Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-09-26
Address to the Conservative Voters of Vir-
Cinio

GINA.
Your State Convention has met, dellberated,
and adj ,urned in spirit of harmony, and with
community and earnestness OF purpose which
,,royoica the most suspicious results Tor the
contest in which you are about to engage. In
few words. they have given you It's sign and
counter-sign-op opposition and defeat to Rddacd!-
is,o. 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 Whlcn they
hope will seem appropriate to the OCCASION
They will be as brief as subject SO extensive
will permit.
It 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 opposl-
ton, and Ia thing scarcely possible in the con-
ception of its framers) in unchecked control OF
all the powers of the Constitution. From that
moment, it has set no limits to Its corrupt am
bition By continuous train OF usurpatlons,
the checks and balances Of the Government
have been destroyed, and the powers confied
to it for the defence and support OF freedom,
have been perverted to its destruction. Here
10 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
been to subdue the people to its will, and reign
over them by force. 1t 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, In the
pride and insoIence of unbridled power, strobe
over the land, trampling on the rights, the feel
ings, and sensibilities of their people. By the
wholesale prescription of their wealth, intelll-
gence, and social refinement, 1t transferred the
the sovereign authority to a horde OF newly
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-
situations for the Southern States, whose la
bors have issued in putting under the ban ev-
cry one who bore evidence Of permanent COM
mon interest with, and attachment to, the
community" and in driving the ploughshare
of ruin through all that was venerable and ven
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 craftsmanship by
this party, have taken a wider range than those
which preceded them. One design, doubtless,
was to control these Southern s'disloydt' States,
but their scope embraces all the States of the
Union. The establishment of unlimited per-
sonal government at the centre, upon the ruin
of the States, is plainly their object. But no
tyranny is safe where suffrage is free. No
State is thoroughly subdued which retains the
right and power to protect the rights OF per-
son of its citizens. A State unequal to this is
but mockery and sham. Conscious of these
primary truths, the Radical Congress has, in
its two election acts, assumed control of all the
State elections where members of Congress are
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 reglstra-
ton and reception of voters, and for the regu-
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
| may drag the officers Of election from THEN
seats and cast them into Jail, and in this and
other ways break up the elections throughout
| the State. They may, by their own supervi
| sors, intrude into the elections for State anC
| local officers when held at the same time with
elections for Congress, may supervise and inter
| fere with the reception, canvasslng, 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 fol
other purposes" passed at the personal instl-
cation Of the President himself That act
clothes the President with the power to invade,
at his pleasure, any State of the Union with
the army and navy of the United States, when
ever he shall think that domestic violence il
committed in the State, which cannot be or Is
not duly repressed by the State authority, ID
| 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 exer-
cised in fit emergency as it arises, to be
| judged of by that body. Again, where h,
| shall think unlawful combinations exist in g
State to obstruct the execution Of the laws Of
the State, or of the United States, $50 numer
Gus and powerful as to be able to set the con.
stituted authorities at defiance" that may be
by ham deemed rebellion, treason against the
United States, and the same measures of re.
preston may be employed-thus making the
ability to commit treason, apart from the III
tent or overt act, equivalent to treason ITSELF
which by the Constitution consists only of overt
acts Of hostility against the United States, OF
adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and
comfort Thus may the President proclaim
that rebellion exists in any State, or part of q
State-adjudge who are the guilty-and pun
ish them summary by martial lava union
of powers In one man which makes up the de-
fnition 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 will 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 in which it is intended that such
prosecution shall be exercised, that no one is
allowed to sit as a 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 bis innocence OF such completely. 1t
will be noted, too, that the law is not merely a
SHIFT to meet passing emergency, but declares
the permanent policy of faction in firm pos
session Of all the powers Of the Government.
All these obnoxious enactments are said to be
justified by the authority to carry into effect
4 no apntc RI 10 tutJ