Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-01-10
The Constitutional Amendment

10 Scct85 =tEerc are JhO SiueS 70 Ine
questionsas well Nerth as South.
The class South who brought On the
war, and the party North who give it
aid and encouragement, are both op-
posed to this Amendment, and viii,
1t seems, fight it to the last So be it
IF they SO not accept of this fair and
magnanimous measure of pacifca-
tion, they may look for something
worse. The Nerth-the loyal men
who saved the government in its day
of peril--sre intent on settling this
matter on terms alone satisfactorily
to them, and to the good of the
whole country, and it would be wis
dom on the part ofthe late rebellious
States to understand it. AS the
Hen. Ben. Wade recently said in a
speech at Memphis, the North in
tends to take no backward step in
this matter. If. after fair and pro
per time for reflection and actien,
the excluded States still persist in
refusing to accept of the Constitu
tional Amendment, then they may
look for the loyal States to proceed
step or two in advance of those
terms, to something to which per
haps their assent will net be asked.
But to the extracts. The Wash
ingtos, N. C. Dispatch, in comment
ing on Mr. Segar's recent statement
relative to the Virginia Legislature
and the Constitutional Amendment,
says:
The blood sf the Virginians is
cavalier blood. Coed blood! Brave
blood. The noble gentlemen Of that
State hate towards and condemn
cowardice Virginia is the mother
of the best, noblest and bravest of
soldiers and statesmen of the Revo-
luton; the mother of those men who
plucked the jewel freedom from the
mouth of defeat and the throat Of
disaster, when oppression piled its
prosecutions and threatened patriots
with the halter. Her sons of to day
are as brave, love liberty as much,
are guided in their actions by as
high q sense of honor, and will be as
10th to degrade themselves, as their
fathers were.
We do not hesitate, therefore, to
pronounce the statement of Joseph
Segar a calumny on the noble old
Commonwealth, to stigmatize it as a
base lie, to spit upon it, 20 nail the
slanderer 10 the counter.
Virginia willing to disfranchise her
Lee, her johnson, her Malone, her
thousands of brave soldiers and able
statesmen! Never, never, never
Virginia willing to sacrifice her hon
or! It must be false.
This man Joseph Segar, certainly
deserves ne credit. He deserted the
fortunes of his State in her hour Of
sorest need. He struck hands with
her enemies while they we're red with
the blood of her sons, and were
pouring in On her bosom the tide of
invasion. Segar, the renegade, the
deserter, the paid agent OF Radical
ism, the tool or men who desolated
his State, has no right TO speak for
the people Of Virginia, and cannot
be believed even when only repeat
ing or pretending to repeat. their
expressions of opinion. Virginia
will never ratify the Howard amend
ment until the reins Of government
are taken out of the hands of her
own noble sons.
The Richmond Examiner says:
A Northern Conservative journal
throws out the suggestion that the
Virginia Legislature should proceed
to inquire of Congress whether in
event of their ratification of the Con-
stitutional Amendment, the South
ern States would be accorded repre-
sentation. Tlfis proposition we
deem alike fiippant and i'll consider
ed. 1t savors too much of party
maneuvering to suit our notions
To make such an inquiry would con-
vey very strong implication that
tho terms were such as ought to be
seriously weighed and possibly ac-
cepted by the South. We should
have it rung ell over the land that
Virginia was about to adopt the Con-
stitutional Amendment, and Mr.. joe
Segar's extraordinary fictions would
be reproduced, this time to and o
better market. Indeed we are in
clined to think that the Legislature
has no right to PROFOUND the query,
unless they are really hesitating On
the subject Of ratification. Congress
has not declared whether or no the
States will be admitted if they ratify
the Amendment, and even if they
were to make pledge in the affirma-
tive, we should not place any depen-
aence upon it. Instead, therefore,
of ingenious refnements or strategic
delays, we urge simple, dignifed
and prompt rejection of The scheme.
Let us have no dalliance O. esquet-
ting with dishonor.
The Richmond Times, says:
By our votes to say that those gal
liant Generals, those brave soldiers,
whose courage and fortitude have
shed luster upon US as people,
unrivaled in history, shall hold no
Office of profit or trust, either State
or Federal, would be more cowardly
and criminal than deserting ones
colors in time of battle. The Virgi-
nian or Southerner who votes for
any such terms with the Radicals,
should be whipped at the cats tail,
and be pilloried in shame and dis
grace as renegade.
But, even were we so far lost to all
sense Of honor as to disfranchise our