The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1870-01-10

ssyiST maj a ar fuliitlAi Of both sysisms ~,
sc4iiment "a fiyrr Of judicial NpPolatmen
sT 6nS pSciomtSan N RsRssnt pS sga
almost venefAtsd mode ct political think'1-
virginia, this legislative selection Of judges
and hence the provision of the new constitc-
ton that remAnds the election Of the Judiciary
to the peoples representatives will bring 10
. the support OF the instrument a powerful In
ruenoe, embracing nearly the entire body OF
our wisest and best citi7 Ems, aud will comren.
safe Tor many dof,r's Public opinion will b,
| very SLOW to risk tin Invaluable and GtrOrltN
provision to a new con, Cntlnn
-" ere are many other el llent provisions,
sSII some new, sspeeiSny ~, ~ resting 20
| taxation and finance, which mt. UuCuNltH u
approval from the PEOPLE.
Ga the other hRuI, thrtc arc som .rf.
witch are held 10 be oWectlont'
! much 80.
First, the unequal ayIiSm Of represent, O.
! rms has been much condemned; hut W g.
along pretty well with It tho late electIa.
and but little criticism 10 now indulged or cOu.
! cCrn entertained % this account, Only In
some few Instances IL tho apportionment
g,ossy unftiti and on the whole, II Ia At
| least endurAblo.
Secondly, the county otgAnlE alton clause.
This was IL arst regarded n = most o6aox.
| ious feature, but 10 the progress OF the can.
vts.aul on full discussion, nearly all apprC-
The reason why this provision was 90 Oh.
nDNinus was Its supposed eSpenslyouoss,
owing to the multiplicity Of new Offices It
Bat It was argued by the friends OF recon.
.truetlou, lat, th at some Of the otlsea as sheT.
=, consts6ies, clerks OF roust., and soro,
| not By taKAtioni Al, that mirT .Eem, such
as oVerseeIs Of the poor, ol.-ssSfs sf the
roads, mAgistratea, and school coz 9 NceFs,
| would, IS before the war, perform b...,tE
| Of their ofnees without compens}.. J.. -u
| that, admitting that all tho Offices .r- ct
| p,id out Of the state or county ...r Iry,
the Legislature, having the power t. stef.
| mine the amount OF the salaries, could and
would adopt moderate rate Of compensation
I .s,Nf ktta iNaNs NNH.gN - - 40
| These considerations, constantly pressed
| during the canvas, FULLY relieved the public
apprehension before ne canvass was over. l
| concern 90 the subject, and that the LeEitla.
lure will proceed At once to execute the ooun.
| ~ Organization clause,
Thirdly, the free school system At arst
| this was denounced as laying tho foundAtion
for an unequal aud oppressive taxation. But
As the system had until the year 1919 TO run
before full execution (which 10 the easel II
night, by gradual inttoduotion, DO 80 managed
| Ns 10 avoid burdenaome taxation. q That the
'ehool property tax, ranging from one to nYe
mills on the dollar, the System might he com.
mshoed with minimum instead Of maxi.
maximum rate should be reached, while the
AN-payers would become gradually ADLER to
Again, as a natter both Of humanity and
tntsTest, the sentiment Of the people OF Nir-
sinia 10 tending With Al reasonable dispatch
| should be extended to the eoloTed people.
| they have become citiTens, and large numbers
. It the wise and good men OF the state favor
The education Of them ~ far and ~ fast as the
! tate is able, that they may be made u CON.
, pFehenA the respo sibnltleH and duties Of clti
tenship The Legislature dare not postpone
e | legal requirements Nna houot forbid ptocrss
| uinAtion.
=. IrreeoucllAbls repugnAnee to the new eonstttu
ion, and stronger reasons to bind the people
At to It than repel them IRON IT, The Homestead
10 exemption and the leEibl alive election Of thS
y judges will, Of themselves, l verify bellsve
le -ee5nelle a mAjoFlty OF the people to the CJI
h ,tltution as It stands, and Ovefbalance tho o.
A. And even we desire 1t, we cannot, for
A considerable timo to come, alter the oonBtit u
VI ton. The present Legislature, elected for tw'
c. years, has no power even 10 call a conTOnuOI
. o that cad II may propose amendments b.
" uNJonty Of each House, but these ptsposct
a. ! tmendme nta are to be rtfcrFed 10 he Cfncrd
AiItmbly tc BE- chosen al The HeTt general tlsciio
ts If Senator'S and Members Of the House Of Dele
Ne jdteI." II majority OF all the member
.lrctcd 10 the merit Gsncrai Astc@5ly shall AErcl
10 o such proposed Amendments, they may b
II ,abmhted 10 ne people, and, II adopted by a ms
iortty ftho quail aed electors, shall become
\, Lerisiature is poweriesS 10 call a eonStItu
" tOnAI convention, and at least four years mus
Oh lapse before the bark Of the present oonltitu
nf ,on eau be loossd from its moorlngS. Mean
ghtls, that 10 for at least four years to com
I'd unless the present Legislature shall vlolai
o' IONS Of their record "a oaths-the constitute
to VIII be in the course of eNecutlon-wlu be o
Ia rlal-thAt trial which your com nittee an
10 'ougtess require OF us In justice tyou say I
be ne negro race, and In furtherAnee OF the cal
NJ 'lnsl principle of"equAlty before the law.
