The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-08-22
ARbEsToN KANAWHA COUNTY, .WIsT ayA, WEpNF

: OVAD1H1tA9 \" SAEtA1aIsXlf'N Nn1AS9'
ebs'unidn, ssecbtaad in::G1 isho power
oc tho .nztim .sain? :i;His4 a9m up;~J
.. 4 had soea that whileipsosfpssipg With their
lips rencHed allegiance 70 the a.g and thss hss
oblivion Of tho past. embodied: in tho pacific
policy Of tic President, theJ xiere becoming
arrogant, ir;t1i 7 intoIcrant and 'diStisoIai They
were'sa0ryyihsi in tho apparent scEsma between
tho prusIdonns and, CongrsiatIi THE policy ot
restoring tho States htolylia, rebellion laud
rubbing their / hands with ldsligh.,at the ide.
of.a cjyil Tsr in the loyal States. ,., ,'',.l;
IN In Wow iii Of all this array q stubborn lach,
I ffahkly ownithat my rAUi sSskS eoisafti:
tory policy III bringing blckto a9anst tho6e
Who have been engaged in a'HI. to destroy
the Union have undergone change. The
intolerahtrspirit ehgcnder@ by slavery still
exists, The loss, ofpropcrty and tho failure
Of their hopes can never be forgiven, and,
though Iregar'd them as ilnpotsnt to resist
constituted authority enforced BY the pres
ence Of military foresight MIN convinced that
they would rencw;the rebellion to!morow'd
they, saw a sure prospect Of success i,,,i,lr
y. Impressed with tho truth of these views,
forcsceing tho necessity, for the future sccuri-
ty Of Union, mon IN thc South, that tho amend.
n;cantto thS Constitution adopted BY congrcsss
and Submitted to tho several States fos !rati-
aeation should pmnil, and fully realizing tho
fact that. tho appointment would never DO rat
fled by tho present Legislature, ! own ] was
in favor Of tho rcasscmblipg Of the Convention
Of 1854, As As the only means Of securing ratiA-
eatioh as required, and thereby insurihg tho
admission Of our Representatives in Congress.
:. Tho legal right of the Convention to com
tinus its functions is o question. I suppose,
properly pertaining to the courts to dscidte siti
Senators and representatives. IN Congress, Of
great learning, and mon ofhish legal attain
,ncnts in New Orleans have expressed tho
iopnion that, under tho resolution 6tadjourn-
mont, tho Convention could awfullyrrassem-
Llc., A distinguished Democratic Senator in
Congress took thq same view, ,r;Y. .,.,r,
= For myself il ! Ind any doubt on this sub
|jcct, which have not, should have deferred
70 tho opinion Of abler men, '%''' '''''
f"Tho total number Of delegates composing
tho. Convention was $50; tho number elected
Is. yThc quorum WAS ASed at. &C. this mum. nun!
.Ls.-L.i-e pAA5arity,. nf.Hti,A u,hnra, 1hDr0
wcro 27 parishes unrcprcscntcd in. tho Con
Tfeanitiorn entitled to 81 delegates and adding
thereto h0 vacancies to Settled; would mako
81 delegates ito bO elected . Bcsidcs, There
.wcro aomc 10 or l2 delegates who, di4ahproT-
ing .tho. emancipation clause, refused to, sign
the constitution. who .n.y be ranked INK yi with
the {: extreme conservatives. Counting the 81
delegates to bc elected Of tht sant class, and
tho balance ofihe convehtion'to To radical,
| It will b. seen that tho parties would have
boon nearly equally diyidsd-2 :,,i ..oot. i.
e, / hnyo gono into these details to show tho
falsi,y Of tho charges th.t have bccn made
that tho Convention would not have repre-
sentcd tho whole State, and that II was in
tended to:bo packed. Rsuy parish would
have teon represented, about >opo-hnlf having
elected their delegates in 1894, and tho otbor
half in 1866, making J. jut, equilibrium Of
those who opposed and thos who sustained
the course x tu;; Of tho ConSdeAe:"S ''..,' -.
There arc no .disfrknchisus clauses in tho
Constitution ,of, 1904. grieI much-abusod
mrmbers;pf that body hid in their power
to hare m.do tho, oopstitgptIsotnl as stringent
against those engaged ip (th4 4cbcllion as Ten
ncsseo sua d and Missouri have $ne. Thcy pur-
sued ii, ia an cI copIposito courss betAng and trust
,HsiAs1 did, that thessJ,ls| Souaibo actda-
ted by:a spirit Of ftoloraua hd %orbeuranco In
ruturn for the liboralit1 shasA toward thcm.
How tho members ,oi thaE Convention have
been treated, Individually tho very, mon
in iVih Vwihoso honor and good iath they trusted,
to ssay nothing 81 the seoff II, and villihcaticn
Illuminated against them Isl collective body;
and nditboconstituton thy ntde, Jet the record
! Of she,bloody doings.Rs 1ecla.iess Institute.
on, MosdI, tho .Soth ni@n,o fesa ssesHYr::
7 IN keeping with theinpEelepting policy fto1
maintain iti tho power 81 y sas IN their. own
hands Exclusively, they sppdsed sSs meeting
FotAs; con.sbtidiot1st. ny'nteaed no
. bs.,rrrDooituir thin,tht ova'oonsc;tnoi+o|
toll tbem stha. by ttheit toQnduot: they oh.d
forfeited, all claim f.. lrsher t.YoTs from
the original members that Convention.
'This Thiesy 4restoily;ed il must pat doxns crushed.
.k5uEat aAflskz' Thd' fble SceSds OF The,
tFSosh af'5uiy;1 soiadon1 pred'Stsd in cssO
[the,Cooveu.iouthsat' vi thdqesait1d VII |
The lettcr of,N.xor!t t6!asnrqs t!snr ~ rGsn'ralf
Baird, accompanies; ~ communication -is
Proof that tE;Ef :he diEainAt p: ifrvsry!
other mesaS 3 fsiled. 70 9crt 70 force. Eyery.l
tbiSs re tilf.aSed y e On and.y ~ nt6ry to
;hySSggt hySggt bS6iIpSse, &eapOlssc1NSsd a.
SS qGsSis;;aay i;;a SstaiRahst ~etstds ~ettds tat tk'Ss san
Ia, - a icya o:1 IN sstl ri 1ii1eI4