Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-06-15
From Elk Gov. VIM. Smith

/
The following are extracts from a long letter
addressed by Ex-Gov. VIM. Smith to R. R
Collier, Esq, of Petersburg, under date of may
10th, 1869: #a aaa 500
Is it possible that there can be found in all
| Virginia any native-born citizen, or any one
who has bona fde settled among US, so lost to
| the instincts Of his race and SO indifferent to
the prosperity of the State, that they will not,
| with heart and soul, rush to the polls and save
| the present generation from disfranchisement
and utter ruin, and the State from the control
and power of those utterly incompetent to man
age her and those who have only come wthinher
| border for place and plunder? What, refuse to
/ 90 to the polls-refuse to make every effort to
take his neighbors with him, to vote down pro-
visions condemned by all liberal and enlightened
| Radicals, and which, if once put upon US. will
cover our fair land with ruin and desolatlon p
| Never; never. cannot think of it with pa
tience. And | cannot, will not, believe that
with the power In our hands we shall not have
the intelligence and patriotism to use 1t for our
own safety and the well-being of our State.
Having secured the excison Of the disfran-
/ chisment and test oath clauses, we can pause
| and take breath; for then we know thSt the
| State will soon If not at once, be under the
control of her intelligent masses-that the other
1 obnoxious provisions of the constitution may be
| borne until we can be relieved from them by
| amendment, according to 18th article thereof,
or otherwise In the meantime, it is of the
greatest importance that we should carry the
| Legislature. Many ofthe obnoxious provisions
Of the proposed constitution, including the
county organization, article 7, will essentially de-
pend, for their mschievous or innocuous char
acter, upon the laws enacted for putting them
| Indn un oar -QSf
mate its importance. That the Radicals of
the convention fully appreciated it is fully de-
| monstrated by their shameful gerrymander, by
which they have endeavored TO secure to them
selves the legislative power Of the State. al
though clear minority ofthe population there
of. 1t u.s. however, without doubt, within our
power if we will exert it, to control the Lagis-
lature. And will we neglect or refuse to do ii !?
It surely cannot be possible With the Legis-
lature, corrupt and ignorant judges cannot be
put upon us; the vast system IT maiced schools
| which are intended, with the expenditures
| which must be the necessary consequence, will
be prevented and that huge scheme for an ar
my of office holders, and the plunder of the
people, In providing salaries for them. known
as the county organizations, may be defer
red, or, at any rate, emascuiated.
Now, my dear sir, although it is my wont to
believe, that we can accomplish whatever may
be thought right and proper, yet it is the part
of common prudence to consider what we ought
to d. should We be disappointed. Wemay lose
the Legislature-it would be great calamity,
full OF untold evils which would severely OPP
press US all What should we do to provide
against the consequences of SO sad an event.
/ see but one thing left US, and that is to elect
the Walker ticket will not say our ticket,
but say the walker ticket" for our ticket
was buried with the gallant Withers, and the
memory of those who brought it about should
be cherished. for our repro6ataon, aslong as life
itself shall last
1t is a deep humiliation for Viginians to
have to choose one of two carpet-baggers fol
their Governor And it is deeply aggravated
when we remember that it has been broughl
about by those who were bound to prevent tt
that in this regard we have been wounded III
the house of our friends" But SO it is, there
is no help for tive are compelled to choose. =
Wells or Walker must be Governor. If botf
are bad. radence says, choose the one who vii
do the least evil and patriotism urgently de
mands that we should give the preference tC
him who in his antecedents, general bearing
character and affiliations, gives the stronges
assurances that he can appreciate the dignity o
the office to which he aspires, and that in hi
personal and official conduct he will emulate The
fame Of his illustrious predecessors.
It is moreover represented that his character
is spotless, his views liberal and enlightened
and his fortune, which is considerable. actuall!
invested in the business and operations of hi
adopted State. If this be true, and l have M
;; reason to doubt it, then the claims or merits 0
Wells and Walker are in striking contrast in
deed, "as wide as the poles asunder." Fron
: Wells we have nothing TO expect but Injury ant
wrong. His character, his associates, his re
venge-yes, [ say revenge, for the uniform re
pugnance with which he has ever been treate'
by our educated masses leaves no room to doub
; of that and in the event of his election an
the adoption of the constitution unamended, W
NAV expect to have the frightful scenes of Ar
kansas and Tennessee re-ena ted here, and GU
earth. With Walker, however, our case
widely different. Wi h good character, asI al
!. bound to believe, and which, in itself, gives al
surance of desire for the good opinion of hi
fellow man elected by our friends, and boun
to look to them for support, and concurrin
with us, in the main. in the general policy to
: our choice, or think seriously of permitting th
d election of Wells, by refusing to attend tn
polls
+ have treated the questions | have discussed q
g if the constitution, in a modified form, woul
e be adopted. OF this have TO doubt. 1t woul
; not be. by my vote, had one to cast; but
It will be carried by thousands. How vitality in
o portant is it then. to secure the rejection of Il
P disfranchisement and test-oa,h clauses. The:
clauses rejected the State would soon be in II
hands of our enlightened, masses, even shou