The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-07-05
Virginia Legislature The Cover
5. nor's Message, a..

Governor Peirpont,;i message to
the Virginia Legislature, says: The 10.
most i'm portaut question which demands
i'm mediate attention, issthat ofsthe resto:
lat;on Of political rights to those who
b,vs, heretofore enjoyed them. If tho
test of LOYALTY prescribed by tho amend.
I'd State Constitution Isl enforced 10 the
election and qualification Of officers, it
wonld render an organization impractic.,
able in most counties%stIt is {folly, he
saws, to suppose State can be governed
under republican form :of government,
vbcn n;nnteen -twentieths Of the people
Assembly AS aail6ll has control Of this subject
The restricting clauses of the Constitu'
.tion wero devised in time Of war. Now
that the conflict is passed, men accept
the facts developed by tho past four
wears, and declare they have taken'thc
oath of allegiance to tho United States
without mental reservation, and intend
to be and remain loyal to the Govern.
mept of their fathers. 1t would not be
in the spirit Of the noble Anglo Saxon
race to strike fallen brother, or to I'M.
pose upon him humiliatiug terms after
iair surrender. Therefore it it were even
practicable to organize the counties uu.
der the disquulifying clauses OF the Con-
stitution | should still earnestly recon-.
mend their repeal. We must not lose
sight of the great fact that while man is
sociul aud religious being, he Isl at the
same time, a fighting animal. Hence
while VIC commend and encourage the
uilder propcnsi,ics ofhis nature, We must
not deal too barshly with the: others,
lest We defeat the objects of legislation
and degrade where We would elevate and
ennoble. All admit that a person who
is disloyal to the Government which
gives him protection, should not be al.
lowed to vote or hold Office under that
Government. Hence the suggestion Of
the oath Of loyalty. Iwouldrecommend
the amnesty oath prescribed by the Pre-.
sidcnt of the United States, or one of: a
similar character to that, to be substitut'
ed for the one required by tho Constltu-
ton as it now stands. 49,. 49,.
lie further says the subject of negro
suffrage is exciting great interest at pre-
seut all over the country, but as neither
you nor have control over that subject,
it, will Of course not be o subject Of your
deliberations. l would recommend the
passage of un act to legaize the marriage
of persons of color. He also recommends
appropriations for the lunatic asylums
aud the institute for the deaf, dumb and
blind, an increase Of taxes to IS cents on
the hundred dollars worth of property,
and the raising Of the legal rate of in
tercst to 1910 per cent, and the fixing
of, day for elcc.ing members Of the
Legislature. -.. ......- ~.
The message closed by invoking the
blessings Of God upon the State and
country. -
A resolution was unanimously passed
in the House that, in the opinion Of the
General Assembly, the time has arrived
when it was safe and expedient to. restore
the rights of voters who are disqualified
by 1.-THE provisions Of the Sd Article OF
the Constitution. b. n.f.' ....
The Senate concurred in the resolu'
ton, and special joint committee was
appointed to bring in bill for that pur'
nose. ..