Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-17
WEDNESDAY. APRIL II. 1889.
Virginia Republicans on the Amend
ment&

mentS.
We gave week before last pretty hlll
history OF the three pretended amendments
OF the Federal Constitution which about
twenty years ago were crsmmed into that
instrument by hypocrisy. ialsehood, fraud,
and corruption. We showed clearly that
the Virginia Legislature which assumed the
power to rstfy the thirteenth amendment
was bogus body. The pretended ratlbcs-
fion in this csse was farce. 1t is true; but
It was also much worse than farce.
We now give some testimony from the
Republican party OF this state on the point
under discussion. Ia May, 1866. PEIRPoiNr
was still the sstrap who ruled this State
under orders from Washington. During
that month Republican State convection
met in Alexandra. As 20 The bogus Legis.
lsture which had in 1865 gone through the
forms OF ratiiying the thirteenth amendment
Q special committee Of the said State Con-
vention reported the following resolution,
which was, we take It, adopted:
Resolved, That we declare the BODY which
assumes TO be the Legislature OF the state an
illegal and unconstitutional body, elected,
assembled, and organized contrary 70 the
law and Constitution OF the state. ana that
ali acts and parts OF acts, resolutions, ap-
polrtments, aud other proceedings assumed
10 be passed bv them ought 10 be regarded
% null and void"
The following Ia an extract from the pre-
ample to the above resolution:
"Fherefore, juasmgch AS the present So
called Stale Legislature was elected and
assembled together under authority from
body which met In June last in Richmond,
and which assumed to be the Legislature OF
ViEqinis, but which really consisted OF not
more than twenty members," &c, &c.
The reader will notice that this preamble
and this resolution speak OF two different
pre,ebded Legislatures. The resolution Pro-
nounces the Legislature Of 1866 an unlaw.
full and unconstitutional body because il was
elected and convened under authority grant
ID. or assumed to BE- granted, by the Legis-
isture OF 1865, which last Legislature was
beyond doubt n bogus Legislature. Yet 1t
was this bogus body-bOgus in the opinion
OF Republicans rs well So Democrats which
ratified the thirteenth amendment, and it was
this pretended ratification by the Legisla-
ture OF Virginia which raised the total OF the
rstifying States up to twenty-seven-th the
smallest number Of States whose affirmative
action could have asded that amendment to
the Federal Constitution.
Thus ii once more appears clearly that
the mother OF States had no hand In either
proposing or rltiiying the thirteenth amend
meut. 1t also appears clearly that the said
thirteenth amendment had never been rati-
fed at all when Mr.. SEWARD declared it TO
be In force for without Virginia there were
only twenty-six States which had even pre-
tended to ratiiy 1t.
The resolutions passed by the Republican
conspirators in Congress admitting the seye-
raj southern States TO representation In Con-
gress were intended to cover up the defects
OF the pretended Publications, but, as so
often happens in such cases, they furnish
convincing evidence that the Publications
were not constitutional Publications. For
these resolutions give as a reason for so adj
mitting those States 70 representation In Con-
gress that their Legislatures had ain good
faith" ratified these amendments. Thus the
conspirators are convicted out OF their own
mouths; for they testify that Congress COM
PEELED the ratification OF all three OF the new
amendments. To read now the history OF
those dark days is to read OF acts which are
disgrace TO human nature. The actors
must in the end be pilored by an intelligent
public opinion. 1t Is impossible that future
generations are TO be deceived by such false
hoods.