Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-07-01

, construction That committee the
) next day reported bill for the: re
2 construction of Virginia, and also
, of Mississippi and Texas. The
character of the bill sufficiently ap.
, pears in the first two sections rela.
| ting to Virginia:
u ssBe it enacted by the Senate and
, House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Con.
gress assembled, That the Presi-
dent of the United States, at such
J time as he may deem best for the
public interest, may submit the Con
stitution which was framed by the
convention which met in Richmond,
Virginia, on Thursday, the Sd day
of December, 1857, to the registered
voters of said State, for ratification
or rejection; and may also submit
to a separate vote such provisions
of said Constitution as he may deem
best.
"SEc. 2. And be it further enact
ed, That at the same election the
voters of said State may vote for
and elect members of the General
Assembly of said State, and all the
officers of State provided for by the
said Constitution, and for members
Of Congress; and the officer COM
manding the District of Virginia
shall cause the lists Of registered
voters Of said State to be revised
and corrected prior to such election
and for that purpose may appoint
such registrars as he may deem nee
essary. And said election shall be
held and returnes thereof made in
the manner provided by the election
ordinance adopted by the conven
ton which framed said Constitu-
tion." .....s.. ...-r
1t will be seen that by this bill the
people of Virginia were to proceed
in the work of reconstruction at
such time as the President might
deem best, and that such reconstruc-
ton in all it's parts was to be on the
basis Of equal political rights. The
Constitution to be submitted was
framed by convention, in the cleo
Jion Of which colored citizens par
ticipated, and Of which colored men
were members. The 'registered
voters" who are to vote on its rati-
tication or rejection, and also for
members of the General Assembly,
for State officers and for members
Of Congress, include the colored men
in Virginia; and if the Constitution
is adopted it secnres to them equal
political rights in that State. The
remaining sections of the bill pro-
vide for the reconstruction of Mis-
sissippi and Texas on the same prin-
ciples. and left the time and manner
to the oiscretioE of the President.
This bill was reported to the
House Of Representatives and unan-
imously agreed upon by commit
tee, of which four members were
Democrats. The most distinguish
ed Democr tic Representatives of
the States Of New York and Penn
sylvania advocated its passage
Out of about seventy Democratic
members of the House, only twenty |
five voted against it, and the only
Democratic members from Ohio
who voted on the passage of the
bill voted for it.
1t thus appears that upon the
of General Grant |
even the Democratic party of Ohio,
by their Representatives in Con
gress. voted for equal political rights
in Virginia. Mississippi and Texas
And to-day the great body of the
people Of those States, Democrats
and Conservatives as well as Re
publicans, haze yielded assent to
that great principle. In view of
these facts, submit that l am fully
in saying that General
Grant has begun the work of recon-
in a masterly way, and
with marked success.
Again thanking you for the honor
You have done me, [ repeat, in con
what I said two years ago.
Fhe people represented in this con
vention mean that the State Of Ohio
IN the great progress, "whose lead
ng object is to elevate the condition
IF men, to lift artificial weights from
Ill shoulders, TO clear the paths of
pursuits for all, and to af-
'ord all an unfettered start and a fair
chance in the race of life,'' shall
read no more steps backward. I
shall enter upon my part of the la
1ers of the canvass believing that
;he Union Republican party is bat
ling for the right, and with undoubt-
ng confidence that the goodness of
;he cause will supply the weakness
of its advocates, and command in
,he result that triumphant success
which it deserves
A rich incident is related in con