So the trial mHn be mAde-we cannot he'll
bC It II we would; aud my strong Impression fui
I, aeT Is that, after oenerAl Grant recommen'
], and Oohgtess authorized the taking Of
OF spstNte vote on the peculiarly obnoNiou
- Acknowledgement and testOath clause, tn
U' cope regarded themselves As pledged, by fA
NJ mIi'estiOn, to accept tho remNinder OF tn
!ssitltioa 10 Believing thst the people Of IL
tr. tate will IS .nersdly ob'cryS ths iE5gliG
I conclude, therefore, That Coagres, ..
&C vlih entire safety, accept the assurance t.
lsrGd by the legislative com nittce, that
!" Constitution adopted by the popular vote vii
OF e subjected to the test Of actual cNperimsu
ID ,rforItaoy lttonptto sh,asei It; ..-..,
q pgioal nor fair to argue from HaJrgiN n,
tennessee to Virginia. The peoples are to
y lissimilar for anAlogues reasoning and con
! fusion.
And coming to the SpecihI acts Of each-thr
- ,uly reliable erueible-there can be n justice
, using Eifginia roughly for what her NOR
hayward GiGters have done or failed to do
'irzniA has done all required Of Der by tn,
+. -gOasttucuDg powrE-has lailei Of nothing
ssiSsturs though tSsIr ut 70 he he" seats Sti
. aimed was affirmed by her hiFheBt Judicial
l6unal. In both Houses Il tn Lerislsturo
I II Virginia white aud cnluTeu .,ErS,+C.Eti q 81,
, 'ieeted by white and eolored % ~ sod
rgislate together without quest. .''s'
Z | LIANT,
Georgia has not adop ted the fiteeu . -
nentj VirglniA AaJi and by an aim ~
q | lousyote Of her Legislature, -. -,
ne leaves il the rear, aad ttiv ne asI hsPuSIT
"a StAhd-poini, shAmes Of oSSia ana Sn
sGHsv;sS zee SGt asSsiSES and thea IL mS IS
o speak, uRddopi thion rom IN sipl, "a
neasure q non-ebIor Wv ''''o' VI
'SoIS, q T, race q when We shall have Norcd
NJ ~ tenuiAh u.s. but all Just people will
eYolt at RssionL N' 'A'''' 'o'
'e ll tiFs44sinl. 90 use trlte but expressive
10 Ley stand on her own bottom,n be Judged
rnser own acts, and Congress, II there be
dth IN honor, will have nothing to regret Ia
q hdHltslog her to her old position In the Union
Ieteaiter repeating the fifteenth Ame1iment.
Ihis is not soi and the imputAtion comes from
| nose only who have not studied Virginia his
| tory or Virginia character. The people of
| Virginia were never more united on sny politl.
al question than they are on this matter Of
he ditsenth amend ment. They have reached
he sensible, practical conclusion that the
| 'lHVeTy question has been for near century
he soutce Of all their woei and they truly de-
lire to have II settled once and forever, go that
| hey may never be hereafter Hquieted by IT,
| Nothing can shake their conviction tn at the
tssrReins! settisnsnt Of he negro question, Ia
| ng good OF their wives and their children and
heir StAtei ald hence they have resolved, |
with upeEampled unAnimity, TO adopt the AZ
mentality Of such settlement. We do not
ieny our seldshness 10 the matter. "UhATIty |
negihs at home" and At home we are looking !
Our selhshneha In the premises ought to be |
regarded the best evidence OF our sincerity. |
We are az honest Ia this great moYem ent as |
We are unAnlmousI and our action 10 irTeVeFai- !
Ole by ADy act Of ours. In Virginia, the policy |
Of the fifteenth amendment 10 as hXed as the
eternal hills, and will remain 4 monument " !
the practical good sense and AAEAclty Of our
people until some stupe ndoua revolution shall /
swesp II from its constitutional mOOFingE
We have It laid At our door, also, tn at we do !
not admit the eolored man to the Jury box |
BY the Alexandra constitution, and tho laws |
enacted under II, now In force, we do not. But |
under the constitution We have adopted, and |
which will be our supreme state law II Con.
gTess chooses, we accord the cOlOred man the |
privilege to ait on IuTles, as we'll a. 70 vote and
oil f.fAs