The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-01-09
Constitution of the United States" Re-
REMoYrsG DISABILITIES.

FL Mr.. w. IL. ROBERTSON caileu w sno 49,
solution of Mr.. HUNN1CUTT, offered yester-
day, removing disabilities from certain
parties. II r.FG
Mr.. ROBERTSON said he came to the Con-
vention not as Conseryatiye-not as
Republican-but he came as Virglnian,
to promote the welfare of the beloved OLD
Commonwealth, and the prosperity and
happiness of ali its citizens, whether white
| or black. he came in spirit of concilia-
ton and harmony and when the venerable
and learned gentleman from the city OF
Richmond introduced his resolution to re-
move disqualifcations from Virginians he
| felt his heart warm towards him, and
hoped that he, too, had come to bury deep
in Lethe's stream the terrible calamitles OF
the past. But when he found him coming
here to cover with bitter taunts the Cou-
federate soldiers, he felt it his duty to rise
in their vindication. He was Union
man, and loved the Union, and he desired
not to see it broken up by faction. He
remembered that in a public meeting in
Petersburg in 1860 he had concluded few
remarks with the prophetic warning
"When you see the flag of this Union
trailing in the dust, when you see the
fabric of the Constitution broken into
fragments, when you see a brother.s
hand stained with q brothers blood.
and hear the agonized cry of expiring
liberty, shake not your CORY locks at me.
and say not twas that did it. ,"
But, sir, when the tocsin of war sounded
when he heard Of the sorrows OF Virginia
he cared not whether it came from Massa-
chusetts, from Florida, OF, from South Caro-,
lima, he girded on his sword for the light
He remembered, too,, how, for four long
years of carnage and of blood, from the
battle-felds around Richmond, on the fata
field of Gettysburg, until the flag of the
Confederacy was trampled by the war
horse of the foe, he had maintained the
principles with which he had set out-wa'
still a follower of the flag of the South, ready
to strike for his home. He had not shlrkeo
the dangers and the duties of the hour
He remembered, too, that when the ordl'
nance of secession was submitted TO the
people he had voted against it, while, as ne
was informed, the gentleman from Rlch
mond had voted for it.
He came to this Convention for the pur-
pose of doing justice to all, and dehed the
gentleman from Richmond to do more. He
was tired of hearing about negro suffrage
about treason, and traitors. If he wa;
traitor, SO was the gentleman from
Richmond. He had, as he said before
voted against the ordinance of secession
the gentleman from Richmond had votec
for it, and wanted Fortress Monroe taken
He did not want to see the flag of hi:
country disgraced he wanted to see al
people under it free, happy, and pros
porous.
Mr.. PLATTE I would ask the gentleman
: if he was not elected to this Convention a.
: Republican, and did claim to be one, ant
thus gain the black vote Of Nottoway
county?
Mr.. ROBERTSON said he would answer the
gentleman's question cheerful!y. He tolo
the blacks he would give them protection
and come what would, he would endeaVo
, to do so.
Mr.. PLATTE: The gentleman evades thu
question. I ask distinctly if he did no
claim to be Republican, and did not come
; here pledged to the principles Of tina
party
Mr.. ROBERTSON said he did not.
Mr.. PLATTE: Then you have been greatly
misreprescnted.
Mr.. HUNSICUTT desired to make an ex
PLANTATION.
Mr.. E. GIBSON said that as the eXplana
, ton the gentleman had to make woult
probably have some connection with the
remarks he (GIBsoN) wished to present
he hoped the gentleman would waive HI
privilege to the floor, and thereby be en-
abled to kill two birds with one stone.
Mr.. HUSNICUTT can do that.
Mr.. GIBSON continued: He must con
fess, he said, that nothing that had oc
CURED in this house gave him more plea
sure than the resolution Of the gentleman
from Richmond, but he could not say 81
much for the remdrcS that had followed it
, introduction. 1t was made preteXt I'm
der which to insult and wound the feeling
of the people Of Virginia the gentleman
came before the House with hisresolution--
ga wolf in sleeps clothing "-aud if gen
tlemen insisted upon thrusting their recort
before the House, they must be RESPONSE
BILE for what came-it came with poo
grace from gentlemen who voted for tn
ordinance Of secession, who concocted PR
vate schemes for the capture OF Govern
ment property, and who never displayed
/ anv LOYALTY in anything under Gods Hea
ven. save in their own miserable pratings-
/ ts comes with no better grace from gen
tlemen who, as ministers Of the GoSpe
and editors of Christian papers, denied t.
t the negro race the right of house o
, worship, and charged that if they wer
allowed to have preachers they would stea
their masters property to support them, t.
| I, aha tn hn nc rr
, race. He (Mr. GIDsoN) contended that b
D was much more loyal than the gentlema
from Richmond. He had shown that b
+ was at least honest-the gentleman fror
/; Richmond had not. He (Mr. GIBSON wa
t earnest and anxious to restore the countr
e to peace and harmony, and would do any
thing required by the Constitution of th
United States to accomplish so great a
end. All the interests of the country, bot
North and South, demanded it. Gen
. . tlemen desired to know if he woul
support the reconstruction acts. FL
;, would answer them fully. He neve
! shirked any question. Never He de
= nounced those acts here, and would do S
elsewhere, as tyrannical, unconstitutional
partizan, and devilish. No sane man, Q
one having the semblance of sanity, eve
said or would say they were constitutional
7 Congress was mere creature of the pee
r pie, created by the Constitution, and out
: side of its granted power it was a mer
3 mob; and when it usurped power not give
9 to it it became a brutal tyrant. If gentle
: men thought that the progress of civiliza
/ ton and the upholding of Gods people O
9 earth (of whose kingdom the gentlema
9 from Richmond claimed to be ambassador,
q aonondod ON naprn Snffrape be hnnad the