VIRGINIA. 



759 



Tlmt wo recognize tho great fact that tin- ii 



of the lalM.riiig classes of the 

 tlmt, without n-.'iinl ' 



1. 1 tln-ir true position ; tlmt 



tin- poor mi'l humble, of tin- mi 



uiul arrogant, the lifting up of tin- poor :e 



t humiliation <>r degradation to any ; th:it the 

 if the Lrtv;ii''-t amount of liii|>|iin< 

 >t iiuinhi-r, is our u . 

 . and shall have our rani* 



mj'lishlnent ; that while we 

 all men protected hi full und equal pro;. 



litical right secured to the colored man 

 that is enjoyed l>y any other class of citizens, 

 not dcshv to deprive the laboring white mrii of any 

 or privileges which tin y now enjoy, but do 

 I those rights and privileges by the 

 Cation of the Kcpublican party in this State. 



Other pnlitieal meetings were held in different 

 parts of tho State by tin- fivedmen and those 

 whites who sought their political alliance, and 

 though many of their utterances at these 

 gatherings were violent in character and sa- 

 Mnvd of agrurianism, their general tone dif- 

 fered little from that of t lie Richmond Con- 

 vention, while many of the colored citizens 

 <1 inclined to associate themselves with 

 the more conservative element in the State. 

 At some of their meetings the newly-enfmn- 

 ehUed freedtneii were addressed by eminent 

 political speakers from the North, who tried to 

 impress thorn with a due sense of the respon- 

 sibility of their new position in society. Their 

 rights were effectually guarded by the military, 

 and though hostile collisions occurred in the 

 -ttvets of some of the leading cities, there was 

 no outbreak of a serious character. In case of 

 the refusal of five magistrates of the Corpora- 

 tion Court of Norfolk to receive the testimony 

 of a negro, process was issued under tho Civil 

 Rights 13111, in accordance with which the of- 

 fending officials were arrested and held to bail 

 to appear at the next term of the District 

 Court. A colored man was appointed notary 

 public for the city of Richmond and Ilenrico 

 County by Governor Peirpont. One of the 

 earliest acts of General Schofield as district 

 commander was to disband all armed organi- 

 zations, of which there have been several in 

 the State, thus removing one source of disorder. 

 Toward tho end of April an attempt on the 

 part of the colored citizens of Richmond to te-t 

 their right to ride in the street-cars led to some 

 riotous demonstrations, but the president of 

 the railroad, after an interview with General 

 Schofield, determined to recognize the privilege, 

 and, though many of tho citizens were dissuti 

 fied with the concession, it was peaceably ac- 

 quiesced in. 



On the 13th of May General Scholield's 

 General Order No. 28 was issued, prescribing 

 the regulations for tho registration of voters 

 consisting chiefly of instructions for tho guid- 

 ance of the Boards of Registrars, not materially 

 different from those issued by the commanders 

 in the other military districts. (See ALABAMA.) 



The registration was not to commence until 

 further instructions from headquarters. 



For the purpose of providing an adequate 



means of exerting tho military power in cue 



iiiiv delici.-iicy mi tin- par ;1 aiithori- 



ladfl it expedient to do BO, ' 

 lield i-,ued the following order : 



General Ordtrt, Ko. 81. 



Hi AIKJUARTEU FIRST MILITARY DUTKICT, 1 



BTATK 

 RICIIUOMI. \ t., " ; | 



For the purpose fit' gi . . to all 



. , in tln-ir n 'ii ami pro]., r:\ 



!he civil million' '.I. from v. 



Ive Mich protection, and to in-ure tin: 



prompt suppression of insurrection, disorder, and 



violence, military commission' i from 



the officers of the iirmy and of ; ireau, 



will he appointed ami given jurisdiction over sub- 



di.->tri. ' 'i the ordrrs appointing them, 



itlicicMt military force to CM .re the 



>n of their orders. 



For the purpose of suppressing :i, din- 



order, or violence, the military commissioners are 

 given command of the police of cities and the power 

 of counties, in addition to the troops that may be 

 placed at their disposal ; and all police officers, sheriffs, 

 constables, and other persons are required in nucli 

 cases to obey and execute the orders of the military 

 commission 



For the purpose of protecting individuals in their 

 rights of person and property, and of bringing otiend- 

 ers to justice, the military commissioners arc clothed 

 with all the powers of justices of a county, or police 

 magistrates of a city, and will be governed in t 

 charge of their duties by the laws of Virginia, so far 

 as the same are not in conflict with the laws of the 

 United States or orders issued from these head- 

 quarters. 



Tho military commissioners will make a prompt re- 

 port to these headquarters of each case of which they 

 may take jurisdiction, and the disposition made of 

 such case. Where parties are held for trial, either 

 in-conflnement or under bail, such full statement will 

 be made of the facts in each case as will enable the 

 commanding general to decide whether tho case shall 

 be tried by a military commission or be brought be- 

 fore a civil court. 



Trial by the civil courts will be preferred in all 

 cases where there is satisfactory reason to 

 that justice will be done. But until the orders of 

 the commandinu' general are made known in any case, 

 the paramount jurisdiction assumed by the military 

 commissioners will be exclusive. 



All persons, civil officers and others, are required 

 to obey and execute the lawful orders of the military 

 commissioners to the same extent as thev are required 

 by law to obey and execute writs issued by civil ma- 

 gistrates. Any person who shall disobey or rcs'^t 

 the lawful orders or authority of a military commis- 

 sioner shall be tried by a military commission, and 

 upon conviction shall be punished by fine ana im- 

 uieiit, according to tho nature and degree of 

 the offence. 



This order will not bo construed to excuse civil 



oilicers in any degree from the faithful discharge of 



their duties. It is intended to aid the civil uuthori- 



ud not to supersede them, except in cases of 



necessity. 



By command of Brigadier and Brevet Major-Gen- 

 craf.J. M. SClioFlKLI), United States Army. 

 \-sistant Adjutant-General. 



An order, under date of June 3d, divided the 

 State into sub-district*, and appointed com- 

 manders over the same. These otiieer- \\en- 

 made military eommi-sioners under ( 

 Orders, No. 81, and empowered to 

 guieral supervision over the subordinate mili- 

 tarv commissioners in the sub-districts, and t" 

 furnish them, when necessary, sufficient military 



