Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-06-03

IL u COililAltie6 VI tiut Ae6pucliCdHS, ucCl-
ded to go to Washington and take with
them, delegation Of Conservatives, who
were to testify their opinion that the people
Of Virginia would abide in good faith the
imposition Of negro suffrage and other OBJ
jectionable features. provided the test
oath, the disfranchisement and the county
organization features should be submitted
to separate vote. | was urged to go,
and went, with that delegation Of Con-
seryatiges, the entire party of both Sec
tons numbering twenty-five. 1t had been
arranged that the party was to have full
interview with the reconstruction commit
tee Of the House Of Representatives. As
preliminary we had conference upon
our arrival in Washington, when we were
joined by Dir. Lewis Mckenzie. In the
confere2ee he pr,seea flat the county or
gahization feature be omitted from the ap-
plication to Congress. AS the selected
spokesman of the Conservative delegation,
I opposed it, and was sustained unani-
mously, both by the Republican commit
tee aud the Conservative delegation.
We met the reconstruction committee,
Hon. Benjamin F. Butler, chairman, and
were allowed ten minutes to make out the
case. But in that time Mr.. John Bacon
Crenshaw, Republican, told the committee
that President Grant had told him in
conversation that Virginia ought to have
an opportunity to vote out the test-oath,
the disfranchisement, and the plan of
county organization, and that he had SO
stated to several members of Congress-
The chairman replied that if Pre- ident
Grant thought so, sit was his duty, IN
der the constitution, to send in a message
to that effect
When the committee rose VIC sought an
interview with, and advice from. Hon.
Mr. Farnsworth, who suggested joint
resolution as the best means then left US
to accomplish our object, and offered to
move it for US, as he afterwards did
Leaving him we went in body to Pres
ident Grant, and were cautiously re-
ceived. He anticipated our object by
telling US exactly what Mr. Crenshaw
said he had told him, and then, upon a
suggestion that be should send in mes
sage to Congress embodying his views, he
said he would do it if we desired it. and
sent for the Attorney General He was
reported absent, and the President then
remarked: Il understand the matter per-
fectly; you want these three clauses struck
out" Just then marked copy Of the
constitution was rendered him, and taking
it in his hand lie continued II will
consider it," This closed the audience.
On going ont the meaning Of his final SEN
tence was discussed by US. Some thought
he meant to qualify his first emphatic af-
firmation others, that he was onl y using
the proper official phraseology ; and 9TH
ers, including tho only practised newspa-
per reporter Of the party, that the remark
referred not to anything he had previous
ly said, but to the whole of the paper just
placed in his hands [ give him the full
benefit Of these discrcpant opinions, but
remark that nobody understood him as
discriminating between any Of the three
clauses he had condemned, twice in ten
minutes, all alike, and each time of his
own motion.
That audience was granted on Saturday,
the 3rd day of April, at p P. NJ. On
the following Monday the joint resolution
was offered and at once referred on We'd
nesday, 18th, the Presidents message
went in, and the joint resolution giving
him full discretion over the whole consti-
tuition was passed into law on Friday,
the 9th day of April.
On Friday, the 18th day CT May, |
again went to Washington with three
other gentlemen, all delegated 70 wait up
on the President in regard to this same
matter. In company with Mr.. L. Q,
Washington we had our audience. Pres
ideDt Grant then announced that he had
decided to order a separate vote on the
disfranchisement and test-oath clauses,
but that his course on the plan of the
county organization had not been finally
decided on, though he thought he would
not interfere with that, as he doubted if it
was his province to frame good consttu-
tons for the States, and he thought that
striking out that plan might interfere with
the school system provided by the consti-
tuition He was assured that no such
consequence could fellow, and the instru-
ment itself was offered in proof. He
waived discussion upon it, stating that he
was familiar with the subject, and that
it would be discussed and decided upon in
a short time in cabinet meeting. He was
then told that the Conservative party of
Virginia had been distinctly informed in
their late convention that he was pledged
to vote on these three points that upon
tie proposal that the party should not act
until his proclamation should appear, the
reply was given that it would be an impu
tation on him to hesitate on that account.
and that thnreunnn the State candidates