Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-01-29
THE VIRGINIA CONSTITUTION.
Letter of the Tn.giHfd Committee
to the Senate Jndioi0rV CONF
apitfee.

n, ~ ry.o,.,, c....,,t.. ~
Oo""'''''' " '"s O""'"
oidteS q "ote;
On behalf ~ the delegation OF c,tizrns
OF Virginia, and in sccurdance with the
redu, So Of yuur Committee. we beg leave.
respectfullv to suhniit. in the form of
amendments to House bill ,4s5, now under
consideration, such mudihcations Of the
constitution pro posed by tbe late cooven-
tion AZ, Ia our upiuion. will. under all th.
circumstances. lead to its acceptance by
the ID, ople of virginia.
tis due TO csndor 10 say, In this conDec-
ton, that thuse y ho sent us here xpress,.,. -.
as We believed, the resl fee Jugs and pnr.
D, ses Of the peuple Of Virr.ujt. when thev
a G iaIed. "whde the conviction Of the mn
de5sign,d, and AZ they believe of the peutlp
OF Vneinia reneruIlv, remains uucheperd
tltat the freedmen ct the Southern States
ia their present unednC4ted condition, are
MT prepared tor the intelligent exercise Of
the elpcfiye franchise. and The peri,,rnnucr
Of other duties counected with uullc
aGiirs. and are. therefore. az this time. un.
safe detr,sitxries of nautical mower. vet in
view az ia. verdict at uublic ,p,t ion in
favor OF their being aIlosed to exercise the
risbt of s,fJIsge. as EXPRESSED ia tie recent
elections. he nnders,gn,d arc uremred
AMI they iselifve the m joriiy or ti, people
of Vifginia ne nr,pared. [, sure der thir
lo.to.iiion 20 its inc,nnorst,pn iu,, their
tnds,n,,,;sl iwy =. an og rn, an he altar
of p-nc. In the hove that uui and har-
mo',y may be r,s. ored ON the ba-i, nf
nm yersal sugfaee ant universal amnesty ;"
T,king IL. thrn. tn be establ shed a. the
"a, icv ol lhis Government To reQuire IN
VirgInia a constitutional recognition and
ento, q, ment of the civil and uoiitcsl equal
of ali men before the law. we have. in
tG. amendments proposed. inser,ed all the
nrnvi.dor,s of the pr,,t,s4d constitution in
any mapuer relating 10 that subject.
The first modification of the PROPOSED con
s.jtptinn suggrst,d by us Is TO strike from il
al those features of acknowledgements and
decentralization, and all these elements Of
bitterness and, strife politicsl ,seciional, anl
sectnrisn. which, IN our Judgment, are wholly
iaconpatible with god government and
I'D failing and tend to neroetuate alien
stiu, and SIscords which az gid ciiiz4ns
MAI drur-cafe, The mower ofa Stale 10
.uhiect any iis citizrns TO disabilities for
4r,,,as .ssins, tn. United States h.s be,n
s-,i,rsIv onp.tion,d. lt seems tn he con-
Odd ,hst tor the uurpns- of uunis sh,nent
y, .rch no,Vsr exists. ana that d,.ou,hfi,s
tiuns and acknowledgements are oniy admits
.ihl,. a. measures of precautiup and safety.
In his mint of view il 1. worthy of CON
s;d.,a,inn that since the close Of the war
the reonls of V,rg,nia bay, h.en living
.;tbont diseranehisement or di.sbilt, of any
Kind under A government whose legislative
and indisiL departmcpt- and whose local
n,g.,,.z ,tion ave been Ia tn hands of the
very cIasses whom it is sought hy the pro-
uossd constitution to exr ude frum every
n,.i,io, of tru,t in the Stat. W. cl.in,
thai IN. supremacy OF law and order has
hren as full, maintair,d aud that the futc-
,;oas of g.,nd g.y-fnm-nt o. have been AS we'll
nerform,sd in Virsiua As N auy State of the
U,,on
I, A. ha,;eved that article three section
N. n,r.g,,ub fonr. w.,nld di,fra,cbise not
I,.s tban len ar ff s-n thou.,nd voters in
H., Ste ;ocludiu0 y mos, hon, TN. p.o-
o-s Nv hem accustomed Ia trust in pnb,ic
emnlovm,nts.
Anicle three. section seven. would dis
nuaI,f for every positu,p ot nubhc ttust not
lsss ,han pinett INV. oet of ,y.rv tubited
of ,be Shit, t,sopi,, of Virginia Sho would
~ ~. ,.i.t,hIa "a ,orid m c,.,,e,
I'm w,tb s.ctioo tbre,. of ihe same article.
.v,,.na the ~. di,,biIi,v ,o s.rve u,nt,
ir,ias
n {. h.lievsd tha, there is no advocate
of ,,iy,r.aI n.sro yne,,ga Who wiu moi
ss-ee ,ha, IN re sn,',ir,,i7,, 20 Vir,ini,. Ar
III lime IL ia a fearful exnerimsnt. reauir.
;rs fnr i,s .ncce.s .Il the wI,d,n and eNp :
rie,c.. ,b,t can be hrnnyb, 10 il, m,n,r,-
m.nt. aud IL is respectfuIly subm t'ed that
~ ss'.,nde fson, n1r,ir nAt,on In Stai, or
,oc.i aayern,,,.n, at Ills tim. so larr.
~, or,io,i ,r 80 Win INV we i. nr,, IA,
r.! g" .ra s',sS . dss vim NH,
80, '',l.n aond ~. nns,.e and ups,f..
y d..i,,a hat IN ,ur b,.li-i il
won A ,s whoi'v consistenl with domestic