not at all less disloyal
than the Legislature which sat at Rich
mond under the auspicies Of William
Smith
1t is, of course, of no use to contest
elections on the grounds of disloyal
voting, or the ineligibility of members
elect, for disloyal men will not exclude
members for disl0yalty. We find our
selves bound hand and foot, and in the
power of disloyal Legislature.
The Internationally loyal men OF Vir--
ginia have for some time anticipated
that these results might follow. They,
however, relied with considerable con-
fidence upon Governor Pierpoint to see
that his reorganize1 Government did
not Immediately slip out of his hands
into the hands of the Rebels. You have,
perhaps, shared our surprise and disap-
pointment in reading his recent speech
to delegation from the southern part
of the State in which he designated the
provisions of the Alexandria Constitu-.
ton, referred to above, as the "JMy Of
war leqislation," pledging his immediate
efforts to have those provisions repealed,
and declaring his intention to place the
power of the State as soon as possible in
the hands of those who formerly con-
trolled it. This is being done as rapidly
as il can well be effected. Already the
Legislature has been called together in
secret session, the object of the call be-
ing. as appears by convincing proof, to
abrogate the existing constitutional re-
strictions upon the elective franchise,
and, in the language Of the Governor,
@ to make it more liberal even than the
delegation of the several counties re-
quest"
It has, in a session of only nine days,
Welded all that the disloyal asked, abol-
ishing all distinction, so far as lay in its
power, between loyalty and disloyalty,
There remainsnO now no protection to those
who, have stood by the Union, except
what those who but recently have been
in open rebellion choose to award. The
usual relations of the successful and un-
successful parties in war is here reversed.
nj Tr,,ic,, Nay, Of Virginia ore in the