Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-05-03

vi hdSs thOCpiiSo eNAA wv W.
State, to be addressed by the candidate
and other speakers.
| A very spirited canvass was at one
inaugurated, certainly unique in on
of its features, for the candidates wer'
using their best efforts to secure thu
rejection of the Constitution, and
therefore and thereby, to defeat them
sci yes.
AHEAvY BURDEN.
AS candidate at the head of the tick
ct, of course, the heaviest burden fel
on my shoulders, and | can truly say
that discharged all the duties incident
| to the position to the best of my abili
| ty, as | traversed the whole State from
| Accomac, on the Eastern Shore. to Lee
county, On the Kentucky border, fire.
quently speaking twice, and occa-
sionally, three times day and resting
| not at all.
It was well known that most Of the
counties in Southwest Virginia con
tanned large Union element" as it
was called, in many cases comprising d
majority of the voters, and special at
tention was therefore given this sec
tion.
The first speech made during the
canvass was in the city of Petersburg,
where an immense audience was as
sembled in the park, embracing, Ger
tainly, thousand.negroes. Iannounc-
ed emphatically in that speech that
during the canvass on which l was
about entering, 1 should neither ask
nor expect negro vote; that they were
incapable of an intelligent exercise of
the right of suffrage, and 1 proposed
to appeal to the whites alone for sup
port. From this position l never
varied, and throughout the State de-
monstrated that the adoption of the
Constitution would relegate the whole
State to negro domination, aided by
their carpet bag allies, and besought
the people to forget all their former
political affiliation, and, whether
Wings or Democrats, Unlonists or
Secessionists, to prove themselves
white men, and no aliens from their
race or blood. My colleagues on the
ticket were by no means idle Or indif
fernnt, but proved themselves worthy
the trust reposed in them by the con-
vention. General Walker was parti-
cularly active and efficient, visiting
and speaking in most of the counties
of the South west, and when the can
vass was concluded we know we had
the Constitution beaten, if it should
be submitted to vote. The Recon
struction party knew 1t, too, as was
proven by the fact that
no election was held at all. The whole
matter was quietly ignored by the
authorities, and we remained
inhabitants of MILITARY District No.
II for another year.
The next year, 1869, a self -constitut-
ed committee of nine" was organized,
composed of several prominent gentle
men, and some not SO prominent, who
kindly undertook to manage the poll
tical affairs of the State, and, as it was
known that General Grant was ex
ceedIngly anxious to have all the seced- |
I'd States restored to the Union during
lis term Of Office, the committee of |
nine. through General Grants infiu-
ence, it was said, obtained authority |
from Congress to permit the people of
Virginia to vote separately on three
DR. four of the most Objectionable pro
visions of the Constitu tion, and also
On the remaining portion of the Con-
stitution, hoping that after the rejec
tion of the most Objectionable clauses,
The rest of the instrument would be
adopted; and in furtherance of their
scheme brought out q new ticket, with
Gilbert G. Walker, a Liberal Repub
lican," as g overnor; John F. Lewis, as
G Governor, and Colonel Tay-
lor. Of Montgomery, as Attorney-Gen-
eral.
The nominees of the convention of
1868 at once withdrew their candidacy,
and at the election in the fall every
thing as planned was successfully con
summated, the Objectionable provisions
were stricken out of the Constitution,
the residue was adopted, the State Of
ficers elected, and the State of Virginia
again resumed her place in the sister
hood of States.
A SIGNIFICANT FACT.
One significant fact in this connec-
tion deserves notice, as it should not
fail of recognition in the present crisis.
On the question of striking out the
disfranchising clauses and adopting
the rest of the Constitution, about
100, 900 whites voted aye and about 49,
| 900 negroes voted no. l uss round
| &L, ~ - nl