Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-04-20
Closing Scenes Of the Virginia GRE
Constructions Convention.

constructors CONVENTION.
At the conclusion of Gen. Schofeld's address,
Mr.. Hipe arose to privileged question. AS the
author of the test oath, he felt that he ought
to correct the false impression that the Gene
rails remarks would leave. Then followed a
lame explanation of the intent OF the oath.
A motion was then made to suspend the
rules so as to allow the introduction OF rcso
luton to reconsider the clause imposing the
| Iron Glad oath.
-. Dnring the discussion on this Mr.. Williams
smoke in favor of allowing Mr.. Platte to make
the motion to reconsider. This reused Bayne,
who thought there was some trick in it
s"Wbat," said he, trap de Chair. Here de
gentleman is tryin to trap de Chair jess. as de
labors of de Convention is over. Lay de ap-
peal on de table.
Lewis Lindsey said Il see how de thing is
wire-working, and what is being done. When
dey find how dc thing is working, they steps
out and bring in the high authority to say
| take this thing out know dat two heads IS
better an one and what's more, they is better n
this thing of higher authority or anything
else. "
Bayne spoke strongly against the motion to
reconsider and said ne want gwlne to be lntlm-
idated by any General, and itwould be pretty
|
il said dat de General was called into de Con-
vention, and skeerded them.
MIR. Thomas spoke in favor of resembling.
Pending his remarks, he yielded in order to
allow the Chair to make statement IN regard
toGeneral Schofeld's visit. He had called inre-
Spouse to the resolution appointing commit
tee to call on him and,,notify him that the Con-
vention would be glad to receive any communl-
cation from him. .....
Mr.. HiDe asked Mr.. Thomas, who was a
member of the visiting committee, II ne DID
not ask General Schofeld to como to the Con-
ventlon and prevail upon the members to re-
peal the test oath.
| Mr.. Thomas said that he had conyerscd
| freely with General Schofeld upon the subject,
and that when he left him he had declared his
intention to communicate with the Convention
either in writing or in person.
out his pet feature. Hc was forced to the con-
clusion that men OF the Radical party were
aiding in making Constitution to suit the
white man, and would leave the negro out
He had heard men say that if the oath was
put in the Constitution it would be defeated. -
lie would say that II it were left out it would
be defeated. He had some influence in Camp
bell county, If his hair was short; and when
: they passed that instrument over Campbell
county they would knock a hole in it, by Cd,
sir. The truth Of the business was that the car
pct baggGrS couldn't stand the niger. They
; were willing to let the niger do the votn but
they were afraid to let him hold some little
scoop of an Office" That was the natter
"Niggcr in tic pit" He didn't mind what
!, had been said by the King That was natural
: enough, coming from him. But it WASH t
; General Sclolcld aloncit was men who called
themselves Radicals, and who were elected by
;: negro votes, who were afraid Of the negro. II
it hadn't been for the negro vote these carpet
baggcrs would never have gotten into the Con
vention except as spectators. God grant the
day is not far off when Virginia may be in the
; hands OF true mcn-ot true Virginians care
not whether they be black or white.
j Mr. Campbell explained the position taken
by the Conservatives. They were, OF course,
} opposed to the test oath and would vote for Il
reconsideration if it were intended to strike it
out altogether, but they would not vote to re-
: consider when it was intended only to rcscind
its application 10 petty county officers.
The Convention refused to suspend the rules
hy vote Of ayes &c, noes 80.
! Mr.. llinc moved that q vote be taken on the
Constitution as whole at 81 o'clock, or as soon
, thereafter as its reading should be completed.
Carried. &c.,. ....... .....
| MT. Allan SuUlullIcu lllc OUuSllIuLlUu llUlll
the committee, and the reading was commenced
with.
IThc Constitution was neatly pcnncd, at for
} ty cents per hundred words, upon parchment
purchased at fifty cents per sheet.
At the conclusion of the reading, Porter Of
fcred a resolution setting forth that as the fol-
lowing section was omitted-viz 'All persons
born or natnralizcd in the United States, and
subject to the jurisdiction thereof, and residing
in this State, are hereby declared citizens of
this State, it be ordered to be inserted.
Mr.. Platte opposed its insertion, not that he
was opposed to its intent, but because the Con-
stitution was engrossed; and as no principle
was involved it was hardly necessary to bungle
the Constitution with additional sections.
/ Bayne waxed wroth and said that de oppo-
siton to putin dis thing in wus PLAINLY tacee
evidence that they didn't want to add de tail to
de kite to balance it.
A point of order was raised to the effect that
it was too late to consider it.
The point of order was decided we'll taken.
Hine called the previous question. The call
was sustained, after much squabbling and con-
fusion. .E.@
The vote resulted-ayes, 81; noes 2G-as
follows:
| Yeas-Messrs Allan, Bayne, Babcock, Bar
rett, Brown, Bland, Clements Cox, Carter,
Curtiss, Canada, Carr, Dodge, Dixon, Fuqua,
Hunnicutt, Hine, Hodges, Holmes, Jones,
James, kelso, Lindsey, .Leahy, Morrissey,
Moss, Mosely, Maddox, Mbourn. Nickerson,
Nelson, Nash, Platte, Parr, Poor, Porter,
Robinson, Reed, Staley, Swan, Teamoh,
Thaycr, Thomas, Toy, J. T. S. Taylor, G. L.
Thompson, Toler, Williamson, Watson,
Wicker, Mr. Presidential.
Nays-Messrs. Andrews, Berkeley, Broadus,
Campbell, Dickey, Duncan, Eastman, Fana-
gan, Gibbony, Gravatt, Harris, Hunter, Hugh
H. Lee, Linkenhoker, Lewis, Mayre, Owen,
Plaster, W. Fl. Robertson, Seay, Snead, South
all, j. Fl. Thompson, W. f. B. Taylor, vii,
liams, Waton-2G.
Absent.-Messrs. Aver, Bowden, Beasley,
Breedlove, Cowan, French, j. G. Gibson,
d. Gibson, Harrison, Hawxhurst, KennerIy,