Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-04-12
billion dollars more or less In his pockets
now is small item compared to what apathy
on his part might have cost tho nation.
He Helped to Save Virginia

he hcipe0 10 Save virginia
IT HE death Of Major James n. Stubs OF
1 Gloucester. that sturdy old Nirsiniar,
known, by name at least to every citizen OF
the Commonwealth. calls to mind tho gravcst
crisis through which Virginia passed follow
ing the Civil War, for it removes perhaps
tho last surviving member OF that notorious
Underwood Constitutional Convention which
has gone down into history under the sisniti-
cantly descriptive appellation OF the black
and tan" 1t was just fifty years age. and
Virginia was lying PROSTATE and all but
ruined undcr the fires of war that had swept
it from border TO border. and had entered
upon that period, in many ways more fright
full than war, known as reconstruction. II
was helpless under the heel OF the Northern
invader, and was threatened with inunds-
ton by the black wave OF negro supremacy.
Young Stubs, veteran OF the conflict. fresh
from the university and recently elected 10 a
seat in the General Assembly. was member
of the convention and one OF a small Eroup
OF conservatives whom the white men OF
the State pinned their desperate hopes. They
fought there. even as they had fought on the
field Of battle, but they were overwhelmed
by the newly enfranchised negroes and their
radical Republican friends Had the Con-
stitution been adopted as it was framed by
that black and tan convention. it would have
disfranchised majority of white Eirgiuians
and given the State over 10 negro DONNA
ton.
1t was at this fateful time that President
Grant proved his friendship for the South
He listened to the conservative committee Of
nine from Virginia, and urged Congress not
10 adjourn until steps had been taken for its
rehet and readmittance to the Union. On his
suggestion, in the turbulent closing hours of
Underworld
ordered put TO a vote OF the people, but by
sections and not whole. There was re-
joicing throughout Virginia over the victory
and in an address from the steps of the old
Dispatch Building at Twelfth and Main
Streets, Henry A. Wise lauded General Grant
as friend whom Virginia could trust even
as Robert E. Lee had trusted him at Ap-
pomatto1.
The Constitution went before the people
and the Objectionable sections were defeated
In the eastern part OF the State the black
vote was overwhelmingly in the majority
but from the great Southwest came the
avalanche of votes that restored Virginia TO
the white mans rule. With these Under
wood-negro devised sections wiped out, the
constitution was fair working instrument
winch served the State until the new Con-
Sututlon became effective in 1902
10 Major Stubs and the little coterie OF
white stalwarts who stood out valiantly to
the end and averted the catastrophe Of dom
NATION by the freed slaves under the guild
ance OF carpetbaggers, all Virginians must
acknowledge their everlasting debt OF graft
tude. That perhaps was the greatest service
Major Stubs ever rendered to Virginia, but
Ills whole life was spent in loving devotion
10 the advancement Of its interests.