Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-08-30
What the Constitutional Conven-
ton of 1850 Did.
IFrom the Richmond Times


Perhaps no such radical, bloodiess revolu-
ton ever occurred ON this continent as that
which took place in Virginia in 1851. The
State Convention called by an act of the Leg
islature of 1S49-'5O "to consider discuss and
propose new Constitution, or alterations
and amendments to the existing Constitution
of the Commonwealth, assem- bled at the
capitol in Richmond on the 14th day of Octo-
Der, 1850, and was in continuous session until
the 1st day of August. 1851. nine months and
half, with occasional intermissions Of
few days to rest its members.
The only State officials for which only a
qualified part of the people could vote from
1880 to 1852, were the members OF the two
houses of the Legislature. All other officials
were either elected by the legislature, from
the Governor down. or appointed by officials
deriving their powers directly or secondarily
by and through the General Assembly and its
creations. Judicial and magisterial Offices
were held by life tenure, and the primary
elective franchise was only enjoyed by
freeholders OF heads of families paying taxes
on $500 worth Of property. The sheri fatty
was perquiste Of the senior magistrate of
the county for two years, and as he was al
ways an old man, he sold the Office to deputy
for good, round sum. and the same man In
each county usually bought it from successive
magistrates for many consecutive years. and
grew rich on its profits.
Clerks of courts were appointed by the
judges, or bench Of county magistrates, and
practically for life. When a magistrate died
his successor was appointed by the Governor.
on the nomination of his surviving brethren
of the county bench, and SO on through the
whole official catalogue. That this form and
system Of nominally republican government
in which the majority theoretically rules,
should have continued in Virginia for seven
ty-fve years after the yoke of monarchy was
thrown off, is the most remarkable proof of
the conservatism of her people. She led In
the revolt against tyranny. and led in the
creation of genuine republican government
in America, but was cautious in every step
she took to "go SLOW" and '.be sure she was
right" before ''going ahead" But having
prudently felt her way for two or three gen.
erations, she bounded forward in 1851, invest
ing all her free, white adult male citizens
with the exercise Of their birthright OF the
ballot and with eligibility to Office, more
than doubling the voting population in many
counties of the State and largely Increasing
it in all.
A fair and successful test of the wisdom of
this new departure was had at once in the
election of governor Lieutenant Governor,
Attorney General, Senate and House of Del-
eQates on December 8. 1851, when Joseph
Johnson was chosen Governor, Shelton F.
Leake, Lieutenant Governor, and John Ran
iolph Tukcer, Attorney General, and the en-
tire Senate and House of Delegates were elect
The opponents of universal, free manhood
,uffrage had predicted great lowering in
The character of officials in all departments
If the public service. So far from this being
realized, the general elections held to put the
new machinery in complete working order,
manifested most gratifying popular discri-
mination in the choice of public servants
Especially was this true in that department
f governmental organization that we justly
.steem, above all others, the palladium OF
,ur liberties, the judiciary In all its branches.
The first set Of judges elected by the people
throughout the State proved themselves
quail, as whole, to any we had ever been
proud of in the past.