Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-04-28

pie. The smaller counties will have about SlX
ty of these petty officers; the larger, about tw
hundred
In large majority of the counties east Q
the Blue Ridge-had the convention stoppe,
at this point, which they by no means did-al
of these officers would be negroes or depravet
whites under the control of negroes. In Not
toway county lin l860) there were 2,270 whit
persons and 6, ,566 negroes. Imagine the con
dition of the whites in the county under such
system. negro sheriff, negro attorney fo
the commonwealth, negro county treasurer,
negro superintendent of the poor, negro super
vlsors negro assessors, negro collectors, negro
school trustees, negro constables, negro town
ship clerks, negro overseers OF the roads, negro
| magistrates.
In Halifax county, by the census of 1860, the
blacks; in Prince George there were 2,9ls
whites to 5,492 blacks; in Prince Edward
there were 4,O38 whites to 1876 blacks; in
Powhatan there were 1859 whites to 5,S12
blacks; in Orange there were 4,407 whites to
5000 blacks; in Nansemond, 3,742 whites to
1881 blacks; in Mecklenburg there were 6, III
whites to 1879 blacks in Lunenburg, 4, 447
whites to 1887 blacks; in Louisa, 6,166 whites
to 1882 blacks; in King William, 1858
whites to 5,94O blacks; in Greensville. 1878
whites to 4, 4,4Ol blacks; in Goochand 1874
whites to 6,S42 blacks; in Essex, 1926 whites
to LIZA blacks; in Dinwiddie, 4,649 whites to
1921 blacks; in Cumberland, 2, 946 whites to
7,Ol5 blacks; in Charlotte, 4,991 whites to
9,4SS blacks; in Caroline, $3.50 whites to H.
5l5 blacks; in Buckingham, GOAL whites to
9,l7l blacks; in Brunswick, 4,993 whites to
9,olo blacks; in Amelia, 1884 whites to 1859
blacks, &C., &c.
TEST OATH
1t was thought an extreme measure to eman-
cpate, in an instant, 100000 of negroes. 1t
was done at a moment when the North was
reckless OF the consequences upon the social Or
ganlzatlon OF the South and with manly for
utude it was submitted to by the South, and
an honest disposition cherished to make the
best OF it. Then came the Freedmen's Bureau
and civil rights bill Soon after, the idea of
ed at the North. Then, in March, 1867, with
little note OF preparation, the Congress of the
United States issued the edot Of universal ne
gro suffrage. 1t absolutely appalled, every
heart in the South
The formula In which this bold and unprece-
dented measure was defended at the North was
Universal Amnesty and Universal Suffrage +"
The convention of Virginia have given us the
universal negro suffrage without the amnesty
They stopped not at negro suffrage they haye
made negroes, and all negroes, eligible to Office,
and required neither property nor intelligence
qualification OF the incumbent Any male 81
years old (the Governor must be a little older)
can hold Office. The convention did not stop
here. They then excluded from the ballot and
from office not only all whites prescribed from
office by the constitutional amendment, but they
added to that long list. Then upon this they
engratted their county and town organization,
providing for the election of all local officers
with two e4ceptlonsl by the people; while by
the apportonmeEt OF representation they have
provided for negro majority in both branches
Of the Legislature.
Had the convention stopped here. it would
only have been negro supremacy. But it re-
manned to give the finishing touch to this al
most incredible revolution They determined
to shut the whites altogether from all offices in
ted in the constitution the famous iron clad"
oath, by which all persons, before entering up
on the discharge Of the duties Ct any Office, are
required to swear ss follows:
- Go soiemny swear (or affirm that [ have
never voluntarily borne arms against the Uni
ted States since l have been a citizen thereof;
that | have voluntarily given no aid, counte-
nance, counsel or encouragement to persons en-
gagged in armed hostility thereto; that ! have
never sought nor accepted, nor attempted to
exercise the functions of any Office whatever,
under any authority, or pretended authority,
in hostility to the United States: that I have
not yielded a voluntary support to any pretend
ed government, authority, power, or constitu-
ton within the United States, hostile or mimi
cal thereto. And l do further swear Tor affirm J
that to the best Of my knowledge and ability, [
will support the Constitution of the United
States against 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, municipal
and State. 1t reaches from the Governor to
the overseer Of q read or the trustees of pub
lie school; and includes members of the Gen
eral Assembly and of any future constitutional
convention.
1t is well known that there is not one white
man in thousand in the State that can take
this oath. 1t 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 dlsfranchising large number Of whites !;
by making all negroes eEgibla 10 Office; by
elect;nG all county and township officers by the
people; by gerrymandering the State, with ref
erence 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 pos
session of the State Government and Of tue To-
cal administrator 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 every
office. The exceptions will be too rare to de-
serve attention. We have negro rule, and un-
naitigdted 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 a mixed petit jury. A black sheriff, OR his
black deputy, will take the white and black ju-
ry in charge: to eat at a common table and sleep
in the same chamber. A black treasurer will
have the custody of the taxes levied in the
county, A black superintendent of the HOoRf?)
will dele cut 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 supervisors will fix the
amount Of the county levy, which will be as
sessed by black assessor, and gathered in by a
| black collector A black commissioner will lay
off the public roads. A black magistrate will
| dispense Justice; black constable will preserve
| order black clerk will keep the records of
| the township.
The Governor and his aids will be black after
the first term. The Lieutenant-Governor will
be black The Secretary of the Commonwealth
will be black. The Board of Public Works
will be black The militia officers will he black.
The Legislature will be black; We shall have
black representatives in Congress. The visitors