Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-04-30
WOODSTOCK VIRGINIA. THURSDAY

The object of this was to secure, as Mr.. Bolts
expressed it in an address he made to the Ra-
deal members Of the Convention, q ''good
working majority in the State, and to give a
decided preponderance to the negroes in the
Legislature, as well as in the county organiza-
ton. E
COUNTY AND TOWN ORGANIZATION
The article adopted by the Convention on
county and town organization fearfully inten-
sites the practical operation Of this universal
negro, and restricted white suffrage. The
counties are all divided into townships, the
smallest to contain at least three. For each
county there shall be one comfy judge, one
sheriff, one attorney for the commonwealth
one clerk, one county treasurer, one superin-
tendent Of the poor, one superintendent of
schools. In each township IN the county there
are to be one supervisor. one township clerk,
one assessor, one collector one commissioner
of roads, one overseer of the poor, three justi-
ces Of the peace. three constables. The town
ships are further su5divided into school dis
tricts and road Districts and in each school
district and each road district here are to be
one school trustee and one oyerseer of roads
All of these officials, except the county judge
AMI the superintendent of schools, are to be
elected by the people. The smaller counties
will have about sixty Of these petty Offices ;
the larger, about two hundred.
In large majority Of the counties east Of
the Blue Ridge--had the Convention stopped
at this point, which they by no means did all
of these officers would be negroes, or depraved
whites under the control of negroes. In Not
toway county lin 1860 here were 2,270 white
persons and $500 negroes. Imagine the con-
dition Of the whites in the county under such a
system. A negro sheriff, a negro attorney for
the commonwealth, negro county treasurer,
a negro superintendent Of the poor, negro su-
pervisors, negro assessors, negro collectors,
negro school trustees, negro cOnstables, negro
township clerks, negro oyerseers of the roads,
negro magistrates.
In Halifax county, by the census of 1860
the population stood II 900 whites to $4,000
blacks in Prince George there were 2,9l8
whites to 5,492 blacks in Prince Edward there
were 4,038 whites to 1915 blacks; in Powha-
tan there were 1859 whites to 1912 blacks;
in Orange there were 4,407 whites to 5000
blacks; in Nansemond 8, 142 whites to 1851
blacks in Mecklenburg 6,777 whites 10 1888
blacks in Lunenburg 4,447 whites to 1887
blacks in Louisa 6,l66 whites to 1882
blacks in King William ,, $50 whites TO $40
blacks; in Greensville 1878 whites to 4,40l
blacks; ii Goochland 1914 whites TO 6,S42
blacks in Essex 1926 whites to liza blacks;
in Dinwiddie G, 449 whites 10 I'LL Blacks in
Cumberland 9, 946 whites to ,015: in Charlotte
1881 whites to 9, 4Ss blacks; in Caroline E, $50
whites to IL ,515 blacks in Buckingham 6,041
whites to Oil blacks; in Brunswick 1898
whites to 9,S10 blacks in Amelia 3, 1874 whites
to 1850 blacks, sc, &c.
THE OATH
| 1t was thought an extreme measure to eman-
| cipate, in an instant, four millions of negroes.
1t was done at moment when the y orth was
reckless Of the consequences upon the social
organization of the South and with manly
fortitude it wvs submitted to by the South,
and an honest disposition cherished to make
the best Of it, Then came the Freedmen's Bu-
reau and civil rights bill. Soon after, the idea
of qualified negro suffrage was cautiously
broaehed at the North. Then in March, 1867
with little note Of preparation, the Congress Of
the United States issued the edict of universal
negro 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 am
nesty. They stopped not at negro suffrage
they have made negroes, and all negroes, eli
gble for Office, and required neither property
nor intelligence qualification fthe ncumbents.
Any male q 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 constitutions!
amendment but they added to that long list
Then upon this they engrafted their county
and town organization, providing for the cleo
ton Of all local officers with two EXCEPTIONS
by the people; while by the apportionment OF
representation they have provided for negro
ma ority in both branches ofthe Legislature
Had the Convention stopped here, it would
on ly have been negro supremacy. But it re-
NAMED to give the finishing touch to this almost
Incredible revolution They determined to
shut the whites altogether from all 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: 81 do SOL
EMMY swear Tor afhrm) that have never vol
UNFAIRLY borne arms against the United States
since | have been a citizen thereof; that have
voluntarily given no aid countenance, counsel
or encouragement to persons engaged in armed
,hostility thereto that l lave never sought
NOR accepted, nor attempted to exercise the
functions a, any ofsce whatever, under any
authority, or pref .nded authority in hostility
to the United States: u, l have not yielded a
voluntary support to any pre- ended govs'auien'
power, or constitution within the enited states,
hostile Or inimical thereto. And DO further
swear Tor afirm) that, to the best of my knows
ledge and ability, I will support and defend
the Constitution of the United States against
all enemies, foreign and domestic 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 well and faithfully discharge the
duties Of the Office on which ] ana about to
enter. So held me God"
This applies to oil officers, county, municipal
and State. 1t reaches from the Governor to
the overseer Of road or the trustee of public
school, and includes members of the General
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 tako
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 ballot;
by DISTINGUISHING large number of whites
by making all negroes eligible to Office; by
sleeting all county and township officers by
the people; by gerrymandering The State. with
reference to representation in the Legislature:
the negroes would hsye gone 80 far beyond this
as to have been the controlling power in the