The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-22
TUESDAY EvEG, APRIL %, 1873

The STATE Journal proceeds to affirm that
the test-oath was introduced and carried against
the earnest protest of the representative men
OF the party, who continue to enjoy its eonfl-
dence. We maintain exactly the opposite posi-
tion.--ERquiTeT EaE
Yes; and upon what facts does The
Enquirer rest its opposite opinion,' so
stoutly maintained after the sand is
knocked entirely out from under its
feet? Simply these: that Samuel f.
Maddox, Peter G.. Morgan, James Nor
rlssey, Peter X. Jones, etc., are the
leading representative men of the Repub-
lican party in Virginia to-day; and, in
proof of this, il cites the fact that one or
two of them still holds a subordinate
clerkship in some federal office or other in
the state. Well, if The Enquirer is
satisfied to let its unqualified assertion as
to the political ascendency of the men adj
vOcating the test-oath clause in the constr
tuition rest upon these names, and these
alone, we have not word further to say.
We would like, on the same conclusive eyi-
dence, to recognize the leaders of the Con-
sentative party in the state, and to fight
alone the men who hold similar conspi-
cious positions in and about the State
House. We fancy The Enquirer would
buckle on its most indignant armor, and
challenge us to very warm editorial
bout, upon proposition so preposterously
stated. 1t would, we apprehend, demand
something more of us than a reference to
ex-custom-house officers, ex-members OF
the General Assembly, and ex-members of
Congress, or any other ex-officers Of that
sort, unless still holding commanding
position in the party. What we stated of
Mr.. Platt is unquestionably true, and is
only denied in a qualified negative by
our contemporary. How he, and Mr..
Allan, and some fifteen other Republicans
in the Convention, came to vote at any
time for the modified clauses in the con-
stitution has been already explained by US
They were opposed to all dis.
qualifying clauses, but were over
borne in caucus by the Radical majority
They sought, therefore, in convention, tc
take the sting out of the two obnoxious
clauses, if possible; and if not, to. defeat
the constitution, on the final vote, with the
assistance of the thirty-six Conservatives
who, with them, constituted the majority
of the convention. This done. they coult
then present the constitution, with the dis
qualifying clauses stricken out, and pass i
over the heads of the more radical mem
hers of the party. But the course of Mr.
Eustace Gibson, backed by Mr.. Marye
and others, prevented the accomplishment
Of this most desirable object.
We are not to be drawn to any add.
tional side issues in this controversy, and
shall simply add what we have already
stated, and what The Enquirer took us tc
task for stating:
FIRST. That those who advocated the
test-oath and DISTINGUISHING clauses of the
constitution were a bare majority o.
the Republicans in the Convention
Secondly. That the men who favored
these clauses in the constitution have since
been thoroughly repudiated and cast aside
by the party and
Thirdly. That the Republican party o
Virginia has long since repudated botf
the clauses and doctrine involved in them
These were our positions at the outse
of the controversy, and we have fully main
tanned them, except as Mr.. Jas. Morrissey,
and the others named by The Enquirer, may
be regarded as the leaders of the Republic
can party in Virginia to-day. They mag
be the ''leaders" in the estimation of our
contemporary, but we must confess to the
stupidity of not having found it out unit
appraised by our neighbor.