Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-11-30
Radical S.
ZION.

r Anderson.
Radical s. lion.
At the time of the lent of the Leg
islature the Executive Committee of the Rad
ical party, seeing that their party in this State
was likely to go to ruin unless something could
be done to save it, issued call, through Jno
W. jenkins, the Chairman of that Committee,
for the assembling of State Convention in
Richmond on Wednesday last, the Oath inst
At the time designated, in pursuance of said
call, the Convention met in Metropolitan Hall
in Richmond. 1t was temporarily organized
by the election of Fl. M. Bowden, of Norfolk,
for Chairman, and of J. W. D. Bland (colored)
F. W. Haskell and W. T. Worthington for
Secretaries The motion to exclude all from
the Hall except the delegates and reporters for
the State Journal was negatived
A committee on credentials was appointed.
The following persons, with credentials, pre-
scented themselves as delegates from this coun-
ty: Major John A. Hartman, Major John
Yates, Rev. T. P. Phelps, VIM w. Thomas,
J. T. Maupin, and Philip Roselle (colored),
with Robert w. Hughes as proxy.
The Convention then took a recess till 3
clock, at which hour it was promptly called
to order.
The Committee on credentials not being
ready to report, the Convention was addressed
by J. H. Platte and c. H. Porter
The committee on permanent organization,
after retirement, reported as follows:
For President-C. f. Porter
For Vice Presidents-D. B White, J. H.
Clements, j. M. Humphreys, Geo. Tucker, G..
G. Curtis, j. 4. Maupin, w. B. Downey, Col
onel Witcher. i.
d. Bland, r. w. Wentworth, George W. Ora
ham and S. Z. Maddox.
The colored members having raised muss
because their color had been oversaughed, the
committee reported the following additional list
of Vice-Presidents for each district respec-
lively:
Bredloye. James Outen, Fl. Cox. John Wat
son, Abel Hunter. Phillip RoselIe, r. FL. Lee,
and Richard W. Hughes
They also recommended the following for Ser
geants-at-Arms; Stevens, of Essex, and Alex
ander Brooks, Of Chesterfield
The following committee or resolution was
appointed:
William B. Downey, D. B. White, B. H.
Frank Moss, j. S. Debro, Isaac P. Baldwin,
NJ G. GoodelI
half-hour was consumed in motions, sub
stitutes, and amendments, as to the hour for
adjournment; which was finally settled by fix
ing the time of meeting at hafpast 10 O'Clock
the next morning Thursday.
On Thursday morning, the Convention met
pursuant to adjournment.
The address reported by the majority of the
committee, appointed to prepare it, sets forth,
in substance
That the election in Virginia was a Confed-
crate triumph, achieved by intimidation and
traud-Republlcan meetings being In some in
stances broken up by mobs vae ~
That the true secret of the Republican de-
feat was the submission to separate vote Of
the test oath and disfranchisng clauses, which
had been inserted in the Constitution In the
spirit OF the reconstruction acts;
That the Convention have the greatest con-
hdence In Republicanism and the statesman
ship OF the President and majority of Con-
true state Of affairs in Virginia;
That the present Legislature is disloyal and
illegal, and even if it ratifes the Fifteenth
Amendment, it will enact such educational and
property qualifications as to entirely destroy the
| influence of colored suffrage, and prevent col
ored votes from either holding Office or sitting
in the jury-box s
The Address asks Congress to order a new
election with the Constitution submitted as a
whole, and send military force sufficient to
protect Republicans in their rights; or to re-
qulre the test-oath of members of the Legisla-
ture, and award the seats of members unable
to take it to their eligible opponents who re-
ceiyed the next highest vote. Is.
The Address was 81 ed by SIX out of eight
OF the committee q ! to prepare it.
The other two nlen - supported a substi-
tute, asking Congress for the immediate ad-
mission Of the State and at the same time to
exact guarantees that every citizen shall enjoy
every right under the Federal and State CON
stltutons.
The substitute was defeated by the following
vote Ayes % noes 10S
The majority report was then adopted by the
following vote: Ayes 12l noes %.
= A series of resolutions were adopted endor-
sing President Grants administration, and
pledgng.support to it !; requesting tie Pres
ldent to make Federal appointments in Virginia
only On the recommendation of Republican
members of Congress from the State, or the
State Central Committee; rejoicing in the re-
duction of the national debt, and the approach
ing resumption of specie payments; depreca-
ting the appointment of Conservatives to Office
over Republicans, and endorsing the Republi-
can members of the Legislature.
After the adoption of the Address, the Con-
vention went into an election of chairman of
the State Central Committee. The supporters
Of the defeated substitute nominated General
Wickham, and their opponents nominated
Charles II. Porter.
The friends of the substitute, conceiving that
they did not get fair play, withdrew from the
Convention aflf8s
The Withdrawing members were about thirty
in number, including James HI. Platte and r.
S. Ayre, Republican members elect to Congress,
John w. jenkins, Chairman Of the Republ-
can State Central Committee, Carr and Has
kell, State Senators, Morgan and Jackson, of
the State Legislature, O. A. Hine, the father
of the proscriptive clauses in the Constitution,
and others. h ID Ng tea
The following constitute the Central Com
mittee elected by that portion of the Conven-
ton which did not secede.:
Charles H. Porter, Chairman.
First District d B. White, ID. NJ Norton,
w. B. Wentworth.
Second District. Franklin Wood, Henry M.
Bowden, Eston Oyington.