Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-04-22

d Of mnuestios must be accompanied by the Of
,hs authors, cannot
The Proposed Cons titution.
from the Address of the Conservative Mem
: "a; bers Of the Convention
No. 2.
,a& - TEST OATH.
It was thoug ght an extreme measure to eman-
e;natc in an instant four millions Of negroes
r. u,s done at a moment when the North was
reckless of the consequences upon the socis
organization of the South; and with manly for
titude it was submitted to by the South, and
an honest disposition cherished to make the
best OF it. Then came the Freedmen Q bureau
and the civil rights bill. Soon after, the idea
of qualified negro suffrage was, cautiously
broached at the North Then, In March, 1867,
With little note OF preparation, the Congress
Of the u. 5. issued the edict of universal negro
suffrage. 1t absolutely appalled, every neal' Ill
the South.
The formula in which this bold and unpre-i
eedented measure was defended at the North
was "Uniyersal Amnesty and Universal Sui
frage 80 -
j; The Convention of Virginia have given US
the universal negro suffrage without the am
nesty. They stopped not at negro suffrage;
they have made negroes, and all negroes, ell
gibe to Office, and required neither property
nor intelligence qualification OF the Incumbent.
Any male twenty one years old The Govern
or must be little older) can hold Office.
The Convention did not stop here. They then
excluded from the ballot aud from Office not
only al lwhites prescribed from office by the
constitutional amendment, but they added to
that long list. Then upon this they engrafted
their county and town organization, providing
for. the election OF all local officers with two
exceptions) by the people; while by the ap'
portionmenJ of representation they have pro
vided for negro majority In both branches OF
the Legislature.
Had the Convention stopped here, it would
only have been negro supremacy. But, 1T re-
NAMED to give the finishing touch to this oil:
most incredible revolution. They determined
to shut the aohates altogether from the offices IN
the State. Accordingly, they have incorpora;;
ted in the Constitution the famous iron clad
oath, by which all persons, before entering
upon the discharge Of the duties OF any office,
are required to swear as follows:--'l do SOL
emnly swear (or affirm that | have never vol
unfairly borne arms against the U. 5. since
have been citizen thereof; that have vol
unfairly given 10 aid, countenance, counsel, or
hostility thereto; that have never sought nor
accepted, nor attempted to exercise the tunc-
tions Of any Office whatever, under any author
ty, or pretended authority, in hostility 70 the
United States; that have never yielded vol
untary support to any pretended government,
authority, power, or constitution within the
United States, hostile or inimical thereto. And
do further swear Tor afhrm) that will sup
port and defend the Constitution OF the United
States, sgainst all enemies, foreign and domes-
tic; that will bear true faith and allegiance to
the same; that take this obligation freely,
without any mental reservation or purpose OF
evasion, and that [ will we'll and faithfully dis
charge the duties of the Office on which am
about to enter So help me God ~.
This applies to all officers, county, munich
pal and State 1t reaches from the Governor
to theoverseer of road, or the trustee Of a
public school; and includes members OF the
General Assembly, and Of any future constitu-
tional convention. oa..
Itis we'll known that there is not one white
man in thousand in the State that can take
this oath. It gives the State absolutely to the
negroes. The theory of Congress was to give
protection to the negro by giving him the bal
lot; by disfranchising large number OF whites;
by making all negroes eligible to office by
electing all county and township officers by the
people; by gerrymandeIing the State, with
reference to representation In the Legislature ;
the negroes would have gone so far beyond this
as to have been the controlling power in the
State. They would, as we have said, have
gotten possession of the State government and
Of the local administration in large majority
Of the counties east of the Blue Ridge they
would have dominated. But this matter OF
the test-oath has swept away all opposition.
They will now fill every place; they will now
hold nearly every Office. The exceptions will be
toorare to deserve attention. We have Negro
Rue, and Unmitigated Negro Rule.
A black attorney for the commonwealth will
send up his witnesses to mixed grand jury,
who will send back their indictments to be
tried by mixed petit jury A black sheriff,
Of bis black deputy, will take the white and
black jury in charge, to eat at common table
aud sleep in the same chamber. black
treasurer will have the custody OF the taxes
levied in the county. A black superintendent
Of the poor (?) will dole out the charities of
The public to the white pauperS in the county
poor-house. A black trustee will visit and
make laws for the village schools. Black su-
pervisors will fix the amount OF the county levy,
which will be assessed by black assessor, and
gathered in by black collector. A black com
missioner will lay off the public roads. A black
magistrate will dispense justice; black con-
staole will preserve order black clerk Will
Keep the records OF the township. r.
The Governor and his aids will b, black
latter the first term.) The Lieutenant Cover
nor will be black The. Secretary of the Com
1m!onWsalth will be black. The Board of Pub
nc Works will be black. The militia officer:
Will be black. The Legislature will be black
We shall have black representatives in Con
efess. The visitors of the University will be
black. The State proxies will be black :
100 TONS PoUpRETrE.
4OO To arrive i1fr schr Sarah T.