The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-05-03

81 eeinSSfoA ~
The Protest OF Virginia Against. the
New Constitution.
The conservative members of the
late State Convention in Virginia,
have issued an address to the people
Of. that State. This is an admirable
document: ser
1t is the opinion Of the conserva-
tive members of the Convention that
the white people of Virginia should
act in this matter without divisions.
We contemplate the fact Of the entire
black population consolidated against
u.s., enrolled in one compact, oath
bound organization, acting with the
precision and discipline of ON army.
By the apportionment of representa-
tion in the Convention, they were
entitled to a majority in that body,
.; which w:s increased by the inactivity
Of the whites. who were heartless
and dispirited. This majority has
framed negro Constitution, con-
trived to secure and perpetnate not
only their asoendancy, but their alb
solute control of the State. For they
aim at perpetuating their power.
Avowing the most radical and ex-
treme opinions with regard to the
rights of the people, and the rights
of the majority of the people, of
whatever race or color, to rule, they
have not only, by disfranchisement
and test oaths, attempted to stihe
the white majority and the voice of
all the whites in this State, but they
put in their Constitution two provi-
sions designed to keep the power in
their hands. One of these is the test
oath which is required of the mem
bers elected to any future Constitu-
tional Conventions; the other is q
proviso that no amendment or re-.
vision of the Constitution now sub
mitted 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 Constitu-
ton, except for causes which apply
equally to oil persons and classes
without distinction. 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 race. The only question is as to
the method of making this opposi-
ton. 1t appears to us, and such is
certainly the opinion of nine-tenths
of the white people of the State, that
our true course lies in positive re-
lection Of the Constitution submit
ted. Such being the case, if there
are few who would have preferred
mere passive resistance, we trust
that, for the sake of unanimity, they
will lend their hearty cooperation to
the plan which has been resolved on.
1t is only ~ concerted and united
action that full expression can be
given to the sentiments of the white
people; while the absence of few
thousand voters from the polls might
give some color to the avern1 ent that
portion of the whites were favor
able to the Constitution. It is, there.
fore, the deliberate judgment of those
who mite i'll this paper, that it should
be regarded as settled, that all who
propose to act with the white mans,
party Ill Virginia, shall register and
vote, and that no one should feel at
liberty, whatever his private opinions
as to. the propriety of soine other
course, to break those ranks. which
should neitller wnver nor present a
gap in this great emergency.
1t has been said that Congress, if
we defeat it, will put this Constitu-
ton on us. Then let Congress be
the author of this great wrong, and
let not Virginia, under any menace
OF violence, weakly be. tempted to
offer no resistance to her ravisher.
The adoption of the Constitution by
\ the people Of the State, aud the i'm
Aposition of it on them by the Re.
publican party of the North, are two