Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-06-09
Who Can't Take the Test Oath

4
In discussing this question the Lynchburg
N1ginian says with truth that ''no person who
voted during the war for municipal or county
officers, for members of the State Legislature,
or for Congress, to do what it was well known
| they were all pledged to do, and did actually
| do, In the interests of the rebellion, can say
that they did not 'countenance" the rebellion,
and gave mo aid and comfort" and did not
keep an appearance of sympathy (which the
word counteaance signifes) with rebellion. Vo
| ting was voluntary act, purely. No man was
compelled to vote during the war, any more
| than one is compelled to vote now A man
may not have fought; he may not have given
| dollar except in taxes he may have held no
Office but if he voted for those who did vote
| supplies for our armies in any of the offices
! above named-thus exercising the authority
delegated to them by the individual voters-hc
cannot say, II did nothing for the war; The
plea is untenabe; it is false. He did enough
to implicate him in the guilt Of his agents, and
| cannot take the test oath. IF one authorizes
or instructs an agent to do for him what he can
| not well do himself, he is responsible, in law,
for the acts of his agent This is a clear and
indisputable proposition of law and is received
| as such the world over.
IF it be urged, as we have heard alleged in
extenuation of such acts, that it was necessary
| to vote to keep organized governments in the
South, we answer that, the governments; or
ganized here during the war are denounced in
the test oath as ''pretended governments,
pretended authority, hostile and inimical to
| the United States" They certainly were "hos-
| tile and inimical to the United States" during
| the period named, and all who voted to consta-
| tute and sustain them are in the same category.
This excuse will not even palliate the offence OF
voting; for, if all who now allege that they had
| no sympathy with the rebellion AMI Ibid moth
| ing" had refrained from voting there would
| have been enough to vote for all the candidates
| for office, and the same number elected to keep
| the wheels of government in motion. We
| would have had government 1t none such had
| voted for agents to carry it on. This pretext,
therefore, cannot avail.
We remark, in conclusion, that our object is
| to enlighten, not to persecute We wish to
preserve healthy public sentiment among
| Virginians, and to keep them from doing that
! which will be a reproach to them and their
| children. and sink their manhood in the esti-
nation of the better men with whom we were
lately engaged in deadly strife. We have con-
versed with Federal officers, men who fought
| calamity on their side during the war, who
| have admitted that had they lived South, they
would, in all probability, have espoused our
side of the question. They have, at the same
| time, evinced a feeling of contempt for the
men who were willing to swear, or had sworn
that, virtually, they had no sympathy with
| their own section during the terrible ordeal
| through which it passed. If they could really
say so, they ought to be ashamed to avow it.
| We trust that the great body of the Virginia
people will prove that they deserve the respect,
| at least of the gallant men who fought us du-
ring four years of war; and that they will not
meanly give the lie to General Schofed's dec
laration, made in the late convention, to the ct,
feet that respectable, capable men enough could
not be found in Virginia to carry on the gov
ernment under this odious and infamous test
| OATH We are jealous for the honor OF Vlr-
ginia, since that is all that is left us now and
| we mplore our fellow citizens not to seal their
own degradation and cut themselves off from
the sympathies and respect Of those whose
| good opinion is worth infinitely more than the
paltry baubles or emoluments of office.
South Carolina, says the Norfolk Journal
seems to have thus far had to drain the bitterest
cup of degradation. The negroes number
seventy-fo in both Houses, and the whites
seventy. Many of these last are carpet baggers,
meaner by long way than the negroes them
selves.
The responsibility of this Legislature can be
seen by the fact that negroes and whites one
hundred and forty-four in all-pay among them
only four hundred and mines y-six dollars taxes
Just to think of such body of worthless
paupers to be legisating for State!
Can it be supposed that worse fate than
that of South Carolina awaits any people on
this continent? Yes, Virginians, it awaits you
for degraded as is the present Legislature of
South Carolina it will not be so debased body
as that which will assemble in Richmond, if the
new Constitution is adopted. Moreover, the
Constitution is worse than that of all the other
Southern States combined
Virginians, if you have any regard for the
honor of your State and for the interest of your
selves and families, turn out to man and
| VOTE DOWN THE CONSTITUTION
We hope that the apparent indisposition on
the part of many to engage in any thing that
looks Ike nolitics Is not an Indication of 0nntb1