The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-01-28

sistance They asked that committee, in ac
cordance with we'll established presidents, to
prescribe, as Fundamental conditions to the ad-
mission of Virginia into the Union, the strik-
in@ ont Of anuIhber of the obnoxious clauses
of the constitution The committee were
heard courteo,isly and patiently by the Sen
ate judiciary Committee, and they addressed
to shat Committee communication in writ
ing expressive OF their views. Phe commit
tee Of nine found in the Underwood consti-
tuition many Objectionable provisions-but
passing over minor defects, they confined their
attention 70 five:
/, Universal suffrage.
g. Dstranchisemeuts ana test -oaths. 1'lf
3, County organic alton 'r-
4, Homestead provision. et
5, Church clauses at.&g
70 these they addressed themselves, bare
ly referring to others.
In regard to the LIST, they found the
opinion of Congress unalterably fixed
It was canon of their political church
an article of their political creed, nay,
more, it was the widest plank in the Chi
cage platform. On it they had won the
presidential election, and it would have
been quite as reasonable to ask, and there
would have been just as much prospect Of
success in asking, the restoration Of slave
ny, as in asking the abandonment of uni
versal suffrage. Il was in the Underwood
Constitution, and it was in the Ccnsttu-
tion Of every reconstructed State Of the
! South. and there was no natural ground
to believe that victorious party in the
first flush of triumph would surrender The
principle which had secured to them the
| victory. ''5
The. COMMITTEES did not, then, seek to
spend any time in the vain cndeavor to
induce Congress to surrender this fayorite
dogma. They would have as soon attempt
ed to remove the Blue Ridge from its
base, as to eradicate the idea Of universal
suffrage from the mind of Congress-
They regarded it as fixed fact-as an in
evitable necessity. They could no more
ignore its 'existence than an engineer could
ignore the Blue Ridge as an obstacle in
his path, in locating road from Eastern
| Virginia to the Valley. Finding this to
be the condition of things the. committee
recognized universal Suffrage as Just as
firmly establl3hed as emancipation.
" hen the South was oyercome By arms
the abolition of slavery was the logical
consequence Of defeat, and all acquiesced
il it as such. When we we're oveGwhelm-
1 ed, in November, at the ia,l, box, ,gro
Suffrage followed, just as naturally, as the
legitimate result Of that overthrow, and
all will have TO acquiese whether they
| will OF no. F 49,
The committee Of nine, seeing the po-
sition of affairs, at once accepted the sit
uation and addressed themselves to the
remaining four cardinal enormities in the
constitution. q" -s-
/ They said, in substance, to the commit
tees and members of Congress, awe reeog-
nize negro suffrage as irreversibly settled
We know you will not depart from your
well considered line of policy, and, there
fore, while we do not agree with you, we
forbear 10 ask any change in that feature
Of the constitution
"But W. do ask you to relieve US from
other and oppressive provisions, which are
municipal in their character, and which
do not interfere with any Of your Congress
sionai policy On these points the mem
bers OF both houses lent attentive ears
and gave the committee every reason to
hope for success. ~"
MIR. S. here entered into detailed dis
cussion of the Objectionable clauses of the
constitution, and showed how fatal they
would be to the prosperity of the State,
and how indispensable it was to have
them stricken out. -sa
lie also referred to the opinions Of
many senator's and members, and also to
the views of Gen. schoGeld and Cen
Grant in 'egard to those provisions, and
the reasons why he hoped for a successful
result Of the mission. -9 's4'i
! Mr.. Stuart spoke with great satisfaction
Of the interviews the committee had had
with Gen. Grant, and referred to the deci
ded opinions and broad and comprehensive
views of the various subjects taken by the
President elect. He referred to these in
teryiews with pleasure, not only because
Gen. Grant favored the Objects Of the com
mite, but because the clear and intelligent
perception Of the points involved and the
enlarged and state3manlike views Of them
| which he expressed, gave to the committee
an assurance that Gen. Grant would
Prove hi-- If equal to the duties of the
high Office to which he has been elected.
Mr.. Stuart referred to the opposition
which had been made to the mission and
action of the s'nine,7 and to the unjust re-
fe@tions which had been made On their pro-
ceedngs. lie advertel to the opposite
sources from which cricticism came. Gov
errors Wells and Wise were pulling to-
gether in the same team, and the Richmond
Enquirer and the Radical Journal were in
full accord in opposing the s'Movement,'
and George Rye, Yankee Allen and Dr..
Bayne found conductors even in Augusta
It was an alliance of the carpet baggers
and the FIRE eaters from which no good could
come Gov. Wise had written five let
ters he understood in opposition, but he
thought the history Of the last 8 years
proved that Gov. Wise was not safe
counselor.
Mr. Stuart referred to the fact that a
writer under the signature of SsAugusta,' -
had sought to hold him up to ridicule, if
net to soorn, BY inpeaching his consistency
in going now i'll opposition to his address
as President Of the Convention CT Dcccm-
Der, 1858. M.. Stuart denied the truth
Of the charge. TIE held now to every
opinion expressed BY him then. He was
now, as then, opposed to allowing the pow
| ar IF fJ,a S4r4, .,,co ;,+, 4 H. (