Year: 1867

Last evening Radical caucus was held
in the hall of the House Of Delegates,
over which G. Y. Thomas, of Henry, pre-.
sided, and to which Edgar Allen acted as
secretary. The caucus had hardly con.
vened before Senator Wilson, of Massa-
chusetts, and Senator Pomeroy, of Kansas,
were introduced. Senator Pomeroy was
the first 10 speak. He hoped that the
Convention would settle the question for
Virginia without submitting to dictation
from any party in Washington. He felt
assured that the principles of the Republi-
can party would be the basis of the consti
tuition to be framed. He favored equal
and impartial rights before the law, com
plete free school system of education, and
an equalization of taxation according to
the amount of property owned. The
property of the State should pay for the
education of the State. Yet he was in
favor of poll tax, which should be
added to the educational fund. he him
self paid four hundred dollars tax per
annum for education alone. In conclusion,
he canted "muchly" on the principles,
etc. ~ f2


Senator Wilson felt some anxiety as to
the course to be taken by the southern
States. He hoped they would all adopt
true Republican constitutions. If they
did, they would be allowed representation
before the 4th of July next. He was sure
that seven Of the southern States would
be in by that time. He advised the Con-
vention to adopt constitution that would
be approved by the people. As to dis
frsnchisement, he was not only opposed to
| it, but he was in favor Of extending the
present limits. The Conservative party
had spoken a great deal against the dis
| franchising clause Of the reconstruction
acts as throwing sufficient number of
voters out to secure negro supremacy. A
good deal Of capital had been made of this
report, but it was not true. There were
not $4,000 persons disfranchised by this
clause in the whole South.


On his trip through here before it had
had been represented to him that he ought
to have seen the talent and chivalry Of this
State assembled. He had left Washing
ton the morning before with the intention
of witnessing the assembling Of that honor
able body known as the Conservative Con-
Vention, that morning. Yet, notwithstand-
ing the cry that had been raised against
Radical secret organizations, he found the
doors closed against him. He had designed
to listen to the counsels and advice of
those men, but he had not been permitted
to do so, and he had to return to Washing
ton without being satisfied. IA very nice
excuse for the honorable senator, this.
Had he cotton his ticket of admission, as
every one else not delegate was bound to
do, he could have gotten in. The door
keepers did not know Senator Wilson from
"Bill Jones or I" any other man."l


He counselled the Convention not to ig-
more in the old Constitution, in the
framing a new one, anything that could be
maintained in the establishment of true
Republican principles throughout the
State Of Virginia. He compared the at
tacks made in Virginia on the Republican
party to those made in Massachusetts,
thirty years ago. The party had been
abused, yet it had produced such men as
Everett, Dana, Longfellow & Co., and
Governor Andrew, who had been acknow-
ledged by the people of Massachusetts to
be the greatest Governor the State ever
had. Finally, he declared the determina-
tion of Congress to stand by the recon-
struction acts. Unless they were accepted
by the people of the South, severer mea-
sures would be adopted, and the coming
generation would grow gray before they
would be modified.


The caucus was engaged in the discus
sion of the oath to be required of mem
bers. The question whether or not the
test oath will be required has, it seems,
given rise to considerable contention.
Though there is quite division, it is
highly probable the question will be de-
cided in the negative.


Senators Wilson and Pomeroy left last
evening.