Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-09-29
Address to the Conservative Voters of Vir-
ginia.

Address to the Conservative Voters Of Vir-
ginia.
Your State Convention has met, deliberated,
and adjourned in spirit of harmony, and with
community and earnestness of purpose which
promise the most suspicious results for the
contest in which you are about to engage. In
few words, they have given you its sign and
counter-sign- opposition and defeat to Radical
ISM, whenever and wherever it may be found.
In virtue Of the trust with which they are
clothed, the Conservative State Committee
would offer you some reflections which they
hope will seem appropriate to the OCCASION
They will be as brief as q subject SO extensive
will permit.
1t is with Radicalism, as it bears on the in
ternal affairs of cur State, that we are now
most concerned; but glance at it, as it dis
plays itself on the theatre of the nation, can
not be well omitted from proper survey of
our political condition. At the close of the
war, and among its most disastrous results, the
Radical party found itself without an opposi-
ceptlon Of its framers) in unchecked control Of
all the powers of the Constitution. From that
moment, it has set no limits to it's corrupt am
bition. By a continuous train Of usurpations,
the checks and balances of the Government
have been destroyed, and the powers confided
to it for the defence and support Of freedo m,
have been perverted to its destruction. Here
in these Southern States, where the love Of
constitutional liberty has struck its roots deep
est, and its forms have ever been most rever-
entially practiced, its determined purpose has
over them by force. It has submitted to their
choice change in the Constitution, designed
for their punishment and degradation, in pro-
posing which they were denied voice, and for
rejecting which, it struck their governments
from existence. Martial-law was proclaimed
against them, and military satraps 10 the
pride and insolence of unbrided power, strobe
over the land, trampling on the rights, the feel
ings. and sensibilities of their people, By the
wholesale prescription Of their wealth, irtelli-
gence, and social refinement, it transferred The
the sovereign authority to horde of rewly-
freed negroes and worse than these, native
parasites of absolute power. and foreign adven-
turers devoid of character; nay, destitute even
of the instincts of decent shame. These were
the reformers it set to frame Republican con-
stitutions for the Southern States, whose la
bors have issued in putting under the ban ev-
cry one who bore "evidence Of permanent con-
mon interest with, and attachment to, the
community, y and in driving the ploughshaie
of ruin through all that was venerable and vaii-
Grated in the Institutions, forms, and usages Of
the real people. In fine, it has waged war
against the Anglo-Saxon civilization which has
existed in these States from their foundation,
for its final defeat and overthrow.
But the last experiments in statesmanshiH by
this party, have taken wider range than tn use
which preceded them. One design, doubtless,
was tocontrol these Southern ''disloyal' States,
but their scope embraces all the States of he
Union. The establishment of unlimited per
sonal government at the centre, upon the ruin
Of the States, is plainly their object. Blu no
tyranny is safe where suffrage is free No
State is thoroughly subdued which retains the
right and power to protect the rights ct per
son of its citizens A State unequal to this is
but mockery and sham. Conscious Of 'h..se
primary truths, the Radical Congress has in
its two election acts, assumed control of all 'he
State elections where members of Congress arc
to be elected; and by the existing Constitution
Of Virginia, most of the State elections concur
with these elections as to time. These enact :
ments override all State laws for the registra-
ton and reception of voters, and for the reau-
lation of the polls, and the canvassing and re-
turn of votes. Paid Federal officers may sur
round the polls with the Federal army at the
call of any one Of the thousands of special dep
uties and marshals to be appointed by Federal
authority. On the affidavit Of any worthless
and irresponsible partisan whose vote has been
rejected for want Of registration. these officials
NAV drag the officers of election from their
seats and cast them into jail, and in this a. d
other ways break up the elections through out
the State. They may, by their own super.i-
sors. intrude into the elections for State and
local officers when held at the same time with
elections for Congress, may supervise and inter
.fere with the reception, canvassing, and return
Of votes, and otherwise, in all essential points,
control the elections.
But their browning enormity is the 'act TO
enforce the fourteenth amendment, and for
other purposes, passed at the personal ins'i-
CATION of the President himself That act
clothes the President with the power to invade,
at his pleasure, any State of the Union with
ever he shall think that domestic violence is
committed in the State, which cannot be or is
not duly repressed by the State authority in
the teeth of the Constitution, which withholds
the exercise of any such power except at the
request of the State itself !; and he may sus-
pend the writ Of habeas corpus in such State
at will, though the power to suspend it is vest
ted by that instrument in Congress to be exrr-
cised in fit emergency as it arises, to be
Judged Of by that body. Again, where he
shall think unlawful combinations exist in a
State to obstruet the execution Of the laws Of
the State or of the United States, $50 nuner
GUS GUS and powerful as to be able to set the con-
stituted authorities at defiance" that may be
bv him deemed rebellion, treason agains. the
United States, and the same measures Of ic-
preston may be employed thus making The
absl,tu to commit treason, apart from the IN
tent or overt act equivalent to treason itself,
which by the Constitution consists only Of overt
acts Of hostility against the United States, or
adheripg to their enemies, giving them aid and
comfort. Thus may the President proclaim
that rebellion exists in any State, or part Of a
State-adjudge who are the guilty-and pun
ish them summarily by martial lava union
of powers in one man which makes up the de-
inition of tyranny Criminal jurisdiction is
vested In the Federal courts over every act Of
the citizen which by partisan judiciary may
be brought within the meaning of domestic vi
olence, by any joint purpose Of two or more
persons. This is but one among the numerous
acts Of the citizen, described in vague language
in this law under which, by construction or ex-
pressly, jurisdiction viii be transferred to the
Federal courts in cases hitherto deemed to be
within the exclusive province Of the State tri-
bunals, and to which, by this act, enormous
penalties are attached And it is significant of
The spirit 10 which it is intended that such
prosecution shall be exercised that no one is
allowed to sit as grand juror, or juror in any
jurisdiction conducted under the law, who shall
be deemed by the Judge to be in completely with
the alleged offenders, and who does not make
oath to his innocence Of snch eompllclty, J.
will be noted, too, that the law Is not merely
shift to meet passing emergency, but declares
the permanent policy of faction 10 firm ros-