Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-04-30
charge their liabilities in an honest man.
MILITIA.

This constitution further provides for mill
itia to be composed Of all male citizens of Vir-
ginia over twenty one years of age. This, Of
course, means citizens as defined in this con-
stil ution-witLout distinction Of race or color.
We need not comment upon the results of such
an admixture in such capacity upon terms
Of perfect equality in ranks. and the right
to official position.
1t further provides that all who are made
voteres shall have the tight 10 sit on all juries.
and none others. Many of the best and most
intelligent white citizens of the State are thus
rendered incompetent to sit on juries, while
Gll male negroes who are twenty one years Of
age {not idiots, or lunatics, or convicted of
erims,) have perfect right to do SO without
regard to qualifications
PUBLIC 6oavEYANcEs.
One Of the provisions of the constitution
guarantees to all men ''equal civil and polit-
zeal rights and public privileges" The imme-
diate design Of this was 10 secure to the ne
groes free access to all hotels, railroad cars,
and oher public places. 1t is probable that
1t may be claimed under it that negro child
cannot be excluded fro4a any of the public
schools, and that the Legislature must require
each and every one of these schools to be OPP
en- to all without distinction of color.
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.
The State is divided into eight congressional
districts, and it is claimed that it will be emit
tied to {. ninth representative Of the eight
districts the negroes have FIVE, the whites
three. The ninth member is to be elected by
the State at large;
THE BALLOT.
We have not space to more than refer to the
abolition Of the vailed and time honored sys-
tenn of piUa uoce voting in Virginia, and the
substitution for it of the secret ballot, which
was ever peculiarly repugnant to the frank
and manly genius of the people Of this State.
coNcLUsIoN5
Such is the constitution submitted to you,
fellow citi gems, for your ratification; and such
the instrument bitterly denominated measure
Of reconstruction and of restoration to the Tn
ion. The constitution Of Georgia, which hap
pens to be before us-obj ectionable as it is to
Southern people-pro rides for universal negro
suffrage, but it differs from the constitution
offered to the people of Virginia in several i'm
portant respects. Not one human being is
DISTINGUISHED; not one questionable oath is
required; the existing county organization Of
the State was left untouched no person is al
| lowed to vote until he shall have paid all the
taxes assessed against him; and the General
Assembly is required to provide by law for the
selection Of upright and intelligent persons
to serve as jurors.
1t now devolges upon the white people Of
Virginia to pass upon this instrument. By the
registration OF last year, from which some To-
coo whites were excluded by disfranchisement,
the whites had ma ority in the State of over
Ii, 900. This majority, under the new regis
tration which will take place, may be increas-
/ ed to more than So, 600. 1t can be increased
| 5000 ii tho Valley alone.
! It is the opinion of the Conservative mem
bers Of the convention that the white people Of
Virginia should act in this manner without
divisions. We contemplate the fact of the en-
tire black population consolidated against US,
enrolled in one compact, oath-bound organiza-
ton acting with the precision and dicipline Of
an army. By the apportionmeGt of represen-
tatien in he convention they were ENTITLED
to majority in that body, which was increas-
ed by the inactivity of the whites, who were
heartless and dispirited. This ajority has
! framed a negro constitution eontriyed to Sc
cure and perpetuate not only their ascendan-
CIV, but their absolute control Of the State
| For they aim at perpetuatlng their power.
! Ayowing the most radical and extreme opinions
with regard to the rights of the people,
and the right Of the majority OF the people,
of whatever race OF color, to rule. they
| have not only, by acknowledgements and
| test caths, attempted to stifle the white ma or
| ity and the voice of all the whites in this State,
! but they put in their constitution two provis-
ions designed to keep the power in their hands
| One Of these is the test oath which is required
| of the members elected TO any future constitu-
tional convention; the other is proviso that
no amendment or revision of the constitution
now submitted shall be made which shall DENY
| or in any way impair the right of suffrage, or
any civil or political right as conferred by this
constitution, except for causes which apply
/ equally TO all persons and classes without dis
tinction. "They deny the right of The people TO
change their constitution, and are legislating
| for posterity to the remotest generation.
The whites are absolutely goaded to exertion,
and have no choice but TO arise and defend
their existence as q race. The only question
is as to the method Of making this opposition.
1t appears to us, and such is certainly the opin-
| ion of nine-tenths of the white people of the
State that our true course lies IN q positive
! rejection of the constitution submitted Such
| being the case, if there are few who would
have preferred q mere passive resistance, we
trust that, for the sake ofunanimity, they Will
lend their hearty co operation to the plan which
has been resolved on. 1t is only by concerted
anu UullSU dCiiOu 1ul1 eAp ICSSlOu CHU DC
given to the sentiments of the white people
while the absence ola few thousand voters frem
the polls might give some color to the avermsnt
that q portion OF the whites were favorable to
the constitution. 1t is, therefore, the deliber-
! ate Judgment of those who unite in this paper
that il should be regarded settled that all
who propose to act with the white mans
party in Virginia shall register and vote, and
that no one should feel at liberty whatever his.
private opinions as to the propriefy of some
other course, to break those ranks which should
neither waver nor present gap in this great
emergency.
1t has been said that Congress, if we defeat
it, will put this constitution on u. Then let
Congrs IS be the author of this great wrong );
aud let not Virginia. under any menacs of vi
olenoe, weakly be tempted to offer no resistance
to her ravishers. The adoption of the consti-
tuition by the people of the State and the i'm
position of it ON them by the Republican par
ty of the North are two very different things,
and may be followed by very different results.
An aoquiescenee on our part in negro Suffrage
is surely not the way to arouse the Northern
mind against it. Nor does it seem to us possi-
Bile that so monstrous 8 government can ever
be effectually fastened on US if the white peo-
pie of the State will maintain firm, determine
ed and unfaltering attitude. ~