Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-03-14
The Legislature and the State COnven-
tiOn---PFecipitate Acti0n---No thing


We have heretofore expressed the opin-
ion, and we take this occasion to reiterate
it, that the people of Virginia, who are
prescribed by the late act of Congress for
participating in the late rebellion against
the destructive, revolutionary doctrines of
the Black Republican party, should yield
passive obedience to the tyrannical and
oppressive mandates Of Congress, now
claiming, mos by the provisions Of the
Federal Constitution. but by virtue of the
result of the last elections, supreme pow
er and authority over the lives, persons
and property of the Southern people, and
that the Legislature should net take any
action whatever upon the subject. This
conviction has been strengthened by recent
events,
The members of the Legislature who
have voted for bill for the election of
members to State Convention in May
may cite the promise of Governor Peirpoint
in a telegram from Washington, that if
they would Immediately call Convention,
Virginia can get anything she wants
BY what or whose authority this pious de-
ception was rendered to the collective wis
dom and intelligence of Virginia, we are
not informed, nor do we care to know. 1t
is sufficient for our present purpose to
know that the Senate precipitately passed
bill for the election of members to
State Convention, by vote of % ayes to
4 nays. Those voting in the negative
were Messrs. Ould, Meade, Strother, and
ya]iaferro.
If our grave Senators really possessed
any secret information, from source at
all creditable, and which we Of the "rural
districts knew nothing about, and based
their head-long action upon such informa-
ton, we should not judge them too harsh
ly. We think, however, that all South
ern men of ordinary intelligence and saga
city should have learned the important
fact, verified by the sad experience of the
past two years, that no confidence can be
put in such promises that they are inten-
ded to mislead and deceive; that We can
only judge of the intentions of Congress
by its acts, and not by its professions; that
all its acts, and especially its last and
erowning act of usurpation and tyranny,
known as the Shcrman-Shellabarger bill,
have eyinced determination to give the
governments of the South over to the ne
goes and se-calleei loyal whites, to the en-
tire exclusion of the intelligent white pop
ulation. Practically, if it amounted to
anything at all, the action Of the Legrslr-
ture would lead to the same results, as ef-
fectually and as effectively, as if left to
the control of the military viceroy of the
supreme power at Washington.
The bill for the call of a Convention,
as it passed the Senate, does not contain
word by way Of protest against the palpa-
bic unconstitutionality Of the measure,
and it therefore goes forth to the world as
an honest and truthful expression of the
sentiment of that body, when every intel
ligent man in the community must know
that the reverse is the fact The Senate
were evidently panic-stricken, and fright
enea out of their wits by the hobgoblin of
coniseation looming up before them, and
we think rather prematurely yielded to
toe oppressive and gloomy forebodings
that dictated their action.
The bill passed by the Senate was re-
ferred to the committee on resolutions, in
the House of Delegates, and substitute,
in which it is set forth that "an over-ruling
necessity requires the people Of this State
to submit to have the election to Offices
coming within the purview Of said act of
Congress and to any convention called in
pursuance of the invitation above referred
to-, conducted in strict conformity with the
provisions of said act, (unless the same
shall be pronounced unconstitutional by
the Supreme Court of the United States. y
Here we have distinct declaration, am
bunting to protest, that the Legislature
is governed by can overriding necessity"
and not by the requirements of the Con-
stitution and Laws Of the State, in calling
convention; that the act was not volun-
untary, or in accordance with the real
sentiment of the members or of the peo-
pie, but that it was done under duress.-
But even this plea will not relieve the Lee
gfslature from condemnation, unless it
shall appear that some advantage viii have