The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-06-25

yIldO III WGdlo bhO oil VI %
his nretended preservation of consti-
tuition IN which the real mind and heart l
Of Virginia has neither part nor lot, and :
The question naturally recurs "since the |
President and his Cabinet claim in adj
vance the power to decide on what por'
tions shall be submitted to separate
votes. and Congress reserves the right
of oyerhauling and rejecting if in all its
narts the constitution does not reflect
their peculiar views, why go through
the tedious and perhaps dangerous
sham of so-called popular election Z"
To this we can only reply thai those
who are all powerful have so ordered
Il. and that It is better to submit to the
force than in any way prolong the ago
nv of our people; since there is but this
one path to the hoped for peace and
cessation of cruel experiments, 1t is our
plain and bounden duty to follow It,
1t is the part of true wisdom and ofthe
highest patriotism even in the midst OF
desperation to perform fully and pune
tual.y all the offices of Hope-to Sub
due our feelings to our duties, and to
look steadily and manfully into that fu-
cure, which, if we fulfil those duties,
will as certainly bring us relief, as that
a lust God reigns in Heaven. With all
the fervor of brethren, and with the
freedom which the sense of impending |
calamity imparts and justifes, we are |
forced to declare that it is criminal to |
give wav to q natural but fatal apathy. |
Sad as has been our fate in past years, |
it is enviable to that which awaits our
present inactivity, and warmer feel-
ing than sorrow is aroused when we see
men standing with folded arms waiting
| for the fall Of that dark tide which eve
ry moment grows ticrcer and more tur-
| bulent.
There is danger that this constitu-
| ton, a compound If ignorance, fraud,
imbecility, and malignity, may be put
upon us In its disgusting totality. We
| have every reason to believe, whatever
public professions may be made to the
contrary, that the negro vote, drilled
In secret, will be cast for the constitu-
ton as whole, including the test-oath,
the Acknowledgement OF thousands OF
our fellow-citizens, and the "coanty-
organization" which would fill the land
with horde of insolent, exacting, de-
youring office-holders. Every man
who fails to register, and vote for the
expurgation of the Objectionable claus
es, as kindly vouchsafed us by the Presi-
dent, will make himself measurably re-
sponsible for the insulting exactions
and losses which will fall upon himself
and his fellow-citizens.
Whether after voting for these ex-
purgations we should vote for the con-
stitution itself, is question which ex-
ercises many. But ii there be any force
in the statement and argument made
above, ascribing our present wretched
condition in large measure to our out
side position; If IL be true, as we firmly
: believe, that the necessary equilibrium
: cannot be restored until Virginia again
! occupies her proper place in the Union,
then it follows that, Objectionable as we
: may consider the constitution in whole
or in part, still it is our duty to vote for
its adoption, as we would avoid further
trials and insults from Congress. And
, if there still be doubts we should bear
| i'm mind that every rejection of the
: plans proposed by that body has been
| followed by fresh turn of the screw
nv harder terms and more humiliating
conditions. ~.
Nor should we hesitate moment In
} casting our votes for the worthy meil
! who are presented to US. If Colonel
Walker does not agree with rs In every
1 shade of opinion, yet, in the mall1 ano
vital principles of the contest he is WIFI
= us heart and soul. 1t is simply im2osst,
! BILE that zoe can vote for Governor WeIs
. Self respect duty, honor, alike forb:6
' it. Putting aside the purely personal
K charges agains. him as but the dust o
q the balauce, even if fully proven, he
e has made it obvious by every act ant
q expression.that he is alien, inimical,.
}, not hostile, to Virginia in every phase
J or bearing. Openly he seeks to arouse
u class against class, to stir up race a.
}, gainst race, and to inaugurate system
j which, excluding every thing like re.
= finement and intelligence, would hant
J us over to long night of Ignorance
: fraud, imbecilIGy aud RIGHTEOUSNESS
" Of his proposed colleague. DR.. Harris
J. the committee, in charity, would mo-
= utter one word. They content them
= selves by saying that there are SOM
y things sstoo melancholy for laughter
e too iudlcrous for tears"
1t is sometimes feebly urged that WI
l. have no choice really as between Colo
IN mel Walker and Governor Wells; tina
both are Republicans. and that it mat
IL ters little which is chosen. 1t is tru
% that the choice is restricted one, bu
N rightly considered, this only makes
re the more urgent that we should decide
d II we remember that with one we ar
+ to have our citizens restored to electiv
: freedom, that we are to escape the obi
'r ious county organization, If we shall b
}. fortunate enough to secure the Legis
d lature. and that we shall have a mai
IL genial in manners and congenial II
feelings with ourselves--one who, with
% out thought of office, has voluntaril.
} cast his lot and invested his fortune il
Z, Virginia. Whilst or the other hand i
II presented man in every way distase
:, full to us; who would crush the whit
IS race under the heel OF negro DONNA
II ton. and heap all possible mortlficatiol
n and humiliation upon suffering ant
lie such n choice as this? Would Sicil,
y have paused il Rome had said will yo
he hay. a Verres or Varro as your Pro
G, consul? Would Ireland have paused
Of England had said shall send Hamp
10 den or Jefreys to be your Lord Lieu
ST tenant? or to America, shall it be Be
III tetourt or DunmOre
Dr. The committee scarcely deem
OF worth while to address any argument
re or to make any appeal to the colore
Is voters. Afflicted with an incurabl
20 suspicion of every native born Virgin
3 ian. or ofany man whom he would hon
ID or or trust, they have surrendere
5, themselves implicitly to the deluder
IA who are hurrying them to their doom
% VIGOROUSLY and obviously an aimles
II II thriftless, purposeless race, their oni
~ hope of sympathy and support was
40 the kindly feeling of their former mas
Or tiers, which, despite the strains OF re
re peated ingratitude, is still warm an
IL strong. But, cheated by the name {
e barren freedom 6lled with val
ie hopes and inordinate desires, Cypress
~ ed by the
70 Burden of an honor unto which they wei
not born