The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-23
A Convention to Change the State
Constitution.

II was not without reason that the last
Legislature of Virginia decided no, to call
a Convention to alter the Constitution Of
Virginia. Whilst the members of that
body cvinccd by their votes that they felt
the weight Of the yoke of the Alexandra
constitution, they acted with becoming
prudence and praiscworthy wisdom in dc
clining TO invite the people of this old
Commonwealth to deputc their wise men
TO form a new government in the pre-
scncc of the strong arm of military power
The Legislature pondcrcd the snnlcct i'"s
and well, and concluded that il would DC
hettcr TO let the constitution and govern
mcnt forced upon the State 10y inc power
oS ;t> Federal head remain in operation
,,t;, the withdrawal of the military. j,
would be a painful spectacle to see
Grand Council, representing in theory the
soryeiqnty of the people, forming a con-
s,itu,ion at the risk of being driven from
the halls of legislation by the same power
which last winter nullificd an act of that
Legislature which some are now ccnsuring
for not having called State convention.
If We conccdc, as We are not unwilling TO
do, that General TERRY would be very
reluctan, to interfere with constitutional
convention, the objection is not removed.
We cannot tolerate the idea of forming Il
constitution under such circumstances.
The right TO interfere is the thing to which
we object and that he has that right, he
believes, and we cannot gainSay his will.
There is nothing so intolcrablc in the
present State government as to call for an
immediate remedy. The Governor, 1t is
true, was not chosen by us but he has little
or no power while surrounded as he is Ivy
true and faithful men, even if We conccde,
as we are not disposed to do, that he him.
self is hostile 10 the best interests of the
State. With WILLIAM F. TAYLOR in one
Office. J. s. CALVERT in another, and j. VI.
HERNpoN in a third, the three, with the
Governor, constituting the Board of Public
Works, we really cannot imagine how His
Excellency can harm US, ifhe were inclined
TO do so. The Judges, too, are every one
of them "bone of our bone, and flesh of
our flesh" and one of Governor PEIR-
POINTS nominees now rests under an in
dictment made in the United States Circuit
Court for administering our laws according
to his best judgment, and as we all think ne
ought to administer them. The differences
between the present and the last constltu-
ton have really impressed the public mind
so little that more than half the people
cannot be brought to realize the fact that
there are any.
The expense Of State convention is
serious consideration. The people are
really not able to pay any higher taxes than
they are paying and if the interest upon
our State debt is to be met next year,
they will look with great disiavor on any
measure which promises TO add to their
burthenS.
We conclude, then, that it will be time
enough to call State convention TO alter
the constitution when we shall have be-
come free men once morc-that is, when
military rule shall have given place to civil !;
when the status of the southern States
shall have been definitely settled; and
when our representatives shall have been
recognized at Washington as the equals soi
those from the other sections of the Union.