The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-09-21
9itIlnlond 1ispatrlt.
TnURsDAY..... SEPTEMBER 81, 1871.
THE CIRCULATION OF THE DISPATCH
as LARGER THAN ;THf: COMBINED CIR
GULATl0N OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY.
A D D r E S S
TO THE
Conservative Voters Of Virginia.

1Olu Etdtc Soufcuetou HIS uieS, UeliDt-
rated, and adjourned in spirit of har.
mony, and with community and earnest.
ness of purpose which premise the most
suspicious results for the contest in which
you arc about TO engage. In q few words,
they have given you its sign and counter.
sign-oppoStion and defeat TO Rdd.caltsn,
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 oc-
| casion. They will be rs brief as subject
so extensive will permit. "
II is With RadicaliSn, aS il bears ON the
| internal affairs cf our State, that we are
now most concerned; but glance at it, as
it displays itself on the theatre of the ma.
| tion, cannot be we'll omitted from proper
survey Of our political condition. at the
close of the war, and among its most dsas-
trous results, the Radical party found itself
without an opposition, and "a thing scarcely
possible in the conception OF its framcrs) in
| unchecked control of all the powers Of the
Constitution. From that moment il has set
no limits to its corrupt ambition. 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 freedom have
been perverted to its destruction. Here in
these southern States, where the love OF con-
stitutional liberty has struck itsroots deep
| est, and its forms have ever been most rev.
| ereutia!ly practiced its determined purpose
| his been to subdue the people TO lis will,
aud reign over them by force. 1t has SUBJ
mttcd To their choice Il change in the Con-
ls,itution, designed for their punishment
land degradation, in proposing which they
lwcre denied Il voice, and for rejecting
(which it struck their governments from eX-
iStence, Martial law was proclaimed against
them, and military satraps, in the pride and
inSolence of unbridled power, strobe over
the land, trampling on the rights, the feel
ings, and sensibllitieS Of their people.
BY the wholesale prescription OF their
wealth, intelligence, and social refine
ment, it transferred the sovereign
authority to L horde Of ncwly-frced
negroes, and worse than these, native
parasites of absolute power, and foreign
adventures devoid of character nay, des.
titute even Of the instincts OF decent shame
These were the reformers it set TO frame
Republican constitutions for the southern
States, whose llbors have issued in putting
under the ban every one who bore ''cvi
dcnee of permanent common interest with
and attachment to, the community" and il
driving the ploughShare Of ruin through al
that was venerable and veneratcd in the in
stitutions, forms, aud uSagcs Of the real pcO
pie. In fine, it has Waged war against tn
4 Anslo-SaXon civilization which has eXlstct
in these States from their foundation, for II
final defeat and overthrow.
| But the lust experiments in statesmanshi]
by this party have taken wider rang
than those which preceded them. One de
. sign, doubtless, was to control theSc south
/ crn IS diSlOyal' States, but their scope em
braces all the States of the Union. IN
establishment Of Unlimited personal GOV
; erument at the centre. upon the ruin Q
the States, is plainly their object. But ~
tyranny is safe where suffrage is free. N
State is thoroughly subdued which retain
he right and power to protect the right
OF l'el son Of It's citizeus. a State uncqu,
to this is but mockery and u sham
Conscious of these primary truths
the Radical Congress has, in its tw'
election acts, assumed control of all th,
State elections where members Of Congress
are to be elected and 10y the existing Con
, stitution OF Virginia most OF the State elec
tions concur with these elections as to time
These cuactments override all State law
for the registration and reception OF voters
and for the regulation Of the polls, and th.
canvassiug and return OF votes. Pax
Federal officers may surround the poll
|
any one Of the thousands OF special depu
ties and marsbals, to be appointed by
Federal authority, on the affidavit of any
worthless and irreSp Sponsible partisan whose
vote has been rejected for want of registra.
tion; these officials may drag the officers o
election from their seats and cast them into
Jail, and in this and other ways break ur
the elections throughout the State. They
may, 10y their own supervisors, intrudt
into the elections for State and local oil
GERS when held at the same time with cleo
tions for Congress may supervise and i'll
terfere with the reception, canvaSsing, an(
return of votes, and otherwise, i'll all essen
tial points, control the elections.
But their browning enormity is the "ac'
to enforce the fourteenth amendment, and
for other purposes" passed at the persona
instigation of the President himself. That
act clothes the President with the power
to invade, ut his pleasure, any State of the
Union with the army and navy Of the
United States, whenever he shall think
That domestic piOlence is committed in the
State, which cannot be, or is not, duly re-
pressed by the State authority, in the teeth
of the Constitution, which withholdS the
exercise of any such power except at the re.
quest Of the State itself; and he may sus-
pend the writ Of hdbeGS corpus In such State
|
| vested by that instrument in Congress to
be exercised in tit emergency as it arises,
to be judged Of by that body. Again, where
he shall think unlawful combinations exist
| in 4 State to obstruct the execution OF the
laws of the State, OF Of the United States,
$50 numerous and powerful as to be able
| to set the constituted authorities at def
1 ance," that may be by him deemed rebel
| iion-treason against the United States
81 of
| be employed; thus making the ability to
commit treason, apart from the intent or
overt act, equivalent to treason itself, which
by the Constitution consists only OF overt
acts of hostility against the United States, or
adherine to their enemies, giving them md
and comfort. Thus may the President pro-
claim that rebellion exists in any State, or
part of State-adjudge who are the
guilty, and punish them summarHy Uy
| martial lava union OF powers IN one man
which makes up the definition OF tyranny.
| Criminal jurisdiction Is vested ID the fede-
| raj courts over every act Of the citizen
which by partisan judiciary may be
brought within the meaning OF domestlc
violence by any Joint purpose OF TWO or
more persons. This is but one among the
numerous acts Of the citizen, descrlDed IN
vague language in this law under Wnicn, !,
by construction, or expressly, jurisdiction
will be transferred to the Federal courts IN
cases hitherto deemed to be W1thln the eA,
elusive province of the State tribunals, ana
TO which, by this act, enormous penaltles
are attached. And it is significant of the
spirit in which it is intended that such pro-
| secution Shall be exercised, that no one is
| allowed to sit as grand juror, or juror IN
any jurisdiction conducted under the law,
who shall he deemed by the Judge to be in
completely with the alleged offenders, and