Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-06-18
The Speeches on FRIDAY.

nounced, Col. K. Il. Withers, the worthy
standard bearer of the white mans party of
Virginia, and Maj Uriel Wright, of Winchester,
addressed a large meeting of the citizens %
this county, in the courthouse yard. Messrs.
Holiday and Conrad were prevented from be-
ing present by professional engagements and
Messrs. Stuart and Baldwin were prevented
by other duties from coming The addresses
of the gentlemen named occupied about four
hours. and SO completely did they cover the
whole ground involved in the momentous is
sues now presented TO the while cit.ze OF the
State, that Notwithstanding the absence of the
parties named, the people were perfectly salts
fed with the manner in which the discussion
was conducted.
Col. Withers. it must lie known, is an old
medical practitioner and surgeon of great
skill and experience, and is therefore one of
the most marvelously proper men in the State
that could have been selected to perform the
arduous task ofdlsse. ting and exposing to the
public gaze the horribly abnormal not to say
pfutrescent, condition of the foul carcass of
radicaisp in Virginia, as embodied in the SO
called constitution incubated and Matched by
the late assemblage calling itself convention.
Before applying the keen edge of his scalpel
to the miserable work of that most extraordi-
nary body, which, in al its elements and its
acts, has precedent in the history Of this or
any other country, Col W. dssected the per-
sonnet of the body, dividing it into four dis
nlo obo IND
Virginia gentlemen. who represented the views
and interests OF he white population; 3D. the
native Virginia negroes, who ranked next
in point ofrespectabilty and sense and patriot
ism Sd, the carpet baggers, who had left their
country for their countrys good. and who had
swarmed over the South, like the plaques of
Egypt, to deyour every green thing in their
way, and to fatten upon the misfortunes and
miseres Of our people, moved by no higher
impulse than that Of getting lucrative Offices
and plundering our people; 4th those known
as ''scallawags," who were native Eirginians
of the lowest degree--men who espoused, or
pretended TO espouse the cause OF the Confed
eracy so long as here was any prospect Of
success, but who, when cause was over
whelmed by mere brute force deserted their
country and joined It's enemies. in order that
they might share with our adversaries in the
division of the Offices and the spoils of office.
This last element IN the classification he put
down the lowest and most unprincip pied
portion of The convention. He could not and
did not blame the negroes for making earn
off ,bo;p al
ting themselves; it was natural for the puri-
tanica yankee to intermeddle with our affairs
that was one ofthe essential characteristics of
his nature but ne amount of purgation could
cleanse the unprincipled native ''scallawag''
who had turned traitor to his country in her
time of defeat and bitter humiliation The
three last named elements constituted two
thirds of the convention They were, Of ali
other creatures on the face Of this sin strick-
en- world, the most proper instruments for
originating the monstrous thing, miscalled a
constitution. for the government of the white
people of Virginia Had all the fanaticism,
malice, hatred and internal energy of the We
ry s'powers of darkness been concentrated in
these vile creatures, they could not have more
effectually accomplished Their diabolical work.
Col ". then proceeded, in the most SIX lful
and approved style. to divest the so-called
constitution of its transparent covering and
expose the enormities which it would perpe-
trate upon the people should it be ratified
Every county in the State would be yankee
lied by being divided into townships, instead of
districts as now divided, with multitude of
salaried officers, all of whom must be paid by
heavy taxes upen the people. Every one of
these newly created offices must be filled by
men who can swear that they never had any
thing to do with the rebellion, never held any
office under the Confederate government, and
gave no "aid and comfort TO those who were
engaged IN rebellion, &c. This would exclude
from Office every honest, escapable man in
the State, who enjoys the respect and conf
dence of those whose interests are at
stake
The system of common schools, as it is call
ed, as provided for i'll the proposed constitu-
ton, and which is relied upon by the radicals
of its most popular provisions, was dis
sected in mastery style 1t was intended to
operate upon and mislead those who have
not the means of giving their children liberal
education; but when examined closely, it will
appear that even that class white men, we
mean-will not be extensively benefited, af-
ter ALL They will not only be taxed enor-
mously to build school houses in every town
ship, pay the salaries of the yankee teachers,
and numerous other expenses connected with
the operation of these schools, but they will
be compelled to associate their children with
those of the negroes in the same schools; for
it must be remembered that the controlling
majority, with some two or three exceptions
advocated the principle of mi1ed schools and
refused 10 make any provision for educating