Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-02-17
inaugural Address Of Gov.
Walker.
Fello,c Cifisens Of the Senate and House
of Ds7eo0fes s.,f

l Aeteyttscs 80 tsis4 s1-s-1ES
| Accept my hearty congratulations that
you are again seated in this ball clothed
withail your rigl,tful powers and functions.
You are to day the lawful constituted
General Assembly Of the sovereign State
of Virginia Notwithstanding .'funda-
mental conditions" as futile as unneccssa-
| ~. you are the Legislature of a State CO.
equal in all her rights and prcrogatiyes
with any and every other STATE in tho
American Union Your powers and du-
ties are no longer limited and qualified
save by a constitution almost unanimously
adopted by the people, and by the consti-
| tuition and laws of the United States You
are no longer subject to the domination of
a power in its very nature antaganistic
to the genius Of republican institutions
No, you have been enaucipated from this
as well as from the fears and doubts, and
terrible uncertainties which eushrouded
the future. Our people are secure once
more in the exercise of their rights to the
control and management of their own
affairs, with public servants elected by
and answerable to them alone Surely
in all this there is abundant cause for ''re-
joicing with exceeding great joy" The
voice of Virginia is again heard in tho
national Councils. May it be potent for
good May it be heard i'll thunder tones
demanding the application and enforcement
of the great principles upon which our
Senators ana Representatives. and you
and were elected. equal rights to ALL ~
Let it not cease to enforce the demand
until every hated test-oath shall be erased
| from the national statute books, not
until political disabilities" shall BE-
known no more among men. You and
I have qualified by taking the same oath
of Office. We have solemnly pledged
ourselves before the high heaven to sup
! port and maintain, as we'll the constitu-
tuition and laws of the United St,es as Of
the State of Virginia ;that we recognizes
and accept the civil and political equality
Of all men before the law, and that We
viii faithfully perform our official duties
| to the best OF our ability. A strict and
conscientious observance of the solemn
obligation will redourd to the peace AMI
prosperity of the State, and the vindica-
ton Of the just expectations of the people
and our friends everywhere. 1t is your
| duty to make the laws; mine to execute
them Fulfil your duty. and pledge
you faithful aad fearless execution OF
| mine. es
Never before in the history of this Com
| nonwealth has a Legislature ASSENT lad
upon which devolved gravel responsible
| ties than upon you. 1t is not new State
that you have to form-that would be
| far easier task You would then break
the virgin soil where you pleased, and lay
the foundation and rear the superstructure q
of your civil polty with materials fresh
uuarried from the precedents of the past,
and fashioned and moulded by the aocu-
INFLATED experiences and necessities of the
present. Not so with you ,uow.sa "A civil
polity, originated amid the throes OF the
Revolution of 1916, and partaking Of its
| spirit, made venerable by tines and sacred
in the'eyes Of the people, was suddenly
| overthrown by the rude shock of arevola- -
/ ton 1t fell amid the roar of LATHE aud
/ ''the clash of resounding arms" Its bro
ken and dismem5ered fragments are to q
be reverently gathered up by you. and
with these and the new materials which
experience and the needs of the proseus I
demand, you arctic rebuild the edlfee OF
State. The foundation is air, ady laid for
you L was designed aud executed in
this very hail two years To day
what matters it to yoa or ne BY what, il .
| any, authority it was done 2,ak WLas 4
matters 1t though rulo, iaex perienee
and incompetent workmea weFc employed,
| in this great aud delicate undressing e
| 1t has been donas--it is an accomplished
fact The wonderlis that it was so well
done You andI and the apaalde OF .thisg.
Comm ouweallh have, in the most solenla {
and deliberate manner.o aceeptedsst yea
and discharged beshsthe architect aud the
workmen But We have not bauished
them No, far from it.. Wcshall require
aud trust will have, their aetiE alls and
assistance il roaring the new s''perstru-a
cture which may be more grand in its
/ proportions, more harmonious ana SYM
metrical than tbezformcr odl6ee. Whether
it shall he so 9r not rests mainly with
you.e Success or failure Is in Your hands.
! The foundation il ample. It has been
| laid broad nddeep. Let the supers;ruct-
ure but equal even the foun lai;on, and no
| fears need be entertained Of the futuro
/ growth and glory of Virginia. TIE moro
our constituents Studied, the in3re it is
understood and considered, The more will
its chief provisions commend themselves
tooar approval True, it contains pro-
visions which, in my judgment, might bo
! improved bat what | might consider "a
defect, you might esteem virtae.--
| What constitution ever met with unaa-
nous approval 4 Are not all eoastitu-.
tions compromises FL doubt if even ia
the history of popular government thers
was aconsitption adopted with the unan-
unity IF ours. And while that unaniu,-
unity may not be the correct. measure OF
its popularity, while other aud extraac-
GUS. causes, rather than Its real merits.
undoubtedly contributing to this sresuls.
nevertheless the mandates ofthe O. asti-
| tuition must and viii be observed as ths
! sovereign commands the people. Wno
desire, or will presume to sdisossy them.
Not you. nor + Ne, the constitution
shall be faithfully and honestly executed2
Itsi rovisions shall have . fair aud imoar-
| tial trial and when. if ever, experiences
shalldemonstrate the utility or impract;-
| cability of any of them. we will p-s oaeits
make such notifications asour necessities
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