Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-23

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debt Of the former State Is shown by
the record to be absolutely untrue. In
addition to these declarations they also
declare that the people Of the State have
been misrepresented in relation to their
wish for reconstruction Of the Union,
and declare that slavery is forever
abolished and should never be re-
established, and that the negro race
should be treated with justice. hu-
msnity, and good faith. The authors
Of this platform must surely have
thought they had the memory Of a
Bourbon, and that it was not necessary
to consult the record.
The next charge is that "we tthe
Democrats) opposed foolishly and impo-
tently
THE AMENDMENTS
to the United States Constitution and
the adoption of the present Constitu-
ton (the best ever had beiore); all Of
which were accepted and ratified by an
overwhelming vote OF the people in
1869, thanks to the liberal movement
led by William Mahone." Nothing
could be more false than every state
ment in this charge, and we appeal to
the record and to history to show it.
The facts are these: Contrary to all
our expectations and all we could say
or do, by the act Of the party which
calls itself liberal and asks the support
of our people the State was destroyed
and we were governed by strangers and
by military force. There was no law
but the voice Of the shoulder-strapped
satrap in Richmond. Our substance
having been wasted in war, our sons
slain in battle, we were striving to rise
and improve our condition almost
against hope. In order to get up
party in our midst to help
them to crush us and keep US forever
down, they organized the colored popu-
lation upon the color line and proceeded
at the point of the bayonet to or
der us to make Constitution, which,
after we had adopted it and also the
amendments to the United States Consti-
tuition, must be submitted to their party
in Congress, and if they think proper
we might be admitted into the Union.
The record shows that the military
commander at Richmond gerrymandered
the counties of the State so skilfully
and gave such large representation to
the colored districts that the Democrats
had only 81 members in a convention of
100. Underwood, DR.. Bayne. Specs
Hodges, and Maddox completed their
work. the most infamous engine of
tyranny ever attempted to be put
upon any portion of the Anglo-Saxon
race. Every man over twenty-five years
of age who had not been Skulker in
the war and who had sympsthized
with his mother State in the hour Of her
sorest travail was by it disfranchised,
made incapable Of holding office or
serving on jury. This was to be tue
condition of every one who could not
take the iron-clad oath. 1t put upon a
PROSTATE State just attempting to rise
cut of the dust as costly government
as that of the most densely popu-
lated and wealthy portions Of the
North. This was more than human
flesh could stand. The noble Anglo
Saxon race, who had decapitated
a king and had civilized and
Cbristanized a continent, rose at last.
Under the wise direction of X. T.
Daniel they organized. Our speakers
addressed the people from every forum
in the State, calling upon them to vote
down the Constitution, and declaring it
was better to endure the military than
to be ruled by carpet-baggers, negroes,
and scalawags. Notwithstanding the
praise given to the Constitution in this
platform, it was resisted by Malone.
who was then with us and his help was
mighty. The orders of the Boss were
heard resounding along three consoli-
dated railroads from Norfolk to Bristol.
All the other southern States were in |
the Union and were enduring the hor-
luis VI lllC DltN tllN-DllCl lildll A-i1lOllc
friend now Shellabarger bill, then call
ed "a bill to organize Hell in the |
southern States" 1t soon became eyi.
dent that the Constitution would be
voted down. General Grant was then
President, and desired Virginia to be adj
mitted during his administration. With
the same magnanimity he showed
our soldiers at Appomattox. he said
that this fate should be spared us-that
We had suffered enough-that we might
vote out of the Constitution the dis
fIanchsing clause and the test oath and
take the rest and make the best of it.
The Democratic party, by a vote of
! ~, $50, adopted the Constitution as
expurgated of these clauses. The UNI
fortunate and unconscious colored peo-
pie, deluded by Republican carpet
baggers and scalawags, by vote Of
S4,4l0, voted that the white people
: hould not have the same right to vote,
to hold Office, and set on a jury, which
We were willing to accord to them.
We ratified the proposed amendments
to the United States Constitution,
elected two senatOrs--Ope an original
Union man and the other Liberal Re-
publican-and were admitted into the
Union as State, with the same rights
IF any other. to which Sherman, Fora
her, Blaine, Logan, and other Repub-
lican friends and coadjutors Of William
say we are not entitled.
The platform charges US with op.
posing the best Constitution the State
ever had. We did oppose it as made
by its Republican trainers. BY amend
nents we have changed it so entirely
hat it is now an excellent Constitution.
The good in it was put there by Demo-
rats; the evil which we expunged was
put there by Republicans. Let us show
his by the record. Besides requiring
the iron-clad oath to be taken by every
voter, oilice-holder, or juror, the Con-
,titution, as framed by them, so ar
ranged the basis Of representation in
he General Assembly that, supposng
The colored voters should vote solid as
hey had fixed them, with few white
they would have a Re-
publican majority of 30 in the House
# Delegates and 8 in the Senate