The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-04-29

! secret UaIl0t. there Is also section III n
gard to church property the design of whc
is believed to be to transfer the Methods
J. Church property in Virginia to the Mother
{ Methodist 9!l Church 4n conclusion the addres
d says:
}. a'sSEch is the constitution submitted to 70,
fellow oltizens, for your ratification and sue
the instrument bitterly denominated measur
; Of reconstruction and of restoration to the Ur
ion. The constitution Of Georgia. y',ich har
pens to be before us-objectonabie as it is /
!. Southern people-provdes for universal ne
gro suffrage, but it differs from the eonsritu
ton offered to the people Of Virginia in sew
: eral important respects. Not one human be
Ing il disfranchised not one questionable oatl
is required the existing c, unty organization
Of the State was left untouched ; no person i
allowed 70 vote until he shall have paid al
the taxes assessed against him and the Gene
raj Assembly is required to provide by law 70,
the selection of upright and intelligent per
sons to serve as jprors.
= 1t now deyolves upon the white. people Of
Virginia to pass upon this Instrument Bv the
registration OF last year from which some Is.
600 whites were excluded by disfranchsement
the whites had a majority in the State ofover
$4,000 This maj ority under the new regis
tratien whichwill take place. may be Increased
to more than IS. 90. 1t can be increased 5,
900 in the Valley alone"
"It has been said that Congress if we defeat
it. will put this constitution on us. Then let
| Congress be the author Of this great wrong !;
and let net Virginia, under any menace OF VIC
lence. weakly be tempted to offer nor sistance
to her rayisher The adoption of the consti
tuition by the people Of the State and the
imposition of it on them BY the republican
party of the North are two very li fferent things
aud may be followed by ve,y different results.
1t Is proper, however. to remark that it is
by no meas Ger nor do we think it proc
able, that Congress will impose this constitu
ton on us it We reject it. The instrument Is
very different in its character from that con
tenplated by the acts Of Congress These did
not profess more than the purpose to provide
tor protectlonto the negro; but the coustitu
ton framed leaves it necessary to provide for
the protection OF the white man. It has been
suggested that the political purity in possession
OF the federal government, preparatory to the
presidential election, are anxious to have the
Southern States in the Union ; but were it
admissible to entertain the hypothesis that
party considerations would influence Congress
in this matter, Virginia might well be an ex-
ception to the Southern States in general as
her vote would probably be cast against the
party in question at the presidential election.
and. indeed, must be, if the white, W Il only
take care to register, as We can command a |
white majority of thirty five thousand
1T is our duty, then. to act together to
avoid all divisions; to disregard all cxviling
objections; and to vote down the proposed
constitution. - Judge Snead Of Acco,nac
one of the ablest of his pacty, sonsistent |
Union man during the war. elected to the
convention as radical. and acting with hs
party for three months of tina session of the
body va cam ,e led, at tie last moment. to
declare that the constitution established ne
gro sumpremaey, and that although in savaY
OF negro suffrage. he had 10 alternative LETT
but to vote against it at the polls" x &
That the negroes of the South can estab
lsh themselves in any permanent supremacy
over the whites we do not. however. accent
for moment The white race Of the South |
can never be destroyed When the negroes
are put over US then at least we shall pnt
forth our strength. We shall offer such in
ducemepts to white imm grafton that these
sparsely settled States must rapidly fill .up. =
the negro vi be overwhelmed with numbers.
and it will be too late to make any terms. It
is perfectly evident that Providence designs
the territory Of the United States as a theatre
OF a great white empire. whose power and
whose civilization shall exert controlling 10
fuenee in the history of the future. That
the three or four millions Of blacks here can
'ntefpose any barrier to the realization Of this
destiny is plalAly ehiaaerieal The only ques-
ton is shall the changes which impend in
the South be gradual or violent? With peace
between the races the whites of the South
might be save. from much that awaits them
under the radical programme and the blacks
while RENTED to their proper position in sos
cety. would be saved from rapid extinction
as L race.
In protesting against the establishment of
Agre supremacy, the address says they plead
/ If both races. and adds;
In conclusion, making no hypocrital pro
tesslons we affirm in sincerity and in truth
that the people of this State desire to pe re
stored to h, Union, aud cherish no purpose of
diIoyaty to the goverp:ent; that they loug
for the establishments Of Kindly relations be
tween all the sect IONS Of the cnuntry and hat
they enterta,n rs other feelings or purposes
han these of kindness and beneyoleues to
warus the negroes. Bait Sur.
Chaplin talks thus beautifully about a day
1t has risen upon US from the great deep OF
| eternity yirted round with wonder new