Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-03-10
VOL. 20.
A CONTRAST.


9th ult, whilst the question of suffrage was
before that body. The first was made by
Mr.. MARYE of Fredericksburg, beyond ques-
ton the ablest man and clearest thinker in
the Convention, andthe second by HODGES,
a negro delegate from Petersburg
| Mr. Marye commenced by stating that he
was concious how idle it was to enter upon de-
bate with any hope of affecting the conclu-
sions of the party which controlled the Con-
vention. Indeed, a strenuous effort had been
made to accelerate the consummation ofthis
mOmentous measure with as much haste as
could be reasonably asked in passing an un-
important act of the Legislature. Those with
whom he acted could only put on record their
reasons for protesting against the measure.
As it would be his duty to use plain Ian
guage in dealing with such vital topics, he
| desired to affirm at the threshold, that no
| one of the party row assuming to be the pc
culiar champions of the rights of the negroes
was animated by sentiments Of sincerer good
will towards that race than himself, or would
| more heartily cooperate in any movement COM
mendng itself to rational approval, for their
physical, moral and political advancement.
! There was nothing in his past habits of
thought or action to induce him to view with
antipathy the freedom Of the negroes or the
bestowal upon them, by some fit method, of
the means for their Improvement and eleva-
ton.
While he had never doubted the righteous
ness Of the tenure by which they were held
in slavery. viewed either by the highest test
| of human duty-the word Of Color by the
plain prescriptions of the constitution-he
| had never belonged to the school Of philoso-
; - 81, 1ivo
! slavery as permanent element in the social
fabric. On the contrary he had sympathized
with the views Of the most emiueut states
men, of all sections, who favored plans for its
| gradual elimination. which should sacredly
respect the propcrty>rights Of the master, aud
at the same time, provide for establishing the
negro race in some country favorable to their
existence as a separate people.
When he should speak Of the superiority
of the white race, aud the debasemcut of the
negro, it would be in no spirit Of rcProach to
| the latter. He hoped to remember that
! whether this superiority consisted in native
| endowment or in attainments, it was God
who made them to differ in gifts and oppOr-
tunities.
Mr. NJ. then proceeded to speak of the
mode in which negro suffrage was to be fois-
ted on the people of Virginia. The very
party which intended to impose it by the bay
onet, could not got some of its eminent lead
ers to affirm the process to be constitutional.
And one of the leaders here-the member
| from Petersburg-hud remarked, in most in-
opportune endeayor at wit, that the rebels In
| Virginia had better dispose Of their complaints
against the grip of the reconstruction acts,
as the soldier who was tied to the cannon
wheel, did of the issue presented by COM
~ Il, l..
treat him, viz: THAT it didn't matter to him
whether there was law for tying him; all lie
knew, was, he was tied"
Another influential leader here, the mem
Der from Henry, feeling doubtless, that some
graver apology was needed for the tlagrant
| usurpati0ns OF Congress in ordering that this
| Convention should be constituted by the votes
of the negroes, and then prescribing that its
work should be to ensralt universal negro
suffrage in the constitution Of the State, un-
dertook to show that it behoOvcd Congress to
interpose. because of the anarchy and chaos
into which society fell upon the overthrow of
! the Confederate government, and that Con-
| gress had only intervened by rendering the
| needful enabling act 1t was rather hard tie
| take this as serious, when Virginia had a con-
stitution and State government extended over
| all her limits in 1865, which had been recog
nized by all departments of the Federal gov
ernment.
There was no more of reason, just pretext
| or authority on the part Of Congress to over
| throw this State government in Virginia, than
! it had to venture on a similar work in Maine
or Ohio.
Nh NJ then passed to consider the merits
! of the scheme of negro suffrage. lie ex-
| hbited the fact that, SO small was the nu-
! i: tIo ito md
! black voters, the ordinary use of political ex-
, pedients and influences would invest the ne
! groes with political Gsceudaucy in Virginia.
| lie then depicted the spectacle a territory
vaster than all the area now held by the lead
ing powers of Western Europe; country
| discovered, reclaimed from the savage, and
made the abode of a rofiued civilization by
eight millions Of AnglO-Saxons, was to pass
under the sway of negroes just let loose from
slavery. Mr.. NJ urged the inquiry for the
/ reasons which impelled to such revolution.
/ The Conservatives had waited in earnest ex-
! pectation for some sponsor to vlndlcate such
/ measutc. But their ears had been vexed
/ by bold assertions and miserable apologies
/ No single man had met the obvious demands
of the hour and veutured to claim that the ne
gro possessed those cardinal requisites which
all history and human reason proclaim to be
essential for the administration Of republican
government, viz: 1st. Intelligence to direct;
End. MoIal culture to inspire true patriotism;
3rd. Stake in the community, sufficient to feel
the ills of mai-administratiOn.
1t had been urged that the whites in Vir-
ginia had too lately been in rebellion to be
trusted with the control of the State; if this
were So in Gods name, why not ordain some
power which may rule wisely and well, instead
of making it an excuse for the rule of the in
incompetent negro?
[ Much stress had been laid on the claim
that the negro was free citizen. Suppose
he is :; SO are women and minors, and so were
| hundreds Of thousands of white men in Nir-
gnia from 1916 to 1880, who never voted