Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-09-04
NOMINATIONS FoR STATS oFY1cEs.

that the committee, with tirefunanimity.
had agreed to present the name of Colonel B.
H. Smith. of Kanawha, as candidate for
the Office of Governor of West Virginia.
The announcement was received with the
widest enthusiasm. At the mention of the
name of this distinguished veteran, cheer
after cheerburst upon the air,sand amid the
exultant shouts of the vast assemblage the
nomination was carried by acclamation. a.
motion was made and carried for the appoint
ment ofa committee to wait on Colonel Smith,
advise him of his nomination., and request
him to address the Convention The com
mittee, consisting of Hon. Thomas Sweeney,
Hon. j. w. Kennedy, and A. G.. Davis, ESQ. :,
Immediately retired, but soon returned ac>
companied by Colonel Smith, He was
welcomed with such raptarous applause as
almost drowned the music of the band which
Joined in the tribute to patriotic worth, and
amid the loudest cheering the Chairman in
troduced to the Convention the next Governor
of West Virginia.
COL: SMITHS SPEECH
Col. Smith declared that he, was over
whelmed with emotion at greeting SO warm,
and so unexpected. He knew his sincerity
would not be doubted when he asserted that
ne had no desire for political promotion But,
said he, have felt deep and abiding
interests in the cause of the Union; i have
ever labored to restore our country to the
position it occupied before the war, and while
1 neither desire nor seek any Office in your
gift, yet i may not decline nomination which
may enable me to- aid you in furthering the
work of national restoration. and assist in
rescuing West Virginia from the thraldom
under which she now groans, Having made
no preparation for a speech, I shall be COM
PEELED to present, extemporaneously, few
OF the important political topics of the day
topics which are so numerous, one scarcely
knows where to begin or where to end. I
shall briefly revert to the reckless policy of
the now dominant party-a party whose.
enormlties are so many and so appalling that
no man can detail them in single address.
1t has often appeared to me that on the part
OF our State authorities, there has been con-
slant and studious effort to find pretexts and
opportunities for violating and trampling
under foot our National and State Constitu-
tlons l have declared before and [ now
repeat that in this country, governments are
derived from and rest upon certain constitu-
tlonal principles. If those principles be
violated, government must perish; if govern
ment is to be preserved. those principles
must be observed and defended Under no
circumstances. in no exigency,. should the
sanctlty of the Constitution be assailed.
Every such act prostrates and weakens the
instrument and is fruitful of destruction to
the liberties of the people. So essential are
the observance of constitutional principles to
the existence of our government, that [ be-
leve all our people should be taught to up
hold and defend this bond of our life as a
nation. Teach your children to revere the
Constitution, let their lisping infancy talk of
1t and their maturing childhood imbibe its
purity and truth. Youth is the period at
which the most lasting impressions are pro,
duced, and the man whose carly thoughts
were directed to consideration of the sacred
nature of his country's constitution will ever
invest it with holiness, and cherish and defend
it as precious legacy. From its sacredness,
Its dignity and its necessity to our national
existence the Constitution becomes to us what
ruling Potentates are to the people of other
lands. Having neither King or Emperor,
the Constitution becomes the monarch,s and
violation of the Constitution is treason to-
the King. In this view the party to which
L have referred, is by its gross transgression
OF constitutional, principles, guilty of treason
to the nation and the government, no less
culpable than that armed and warning treason
which assailed the life of the Republic upon
the field of battle -
In support of his position Col Smith then
proceeded with an examination. of the acts of
our State government, in its Legislative and
Executive Departments, and derived there
from ample evidence to establish the Justice
OF his charge that Radicalism is treason
he act to prevent the obstruction of public.
Justice was the first to receive his attention.
He alluded with telling effect to that section
of the law which requires all Legislative acts
to be deemed Constitutional until otherwise
decided by the State Courts and showed the
Jolly of which the Legislature was guilty in.
attempting to set aside the legal principle,
that atsunconstitutional laws are void al snitio
and command no mans respect He dis
cussed the section of the same act which pro-
vldes for indemnifying such officers as may
incur legal penalties by executing laws which
transgress the Constitution, and declared that
while rendering "a defense of the Constitution
obnoxious and penal, the Legislature had
offered a premium for fragrant violations of
that instrument. Col. Smiths remarks upon
the provision of the same law which imposes
restrictions upon free speech, and denounees
penalties upon the discussion of Legislative
corruption were forcible and telling. He as
serted that the action, of the Convention, the
conversation of. the. delegates and his own
exposition of public iniauities were contrary
TO the spirit of "the act to prevent the OBJ:
.struction of public justice. and 80 was tho.
conduct of every man who dared to expose
and denounee the monstrous wrongs of which
our State, officials. were guilty. For his part,
she set their gag law at defance,;, he res
garded it as usurpation and tyranny, and
would never permit it to deter the expression
of his opposition to official misconduct and
public wrong. Passing from this subject
Col, Smith reviewed with great power the
character and purposes of the Act for the
Registration of voters. He established that
while the Constitution alone could and did
prescribe the qualif nsof voters, the Leg
islature had sought THROUGH the Registration