Year: 1868

! The Virginia constitutional convention,
composed mainly of negroes and mean
whites-the latter mostly from New Eng
land, New York, England and Ireland
have completed their labors and the result
thereof is soon to be submitted to the vo-
ters for their approval or rejection The
conservative members Of the convention,
few in number, but containing most of the
brains of the concern, have issued an ad-
dress to the white people of the Old DO
miniOn, in which they set forth the vii
laiuous character Of tho instrument they
have concoctad under the name ola consti-
tuition, and deplorable condition to which.
if adopted. 1t will reduce the white peo-
| pie OF the state. While thousands of in
telligent white men are disfranchised-in
fact the most intelligent portion of the
population-the ballot is conferred upon
every male negro Il years of age who has
managed to keep outside of the peaiten-
tiary. The county organizations are cou-
stituted in such manner Is to give the
negroes preponderance in a vast mum Der
Of them, while they hold the balance Of
power In the others. Imagine the condi-
tion of the whites in the county under
such a system. a negro sheriff, a negro
attorney for the commonwealth, a negro
county treasurer, q negro superintendent
of the poor, negro supervisors, negro as
SCISSORS, negro collectors, negro school
trustees, negro constables, negro township
clerks, negro overseers of the roads, negro
magistrates. In addition to these move
meuts intended 10 favor the negroes, the
convention incorporated in the constitu-
ton " test OATH" which not one white
man in thousand in the state can take.
This was intended to benefit the negroes.
The fruits of such system are thus pic
tured in the address:


A black attorney for the commonwealth
will send up his witnesses to mixed grand
jury, who will send back their indictments
to be tried by mixed petit jury. A
black sheriff or his black deputy, will take
the black and white jury in charge, to eat
at a common table anu sleep in the same
chamber. 4 black treasurer will have
tie custody Of taxes levied IN the county.
A black superintendent of the poor will
dole out the charities Of the the public to
the white paupers in the county poOrhouse.
a black trustee will visit and make laws
for the village school. Black supervisors
will fix the amount Of tho county levy,
which will be assessed by black assessor,
and gathered in by black collector. A
black commissioner will lay of the public
roads. A black magistrate will dispense
justice; black constable will preserve or
der; black clerk will keep the records
of the township.


The governor and his aids will be black
(after the first term). The lieutenant
governor will black The secretary of the
commonwealth will be black The board
cf public works will be black. We shall
have black representatives. in congress
The visitors of the university will be black
The state proxies will be black.


In fixing the basis of the representa- zion
and apportioning members to the several
counties, the state has been so gerryman-
dered as to give the negroes a decided
majority On joint ballot; the subject of
mixed schools is left to the Legislature,
which, when in the hands of negroes, will
force whites and blacks in the same house
and upon the same bench; negroes are to
be enrolled and hold office in the state mil.
itia, sit upon juries, have free access to all
hotels and places of amusement while the
state is divided into eight congressional
districts, and it is claimed that it will be
entitled to ninth representative. Of the
eight districts the negroes have five, the
whites three. The ninth member is to be
elected by the state at large, and in this
contest the negroes hold the balance of
power under the proposed constitution.
Such being the main features of the pro-
posed constitution of Virginia, it is no
wonder the conservative members of the
convention declare that it will not secure
the ends of good government, and should
be rejected. We have but little hope,
however, that this will he done. BY
means of fraud and rascality, in which the
carpet baggers are such profound adopts,
the radicals have managed to procure the
adoption Of their constitutions III all the
other southern states. except Alabama,
and we have no reason to suppose that
Virginia will form an exception.-Msw
Albany Ledger.


New Mode Of ESnbaIm1ng.