The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-22
A,Radical Bugbear.

The VALLEY Ttrginian. of the 18th says:
1T is the Dispatch's turn now. What
lave YOU to say about the Joint resolutions
! of the General Assembly of Virginia as
proposed by tie Com nttee of Constitutional
Amendments, and especially that part of
them striking out the ID aud &c paragraphs
o1 the Bill OF Rights!
~Please consider also the polltaX clause of
the amendments 10 the Constitution now be-
fore the Legislature in connection with the
| United States statnte quoted by our corrc-
spendcnt 'Toesir' in to-day's %irqinidn,
and give us the light Of Your judicial
opinion"
We reply, first, that those two sections
ought to be stricken out; not that We have
any objection to them, but because they are
Not q part of the Virginia Bill Of Rights.
hey aud nothing tc the Obligation of Vir.
a uis to remain Within the Union, aud their
ex, ision. will not diminish the same. They
are foreign matter, touching no question OF
perso nal ." rights" For almost century
our B i'll of.Rights contained no such features.
AT,,csIS.s" note Of alarm Is based upon
the following portion OF THE act of Congress
admitting Virginia to representation in Cou.
gress:
@4An>a wopiAed further, Chat the State of
Eirginia Is admitted to representation in Con-
gress as one OF the States Of the Union upon
the following fundamental conditions: First.
That the CONSTITUTION Of Virginia shall never
he so anne ndel OK changed AZ TO deprive ang
citizen or class G citizens Or the United
States Of the right 10 vote, who are entitled
ht, tho Il. -fifnt;o, hf@oin
nized, except as punishment fnrshlch crimes
as are now felonies st common Law, whereof
they shall have been duly convicted under
laws equally applicable TO all the Erh abtants
Of the State; provided, that allegation Of
said Constitution, prospective in its effects,
may be made in regard to the time AVID place
Of residence Of voters.
"Second. That 1t shall never 6e la, SfIl for
the said State to deprive any citizen 81 the
United States, on account of his race, tNlor,
or previous condition of servitude, u the
right to hold office under the Constiu zion
and laws Of said State, or upon any ych
ground to require of him any other qua Eti-
cation for Office than such as are required of
all other citizens.
Third. That the Constitution of Virgin. u
shall never be so amended or changed as to-!
deprive any citizen or class of citizens of the
United States OF the school rights and priv.
leges secured by the Constitution of said
Stale"
1t takes two to make bargain. The above
is contract OF the sort that railroad COM
panies make when they print upon the back
Of ticket that sit is hereby expressly
agreed that the holder of this ticket valves
all right to damages" &c, which contract
the courts all and always decide to be no con-
racs at all. Virginia has no power to make
uc b a contract. 1t used to be thought that
he Federal Constitution was compact, and
hat the States were the parties to it, and had
he righ,t to secede if the compact was bro
en-. RIM the war exploded all such ideas.
yirpinia &c 'uld not have made such con-
ract as the oi,e quoted above il she bad de-
Ired to do SO. But the fact is that Virginia
lad neither part nor lot in the act quoted.
was done solely AID entirely by Congress. /
Ter consent TO it was never asked. If it
I'D been asked and given, it would have :
ecu nudun pactum-a bargain without any
sAt MAS never peeu OUT Of &