Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-10-17
Shenandoah Herald.
WOODSTOCK, VA.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER II, 1867.
To the Voters Of Shenandoah
and Page Counties.
READ-REFLECT-ACT!

IL
Ia, in pursuance Of the reconstruction acts
passed by The United States Congress at its
last session. At the same time that candidates
for the Convention are to be voted for, the
person voting votes for or against holding a
Conuention.
There can be no doubt that The Conservative
candidates will be voted for by the great mass
of the people of this election district composed
of the counties of Shenandoah and Page. Hoac
wiU they uete on the question, CONVENTION OR
No CONVENTION We earnestly advise and en-
treat them to vote AGAINST A G0NFET-
TON. We are not aware of one single good
reason for voting for it; there are many and
cogsat reasons for voting against it. The only
reason for voting in favor of holding Con-
vention as, that perhaps if a new Constitution
is formed We may get representation in the
United States Congress and be relieved from
military rule And this is q very poor reason.
indeed, when we reflect on the terms under
which we will receive these boons; for the
. Constitution to be framed must conform to the
views of the Radical Rump Congress before it
will be accepted by that body; Virginia must
De placed ID the condition that Tennessee now
SIS, and the negro must be made he ruling
power IN the Gid Commonwealth. The truth
of the whole matter is, that We must place our
property, eur lives and the welfare of our
families, at TIE disposal Of the ignorant and
degraded negro before We can hope that our
representatives will be admitted by the pres
ssnt Congress.
The reason, we repeat, for voting fer Con-
~ention is poor indeed. And now why should
we vote against it9 We have not the space
to enumerate the many reasons, any one of
which is sufficient in the mind Of ANY reflect
ing man to decide Kim how to vote. We will
Briefly state soge of them.
Whg rote for Conyeatioa2 As stated aheve,
the Constitution to be framed must conform
TO the peculiar views Of the Rump Congress,
else 1t Wis N~e se;ected by that body. Will the
seefle 81 Shenandoah and Page vote them
selves the equals nay, The oers szares Of the
negrer # so, vote for the radical candidates
fer the Convention, ard they will form q ON
stitution that will accord with the wishes of
Congress; i rot, why vote fer Convention
The Convention will convene, spend the winter
in Richmond at the expense of the people, and
its work will go for nothing: for Congress will
reject it. It is idle, it is silly to vote for
Convention, and vote against the radical candi-
dates, because unles radical, the Convention
will amount to nothing. Is there man so
infatuated as to believe that Congress will ac-
cept any other Constitution than one that is
hypelestly radical-a Constitution that will
ensure a radical majority, or, in other words,
negro supremacy in Virginia, for years to
Gomez? If there be, we will ask him to ex
plain to why were the representatives from
Kentucky and Maryland refused adAittance
by the Rump at Its last session, and we chal-
lenge him to give US any other reply than
because they acere Conservative. Nay, more, be-
cause these States did elect Conservative rep
resentatives, committees were appointed by
Congress to ascertain and report at its next
session whether theirs were republican
forms of governments" and if that God for
saken crew is not frightened by the storm of
indignation now brewing, as evidenced by the
recent elections in the North, they will pro-
coed to reconstruct Kentucky and Maryland.
We assert with confidence that no Constitution
framed by this Convention for Virginia will
be accepted by Congress unless it is intensely
radical No Southern State will he ''recon-
structed' unless it is made sufficiently radical
to secure its electoral college for the radical
candidate for the presidency in 1868; and this
can only be done by DISTINGUISHING the great
bulk Of the whites.
To sum up, the Cons titution must be so
framed as to give the negroes the supremacy
in the State, else it will amount to nothing
and therefore, we urge, VOTE AGAINST
THE CONVENTION.
Again, vote against the Convention as your
protest against the infamous legislation of
khe Rump Congress to accomplish your ruin
9or selfish partisan purposes. Join your pro-
test to that Of the true lovers of the country
who have recently cried out In thunder tones
In California, Maine, Pennsylvania, Ohss, and
other northern States, Against the damnable
Aeresies of the dominant faction In Congress,
& BY voting for a Convention you virtually ae-
oept the reconstruction measures. Vote ag
ainst It, and you protest against them. A
4 wilful, deliberate acquiescence in acts Of
oppression viii make you parties to the COM
mission Of those acts. You make yourselves,
BY voaing for ConEention, the Instruments Of
COR RES . carry into effect its scandalous Leg
<l1kjQn eeis!a tion which hes not parallel in