Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-12-17
VIRGINIA CONSERVATIVE CON-
YEHTION.


This body assembled in Richmond on
"Wednesday, aud without doubt cmbodies as
much real ability in its composition as any
convention that has ever assembled in the
State of Virginia. Tho Richmond Enquirer
says 10 no convention which ever met in Yir-
GINA was the State as thoroughly represented
as in this body. Not less, We itnsgine, than
eight hundred delegates at a time Of great
pecuniary scarcity, have braved the iuclem-
ency Of winter, and are here from the noun
tains to the sea-shore. From the Valley from
Piedmont, from Southwest Virginia, from the
Southside, from Tidewater, from the PENN
sula and the Eastern Shorc-we have able
and full representatives. Venerable Viz.
ginians of the old school, the friends Of Ran
dolph, of Jefferson, and Monroe, the survi,
wing members of Conventions aud Legisla.
lures which have become famous in history,
have emerged from long retirement, and are
here to encourage By their counsels the youth
who are just entering upon the duties of lie
The garden of Eden never presented
more harmonious differentiation Of tho lions
and the lambs than the Theatre did on yes
terday. Whoever expected to see Randolph,
Stuart, Baldwin, BocOck, Martin, Tucker,
Kemper, FiOurnoy, peterborough, Nc
| Dowell Moore, Daniel, Pendleton, McMul-
! len, and host of other party leaders cordial
/ ly uniting, without a word of dscord, to pro-
tect Virginia? What happy augury of the
ability Of the white man to save the State
croy,, clio pnDro "a tI,;, oov,pIoIo G,s;or cc oIJ
! parties? Who can doubt the eventual tri-
umph Of the white man in Virginia when
this host of able, eloquent and honest Vir-
| ginians lead the masses against the depraved
vagabouds who are conspiring to deliver their
| State into the hands OF the African?
The temporary organization of the Couven.
ton was effected by calling Hon. THOMAS
JEFFERSON RANDOLPH OF Albemarle to the
Chair, who appointed the following commit
tee on permanent organization
Zcpheniah Turner of Rappahnnnock; o.
r. Funston of Clarke; Bolivar Christian of
Augusta; Waller r. Staples of Montgomery;
David Il. Burke of Bedford; VIM Martin
of Henry; Asa D. Dickinson of Prince Ed
ward Robert Whitehead of Nelson II. T.
Daniel of Richmond; r. II. Coleman of
Caroline James NJ. Wilcox of Charles City;
John Goode of Norfolk aud NJ. Il. Garnett
of Essex.
This committee, after a short retirement,
reported the following gentlemen rs perma-
nent officers of the Convention:
For President-Hon. ALEX II. II. SrU-
ART, of Augusta.
For Zee Presilents-Hon. Z. NJ. T. Hun.
ter of Essex Hon. Sam'l Mcdowell Moore
Of Rockbridge Hon. Thomas S. Bocock of
AppomattOx Robert S. Preston of Mont
gomery; Hon. Thomas S. Flournoy of Hall.
fax; Gen. James l.. Kemper of Madison ;
WillOughby Newton of Westmoreland WIN.
II. mcfarland of Richmond; George w.
Boiling of Petersburg; Wood BouIdin of
Charlotte,
| For Secrctaries-IIenry X. ElIysOn, VIM.
Il. Coleman, James Mcdonald aud j. Bell
Bigger.
Mr.. sTCART's SPEECH.
On taking the chair, Mr.. Stuart said:
Gentlemen ofhe Convention. thank YOU
for the honor You have done me in calling me
TO preside over Convention which embodes
so large share of the virtue, intelligence
and patriotism Of Virginia.
We have assembled, gcutlepcu, under cir.
cnmstunces ofpeculiar interest and solemnity.
us Is uO NUuNeullOu 10 auNauCc lIe inter-
csts of n mere party. Thank Heaven, if the
late fearful conflict has done no other good,
it has effaced all old party lines and subdued
all old party irritations. We come together
not as Wings or Democrats, but rs Virginians,
earnestly devoted to the promotion Of the in
terests and honor of our common mother
Nor have we come together in any factious
spirit or with any aggressive purpose.
Whatever opinions individual members of
this Convention may have entertained in the
past as to the right of State to withdraw
from the Union, l think I may safely affirm
that they have been abandoned as impracti-
cable The questions arising out of those
opinions have been referred to the arbitra.
ment Of arms, aud having been decided ad-
versely, all now feel that they are bound in
honor, as we Il as imPelled BY interest, to stand
by the award.
The people of Virginia now desire reposc.
and they earnestly seek n restoration of their
constitutional relations to the Union as the
best means of affording it. They feel, too,
that the material interests of all parts of our
widcly-extended country are impaired, and
our liberties imperilled, by the longer continu-
auce Of the present unhappy striies, and we
seek restoration of the Union as the most
efficient remedy for all the evils of which we
complain
When the war ceased vs-were told that if
we annulled our ordinances of secession, and
repudiated the Confederate debt, and perfect
ed the emancipation OF our slaves by adopting
the constitutional amendments, we would be
restored to our constitutional rights To these
conditions we promptly acceded, because they
involved no sacrifice of our selErespect aud
were attended by no national degradation
We have faithfully fulfilled all these condi-
tons, and yet our rights are withheld. May