Year: 1868

ginia Convention.


Cen. Schoteld entered the hall, accompanied
bv ColoneIs Campbell, Wherry, and Mallory,
o} his staff, and was escorted to the Speakers
stand. Upon being introduced to the Conven
lion, be said:


Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Conven
t;on 1T affords me much pleasure to congrat-
Mate YOU upon the near approach OF the term
nation of your long and arduous iabors. l
have watched your progress with interest, and
at times with no little anxiety. Representing,
ss Won do every shade Of political opinion,
evcry extreme of interest, policy, and purpose,
i is not strange that you should have found
in the course OF your deliberations difficulties
which seemed almost insurmountable, and
which could only have been overcome by long,
patient, and persevering labor. | have not
hesitated to say to you, through those GENTLE
men Of your body who have been pleased from
time to time to ask my opinion upon the sub
iccts presented for your consideration, that
there we're certain provisions proposed to be
engraftcd into this Constitution which, IN my
Judgment, if adopted, would prove fatal to
that instrument. | refer more particularly to
the extended acknowledgements and disquahfi-.
cations for Office not provided for by the act Of
Congress. You have wisely, as think, dcterm-
SOoSSAAoN3
to leave the subject as ordained by Congress.
In other words, to frame your Constitution in
This important particular upon the basis laid
down bv YOUR friends in Congress. There on.
IL remains, so far as am aware, q. single pro-
vision that regard as seriously Objectionable.
I refer to that portion which prescrlbes the
qualifications for office, and which | believe
will be, if allowed to remain IN its present form,
detrimental in its effect upon the adoption OF
the Constitution. 1t is practically impossible
to carry on government in Virginia predlca-
ted upon that basis


have been now for more than year admin
is,ering the laws, in accordance with the recon
sruction acts of Congress, in this State. 1
have had to select and appoint registering ottl-
GERS as we'll as civil officers, in the different
counties throughout the State. In some OF
the counties have been able to find one, and
only one, in some two, and In some three men
Of either race who could either read or write,
and who could at the same time take the oath
Of Office There are, l believe, IN Virginia
some counties which will require, to carry on
the government, thirty or more civil officers,
suca as magistrates, sheritts, constabes, over
seers of the poor, &c. You cannot lind IN these
counties sufficient number OF men who are
capable Of filling the Offices, and who can take
the oath you have prescribed here. Ihey pay
very limited salary, and even the common Ia
borer could not afford to come from ABROAD
for the purpose of filling them. have no
hesitation in saying that [ believe it impossible
to inanqnratc q government upon that basis.


have heretofore abstained from any at
tempt to exercise the slightest influence over
YOUR actions, las you will remember at the
commencement of your session l even referred
to Yourselves the question of the returns and
qualifications of members, leaving you tree to
adopt such course as you should deem wise
land proper. Now, however, my duty, 1t would
seem, requires me to convey to you what L con-
ceiye to be the effect OF such a NV, Its practl-
cal bearing upon the political affairs OF the
country, and upon the interests, it you please,
of the party to which you belong. That pro-
vision, if left in the Constitution, will, 1 be-.
Eeve, be not only opposed to the wishes OF
your friends, but will be fatal to the Constitu-
ton, and perhaps, fatal to yourselves. l can
not, Of course, say that all the other provisions,
aside from that, are such as l would have
thought best and wisest under all the clrcum-
stances. I presume that no person could say
that Of any Constitution In the United States
all being more or less the result OF compromises
made between the opinions of hundred or
more men, and may not In every particular
please any one; but as far as | can see, your
Constitution, in all essential particulars, Is
neither better nor worse than than the Constr
tuition of any of the States now in the Union.
Whether the Government established under 1t
will prove good or bad will simply depend upon
the kind Of men you elect to I'LL the different
Offices. If good men are elected, you will have
good government; If bad, you Will certainly
have a bad one Especially is this true OF the
men you elect to form the first Legislature.
That Legislature will have work to 90 scarce


y less important than that deYolVmg upon
the Convention It will be necessary to modl-
ty the code Of, laws to correspond with the new
order Of political principles on which the Con
stltutlon itself is based The manner in Wblch
that work is to be done, and also the necessity
which may exist for future changes, and


the mode prescribed Tor making them, should


determine the qualifications of those elected to


that body I say, then, that whether your


government organized under this Constitution


will be good one or a bad one is to be deter


mlued by the qualifications of the men elected


t0carry it on: In this view Of the case, you


should have left open the widest field from
Which to choose these men; and L do doubt
That both parties will exert their utmost
Strength, and put forward their best and ablcst
men, to oinaugurate the new Government. Ii
I1s is DONE, see no reason whatever why
Virginia may not at once enter upon course
ofprosperity and happiness rapidly tending


towards that great destiny which fully believe


aaklnd and benefcent Providence has in store


isee no reason why, under wise Constitution


ninaugurated and put in operation through


oat the State, she may not at once resume hel


proper place among the sisterhood of States.


Gentlemen, i wish you all success in YOU


taudatle aspirations, and especially in your ct


T9Ites TTtts to restore Virginia to her place in the


oaon Nothing will afford me greater pleas


Sure-and | hope the time is very near when


ss saa experience it-than to turn over to the con


s::tutlonal representatives OF the people of Nir


e!ola the power | now have the honor o-cxcr


Sse here, to salute with the title Of Govcrno
l Gy successor, and to tender to them and t


nun s.9 my cordial support in, executing the la,


~ Sau IN maintaining the supremacy Of the Civ