Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-03-03
UNCONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.


of the convention was taken up as unfinished
business.
Yankee Allan moved to amend by striking
out ':the I'd day of January and inserting the
10th day of December.
Mr. Eustace Gibson moved further to amend
by increasing 1.-THE pay of the pages one dollar
per day from the ID day of January. The ayes
and noes were called on this announcement
The vote stood: Ayes SO, noes 81. 1t was car
RED CEr -
The vote was then taken on Yank's amend
ment The ayes and noes were called, and the
vote stood, ayes 33, noes 3d. The amendment
was lost.
The question then REQUIRED on the original
ordinance. The vote stood-ayes 81, noes 90
The ordinance was then engrossed and read a
third time.
Mr.. Robertson, of Nottoway, arose to per-
sonal explanation, in the course of which he
denounced the action of the chair towards him
on Tuesday afternoon as unjust and unprecedent-
ed
Mr. Clements, who occupied the chair, ex-
planned that he meant no disrespect to the MEM
Der, and only called in the services of the SER
geant-at arms after having requested the mem
Der three times to take his seat
Mr. Robertson said the explanation was
satisfactory.
The order of the day was then taken up.
Mr.. Thomas, of Henry, took the floor and
made speech in favor OF the majority report
of the committe on the elective franchise and
qualifications for Office In the course of the
remarks, he denied that he had ever by act,
word or deed, done aught to carry on the
war, or sustain the Confederate govern
ment.
Mr. Southall asked whether he was in the
Confederate Senate of Virginia as a Union man
or not ? whether he voted for the ordinance of
secession and whether he voted for Jefferson
Davis?
He replied affirmatively to the first question,
and in the negative to the two last He said
he was elected in 1859, simply on local issue
Having accomplished the object for which he
was elected, he resigned and went home.
Pending his speech the convention took re-
cess.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Thomas concluded his remarks, and was fol-
lowed by Mr. Wilson, of Frederick, in opposi-
ton to negro suffrage, and Taylor, mulatto, of
Albemarle, and Kelso, mulatto of Lynchburg,
in favor of it. He was followed by Parr the
inimitable Parr, who quoted the parable of the
prodigal son, and said he, Parr, held out the
olive branch, and always shot upwards-let
everybody stand from under
At the conclusion of his speech the conven-
ton adjourned
THURSDAY, February 27th.-Mr. Clements
offered the following:
''Resolred, That the debate on the question
of franchise close at halfp o clock on Fri
day next" Lost ayes, 80; noes, 49,
FRANCHISE.
The hour for the order of the day having ar
rived, the franchise question was taken up.
Mr.. Marye having the floor, spoke during his
allotted time with his usual ability and eloquence,
producing striking arguments in telling Ian
guage. He was attentively listened to by mem
bers on both sides.
At the conclusion Of his remarks the Conven-
ton took recess, the hour having arrived.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Convention met at clock
Hodges spoke on the franchise question. He
gave an account of the negro race from the time
of its inception. He informed his hearers dat
Queen Sheba was black woman, and dat Sol
ONION was pleased with her on dat account more
than with any other woman he had ever met
with. He favored the removal of disabilities
from everybody in the South in 1870, not ex-
cep'n jeff Davis and Robert Lee. Ferginia
was good enough place for him it was Heav.
en- enough, an he didnt want to quit it intel
Christ come. He gave foolish chapter on
dogs, and said that the blind dog was de Con-
sentative party, de def dog was de secession
party, and de dead dog was de Corfederacy,
Thar was men in the State of Ferginny who
didn' t want nothin but bottle of whiskey and
yit desc men said de was de black men S friend.
De devil might as well said he was God AL
mighty friend.
Once thar was man, and he was named
Nose, and his wife was named Mary. One day
Nose and her fell out, and Mary got Nose down
and got hold on brickbat, and Nose followed,
"Oh, Mary, don hit me wild dat brickbat;'
and Mary say: Il won't hit you eff you don't
do SO no more;'' and when she let Nose up, he
TOKEN knock her down wild de brckbat and
she say: Nose, don't hit me wild dat brick
L didn't hit you when you was down" But
Nose say: Yes, but [ got de brick now -
And dat's de way wild de Conservative party
We got de whip, and you ak US not to whip
you; but we got de whip, and We amt gwine to
truss you wild it, neither.
He said, in concluding his remarks, that God
had told him to speak, and he gave the glory
to Him.
Lewis Lindsey followed in STAYING effort in
favor of universal suffrage, and the disfranchise-
ment of all Conclusions whar was in de late re-
bellion.
Lewis read his speech from manuscript, but
occasionally flew off the track In one of his
fights, he said: 'Tell us de black man amt
got no history, when de Coffeegenians made
Rome trimmed, when Sesoretus made de world
trimmed; and who can say dey was white ?"
Lewis gave description Of the battle of New
Orleans, history Of the Checops and "hygliffs"
of Ethiopia; and gave the black man Othelo
as specimen of the negro race. He would be
an example eff it hadn't bin dat he was fooled
wild pocket handkerchief. He, for one, want
gwine to be fooled by no pocket handkerchief
De mountains of Gibberalter were also spoken
of and in this connection he said that if de
yaler gals was colonized at de foot of de Glib
beralter mountains de white men would look
down on 'em, and scale de mountains to git
whar de was.
De niger is natyrly Republican, and all he
wants is de right of way and de ballot. Some
on EN- may fool you, and make out en- like dey
is Conservatives, and git money to start bar
ber-shop, but dey amt no Conservatives. Eff
you can git niger to say he is in favor of de
| vaggrant acts you better git your chickens to
roost high, because he'll soon be arter them
After Lewis had gotten through the Conven-
| ton adjourned.
FRIDAY, Feb. %.
TUKEY'S PAY
The ordinance granting 800 to Turkey for
his expenses in attending the Convention as a
contestant of the seat of Mr.. j. c. Southa,
| was called up.
The question on the passage of the ordinance
resulted-Ayes 43 noes, 81.
Maddox offered the following resolution
which under the rules lies over:
| Resolved, That in the opinion of this Con
vention, under the several Reconstruction Acts
the registration of voters in this State was, by