Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-06-27
THURSDAY, JUNE 81, 1901.
REVOLUTION.

An effort Is Delng Induo " J"0"!
conduct Of the majority of the Constltu'
tional Convention in voting down the res
oution to take an oath to support the
Constitution and Laws of Virginia before
proceeding TO business. 1t is stated in
justification, that the members OF the
Underwood Convention, which framed
the present Constitution, did not take any
oath. That convention, however, was
held under different authority and condl'
tions. There was no civil government IN
existence; we we're under military rule;
our State was not a member Of the Union;
and we were practically in the same situa'
ton that we were when delegates from
the counties and corporations in the colony
of Virginia assembled on the 9th OF May
1776. at Williamsburg and passed the cele'
brated Virginia Resolutions.
The Underwood Convention was called
together under an act Of Congress, passed
on the 2nd day of March, 1867, and sup
Elementary acts passed on the 23rd day OF
March and the 10Th day of July OF the
same year. 1t assembled to reorganlze
our State Government and restore the
Statehood which had been forfeited by Sc
cession and revolt against the Federal
Government. 1t was not acting under any
previous State Constitution, but as II nc
constitutional State Government was Ill
existence. The only oath the members
could have taken would be to support the
acts of the Congress of the United States
by and under whose authority they were
acting.
The Constitutional Convention now II
session at Richmonn to frame new Con
stitution has been called into existence
and authorized TO act under very different
circumstances. 1t is the creature OF th'
very Constitution it refuses to recognize
1t has been called into being under thu
provisions OF Sec 2, Chapter Mi, of TIT
Constitution the members now ignore o
refuse to obey. Acting under that section
the General Assembly at the last regula
session passed an Act to submit tbs ques
ton: "Shall there be a convention to re
wise the constitution and amend tn
same?" That question was submitted t,
the people, and, although only about one
fifth of tue qualified voters of the Stat
voted in favor of the convention it was de
clared carried. The Governor, acting un
der the same section of our present Con
stitution, then called an extra session q
the General Assembly, at which session
an Act was passed fixing the number
delegates, the time and manner Of thel
election to the convention.
= Now, we find majority Of the member
of the convention, ffty-six in number, re
fuslng to recognize the authority OF tn
Constitution under whose provisions tn
convention was called into being. Whel
the resolution requiring that an oath b
administered was being debated some
the delegates did not hesitate to state tina
the reason they objected to taking tn
oath was that they did not want to b
bound by the provisions Of our State Con
stitution.
1t looks very much like the convention
now stands in the attitude of revolution
airy body, and is violating the only author
ity under which it is authorized TO act
Such representative body can only pre-
coed to frame the organic law of Stat
under one of two conditions. 1t mus
proceed either by the lawful warrant {
existing law or by the direct authority
the people who have proclaimed a revolt
ton. Virginia was not in state OF revc
luton or disorganization when the CONVEX
ton was called, nor was it assembled
relieve a condition of revolution and disol
ganization. 1t was called under the eXis
ing organic Law of the State; that law
still in force and will remain as the 81
preme law until it is superseded by a1othe
lawfully made and ratified Constitution
By its refusal to obey the present Stat
Constitution and its declared purpose {
violating provisions of the Constitution {
the United States the Virginia Constitl
tional Convention has resolved itself into
revolutionary body. WIZ its work t
lawful ?
H;II I'D Than