Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-23

planned anything which will permit the
power which they have seized. and in
which they have intrenched themselves
with such care and cunning. and toll. to
slip from their grasp now or hereafter.
Have not forty-seven Of these men or
dained n constitution which they were sol
emily pledged 10 submit to the people
for ratification or rejection? Have they
not While refusing To take any oaths
themselves. in direct defiance of the law
under which they were assembled exacted
oaths of feaity to their work, from every
oihceholder, great and small, in the COM
lnonwealth, under threat Of vacating his
Office unless he acknowledges their SUI
premacy within thirty days from the time
they asserted it?
Have they not deliberately by or1i-
nance. provided for the amendment of
all existing registration laws and the
Acknowledgement of at least two-fifths
of the electorate which chose them
without consulting that electorate, as
they promised 10 do?
DID they not SO jealousy regard this
new enrolment Of voters that they con-,
suited their partSanS in every part Of
the State and named personally every
member Of every registration board in
every nagsterial district and in every
ward of the State. Who ever saw such
an act or ordinance as this before? Were
these men chosen to carry out the plans
of these corspirators or for fair an0
exalted purpose?
LET NIRGINIANS ANSWER.
Let every citizen of Virginia. affected
by the work OF these tools Of this CON
spifacy. answer this last query in the
light of his knowledge of the character
and attainments of the individuals chosen
at his home to do this deed of political
murder.
And finally. has not every appointed
beneficiary and recipient Of preferment
since this alleged new constitution has
been. put into operation. been one of those
who planned it. and for whose benefit
it was devised? Read the list and an
swer me.
Do not tell me they intend to lose
their grip. The statement is reflections
upon your intelligence or upon mine !
tell you they gained this power. cor
,uptly. to enjoy it themselves: and viii,
retain it as unscrupulous as they gaineo
it.
Under the plea of lettering the negro
they have fettered all the whites also.
There is no more hope of white men sue
cssfully overcoming their factonal domi-
nation than there was that black men.
or black and white man. would do so
The poor deiuded people of the State
have. under the false fears excited by
appeals to their race prjudces, allowed
the cotere of Bourbon politicians. tvp;-
fed by the leaders in this convention. to
fix upon them a thraliorl, the end OF
which no man living can foresee. unless
it is broken by the power of the law:
and judicially declared to be. as it is.
an outrage upon the rights OF the pco-
pie. 1t is worse than any monarchy. for
it has no single head to chop off. 1t Is
as specious in its pretences OF benefits,
and will be. if ii is permitted to stand.
as tyrannicaI and corrupt as the Fene-
tan Seignory of Forty.
In spite of all these people say to the
contrary love Old Virginia better than
any spot on earth. and her glory IS as
dear to me as to any u her sons. ! an
heartily ashamed of what has been done
there I will break it UP. root and branch,
if l can. as q duty which I owe, not only
to my clients, but to my native State.
II I cannot. that is all: but ] am neither
afraid nor ashamed to try, even if>l
be the only white son Of Virginia who
feels as do.
Is i, or not natural that the negroes.
who are wronged by this thing, should
seek in every way in their power. to OBJ
tain redress?
Are they so beneath the notice of the
law that they are not entitled to seek
its protection?
Are their claims so prepoStercUS ana
outra geous that a reputable lawyer can
not present and urge them without as
ncrsion upon his character and ability?
These questions bring their own an
svers A negative answer must come
from every honest man. lawyer or lay
man. for il is the boast of our profess
sion that no man is so humble or even
so base that he is not entitled to have
the best aspect Of his case presented to
court for judgment; and that no human