Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-04-09

Constitutional ConUentton, -Hdrch 1911, on
the Proposition TO Exclude Negroes from
Eliyibilitysto Office an Vest Virginia.
Mr.. Faulkner, after aluding to an affection
of his eyes under which he had been suffer-
ing for the last twenty>fonr hours. and which
disqualified him, in great measure, for at>
tention to the proceedings of the body and
referring to the local condition of the county
of Jefferson in explanation of the course pur-
sued by its more immediate representatives,
proceeded to remark that he had come there
to assist in the preparation of Constitution,
not for part, but for the entire State; not
for particular class of its citizens. but for
every person within its limits who was racog-
nized by its laws as entitled to protection.-
In his public address in the county of Berke-
ley, and in the two which he had made in
Jefferson, at which his eloquent and accom>
plished colleague, Mr.. Travers, was present.
he had with great emphasis declared that he
would give his support to no organic law that
did not protect the rights of every citizen,
without distinction of party and without dis
tinctlon OF race, color or condition of life-
1t any exceptions were taken to these opin-
ions, those exceptions, so far as he was aware,
did not manifest themselves at the polls.
1t was true, the coored voters of the dis
trict did not seem to credit the sincerity of
his declarations, for he believed he had not
received one colored vote in his election
He had no feeling of resentment to them on
that account; he did not seek their suffrages;
he stood IS Democratic nominee before them.
and people less credulous than they, in view
of the late course of the Democratic party,
might well have been disposed to suspect
that their rights and liberties might be rlaced
in safer aud moro friendly hands than those
of Democratic nominee.
alt required few words on his part to ex>
press his views of the question now under
consideration. The harvest of this debt had
already been gathered by the sturdy and
eloquent reapers who had preceded him in
this field OF labor. He returned his thanks
to the gentleman from Marion, (Mr Hay-
mond), to the gentleman from Taylor (Mr.
Msrtin). the gentleman from Barbour mir.
Woods and the two gentlemen from Wood
county &essrs. Jackson and Johnson). who
had reflected so much credit on themselves
and on the Convention by their able vindica
tion, on yesterday, of the principles of con-
stitutional toleration involved in this debate.
To-day the same proposition had been illus
trsted by the logic of the gentleman from
Ksnawha (Mr. Fitzhugh), and by the learn
ing aud philosophy of the gentleman from
Brooke (Mr. Pendleton). Without making
any discrimination as to the relative merits of
these respective arguments he mus. be per>
m'tted to say that there were portions of the
speech OF the gentleman from Wood (Mr
JohnS"n), that had touched his scnsibiities
most deeply. and especislIy that portion of it,
in which struggling with the embarrassments
OF his previous error on this subject, he gave
such eloquent expression to the more recent
convictions of his honest mind
Some gentlemen had placed their support
OF his (Alr. F.'s) amendment, and appealed
to others to give like support to it, upon
the ground that it might hasten propitiate
the authorities at Washington in removing
the disabilities under which so 1nany of our
fellow citizens labor. He (Mr F.) was one
Of those prescribed indviuals. but he hoped
that no gentleman upon that floor would, so
far at least as he was concerned, swerve in
the slightest degree from his convictions
OF right aud duty from any such considera>
ton. lie desired office under the State
or Federal Government With the close of
his la""rs in this Convention, he expected to
take leave of public employment for ever
1t was true, he would like 10 see his dissbiG
ties removed, but not that he nigh, hold of
fee He was not conscious of tsing cul-
rr'f he had served the country, both in the
Stste and General Government ut home and
abroad, with fidelity, aud he wanted no cloud
ceased to remain upon this earth.
This question had been discussed as if we
were now seeking to confer upon the colored
citizens some new right which he does not at
this momeut possess. This is an incorrect
view OF the proposition before this body
BY the existing Constitution of this State, a
colored citizen possesses every civil and political
right which belongs to the white citizen The
question, then, before US is, shall we, sos far
as we have the power, disfranchise and de-
prive of their legal aud Constitutional right
of eligibility to Office, some three thousand
persons now residing IN our State, whom we
recognize as citizens, possessed as fully ss
ourselves of all civil rights. and clothed by
our own Constitution with the elective fran>
chise-the most sacred and responsible trust
that can be devoived upon citizen. 1t
seemed to him that in the light of the mines
teenth century, and in the full blaze of the
exciting events of the last eight years, the
simple statement of the proposition should
carry conviction to every miEd For his part, :,
he c"utd never sanction such wholesale dis
reimbursement In giving any such vote, he
would be false to the record of his past life,
and unmindtul of those declarations which he
had made before the people during the cam
vass.
His distinguished colleague, Mr. Travers,
thinks that eligibility to office is not one of
those rights, to be deprived of which gives
any man just ground of complaint. Such
is not the opinion of the many thousands of
individuals in the South who are at this time
laboring under the penalty of ineligibiity to
office. Such was not the opinion of the peo-
pie OF the United States when, as the only
punishment for the attempt to overthrow the
government, they imposed ineligibili,y to of
JS he IF ha
less petitioners who, for the last three years,
have been besiegipg Congress with impor-
tunities for relief from this disability. Such
is not the oninion of the great Demncratic