Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-10-14


and the material interests of her people
If slowly, yet surely, improving. These
are some OF the advantages Virgins
mas obtained through the efforts OF The
Conservative party. In contrast will
our own mark the condition of thost
south Of US that have been and are now
controlled by the Bullocks, Scots
kelloggs, Aneses, and other brigh'
luminaries of the Radical faith. W.
there find States in the very pangs o
spoliation, morality set at defiance
bribery and yei,aity in all the depart
ments OF the State government, ribl''
property fraudLlently disposed -, VII
organic d schemes. fol stripping the
States Of all their Valuable Elf cts
their. taxation increased many fold, and
ban ruptcy inevitable to both State
and people !; and to crown their misery
and degradation, they are cursed with
an ignorant and CORRUPT judiciary.
Nor has the coarse Of this party II
administering the affairs Of the Fedora
government been such as to com'nan'
our conideice OF coninlytd tl>m Il
our support. "
hen we reflect apon the, series o
measures which the isel,aUlic.sA part,
originated and enforced since the close
of the war, it should stimulate our ell
orgies and awaken every feeling o
patriotism in our breasts. At The
close of the war the people Of Virginia,
deprived ofproperty and afflicted By
the loss of those dearest to them, were
disposed to recognize the result anc
submit to the rule of the successful
party. They naturally looked to the
government for sympathy i'll their dis
tress, and relied upon it for protection
Instead Of this they We're met by the
Republican party with the exclamation
Treason mast be made odious, anC
rebels must be made to acknowledge
that the direct punishment inflicted OF
them is Just. Instead of healing word,
in our helpless condition, a system o
hostility and oppression, such as was
never known in history, was inaug-
urated and enforced against US. A
pardon brokerage office was opened il
ashington, aud our impoverished
people mulced in heavy sums to g
into the pockets OF these greedy off
ials. Next in order conhscation bill.
we're introduced in Congress which
th reatened to seize the little property
that had escaped the ravages of the
war aud under the alarm which shi:
measure ell rendered the energies of til,
country were 2aralized, commerce sas
pended. trade arrested, a universe
gloom covered thf South, and hung
over it like the p. u of death. Th,
people were afraid to lake an effort tc
resuscitate their shattered fortunes, ane
repair the waste places IL the lane
lest they should be arrested IN then
efforts by the sweeping features - thu
bill
Then came the reconstruction 10 cas-
tires, by which our State government,
were overthrown, and military rulers
placed over us. Every officer Of The
State held his place at the will of d
military satrap. Judges We're arrested
and tried by military tribunals; the
judgments of our courts set aside by
military orders; officials 'deposed and
their places filed by thevish carpets
baggers; set Of swindiers and de-
faulters entrusted with the collection OF
the public revenue, which found its
way into their pockets instead Of the
public treasury. BY these acts the
right Of suffrage was conferred for the
first time on the negro, and the result
of the experiment was the Underwood
Constitution with its acknowledgements
and test oaths. And thus the intelli
gence and experience Of the State was
excluded from her public councils, and
ignorance and brutality installed in
their stead.
III the meantime. whilst these meas.
ures were being enforced, and the
South held under military rule, three
amendments TO the Constitution were
procured, and the most radical changes
made in the fundamental law OF the
land BY the thirteenth amend ment
the first in lhe series, universal emanci
patton was proclaimed within the .juris-
diction Of the Federal Government !;
and the negro suddenly liberated with
out fitness or preparation for his new
duties and relations, and without com
pensatIon to his former constitutional
owner. BY the fourteenth amendment
the negro was declared citizen Of the
United States, and by the fifteenth
he was declared voter in
every State in the Union.
Each Of these amendments was ac>
companied with the provision that
Congress shall have power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation"
And under this provision to the
Fifteenth amendment Congress passed
what is known asdhe enforcement act, ,"
under the pretext of securing to the
negro the enjoyment Of the right of
suffrage, but really for the purpose of
overaWing and controlling the elections
in the States, and thereby securing for
the Republican party perpetuation of
political power. The passage of this
act was all attempt by the dominant
party to intifnidate the people, and we
call upon the voters everywhere to
rally to the polls and rebuke this in
solent attempt to overawe the popular
will and control the popular elections
That this act Of Congress is plain
violation Of the Constitution is manifest
from reading the Fifteenth amendment
from which its advocates claim to
derive the power to pass the act. The
Fifteenth amendment that bears on
this question is in these words:
''ihe right of citizeus Of the United
States to vote shall not be denied or
by the United States or by
any State on account of race. color. or