760 



VIRGINIA. 



gates, but was adopted as a whole on the day 

 of adjournment (April 17th), by a vote of 51 to 

 36. Several Eepublican delegates voted against 

 the instrument, including in their number one 

 negro. An ordinance was passed by the con- 

 vention providing for the submission of the 

 constitution to a vote of the people, on the 2d 

 of June. State officers and representatives of 

 the State in Congress were to be elected at the 

 same time, and the Assembly was to meet on 

 the 24th of June. 



On the 24th of April the following order 

 was issued by General Schofield : 



HEADQUARTERS FIRST MILITARY DISTRICT, ) 

 RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, April 24, 1868. J 

 To the People of Virginia : 



No appropriation having yet been made by Con- 

 gress to defray the expenses of an election in Virginia 

 for ratification or rejection of a constitution, and the 

 revision of registration preceding such election, I am 

 not now authorized to order the Boards of Registra- 

 tion to carry into effect the ordinance of the conven- 

 tion providing for such election. 



If congressional action on the subject be so long 

 delated that the election cannot properly be held at 

 the time appointed by the convention, June 2d, Con- 

 gress will doubtless substitute a later day, of which 

 due notice will be given. 



J. M. SCHOFIELD, Major-General. 



No provision for the election was made dur- 

 ing the rest of the year, and Virginia remained 

 "unreconstructed," and under the government 

 of the military authority of the United States. 



Conventions were, however, held by both 

 political parties, and nominations made in the 

 expectation that an election would be ordered 

 some time in the course of the year. The Ee- 

 publican Convention assembled in Eichmond 

 on the 6th of May, and nominated Henry H. 

 Wells for Governor, J. H. Clements for Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, and G. W. Booker for At- 

 torney-General. The following, among other 

 resolutions, were adopted : 



2. That the sublime declaration of the fathers of 

 the country, that all men are created ecjual, has be- 

 come not only a theory, but a great living eternal 

 fact, established by one of the chief fruits of the 

 bloody war through which we have just passed, by 

 the amendments to the Constitution, it has been made 

 perpetual, part of the organic law of the whole coun- 

 try, and canonized in the hearts of all good men 

 everywhere, for the noble homage which it pays to 

 the decrees of the Almighty Ruler of the universe, 

 and to the rights of universal humanity. All men in 

 this Commonwealth are, indeed, free and equal. All 

 persons born in the United States and subject to its 

 jurisdiction are, " and of right ought to be," citizens 

 of the United States and of the State wherein they 

 reside. No State ought or lawfully can deny to any 

 citizen within its jurisdiction, the equal protection of 

 the laws, or the possession or enjoyment of the rights 

 and privileges which it grants, on account of race, 

 color, prior condition, or religious faith. 



4. That no republican form of government can 

 permanently exist or be wisely administered without a 

 general education of the people ; we therefore favor, 

 and will cordially support, the establishment of a 

 system of free schools for the education of all, and 

 supported by general taxation. 



5. That the Republican party of the State of Vir- 

 ginia pledges its ^influence and efforts to secure the 

 removal of all disabilities, for participation in the 

 late rebellion, from those citizens of this State who, 

 by their acts and influence, shall heartily cooperate in 



the complete restoration of the State in accordance 

 with the principles of the reconstruction laws and the 

 changed condition and necessities of our country. 



7. That the thanks of the loyal people of this State 

 are due to the Eepublican members of Congress, who, 

 by their earnest labors in behalf of human liberty, 

 have seen the land redeemed from the curse of 

 slavery, and has nationalized the principles of liber- 

 ty and equality. That we hail the arraignment and 

 trial of Andrew Johnson before the bar of the United 

 States Senate for his many^ high crimes and misde- 

 meanors as the crowning triumph of the principles of 

 free institutions, and a warning to traitors in all com- 

 ing time ; that a free people will always guard the 

 temples of their liberties with the flaming sword of 

 justice turning every way a terror to foreign foes 

 and domestic traitors. 



The Conservative Convention met on the 10th 

 of May. No platform of principles was adopt- 

 ed, but nominations were made in accordance 

 with the following resolutions, reported by the 

 business committee of the convention : 



Resolved, That in the opinion of the convention it 

 is expedient that the convention nominate candidates 

 in the approaching election for the offices of Govern- 

 or, Lieutenant-Governor, and Attorney-General of the 

 State, and a candidate for the United States House of 

 Representatives for the State at large. 



Resolved, That in submitting said nominations, it 

 is expedient, in the opinion of the committee, that 

 the convention should select acceptable, competent, 

 and sound men, who are true to the Constitution of 

 the United States, and to the ancient renowii and 

 honor of Virginia, without reference to the ability of 

 said candidates to take disqualifying test-oaths. 



Resolved, That it is expedient that this convention 

 do nominate delegates to represent the State in the 

 convention to be held in the city of New York on the 

 4th of July next to nominate candidates for the 

 presidency and vice-presidency of the United States, 

 the said delegates to consist of two delegates from 

 each congressional district and two delegates from 

 the State at large. 



The nominations made were : Colonel E. E. 

 Withers, for Governor ; General James A. Wal- 

 ker, for Lieutenant-Governor ; John L. Mayne, 

 Jr., for Attorney-General. 



It was the policy of General Schofield to 

 interfere as little as possible with the regular 

 operation of government in the State, and we 

 accordingly find but few removals from office 

 under his administration. Whenever vacancies 

 occurred it became his duty to make appoint- 

 ments, and, in this way, more than five hun- 

 dred officers were designated for various posi- 

 tions while he had command of the First 

 Military District. In making these appoint- 

 ments, he found it very difficult to find com- 

 petent persons who could take the test-oath 

 prescribed by the act of July 2, 1862. 



Among the military orders issued by Gen- 

 eral Schofield in the early part of the year, was 

 one dated March 12th, suspending sales of prop- 

 erty under deeds of trust, when every civil 

 remedy has been exhausted, " in all cases where 

 such sale would result in a ruinous and un- 

 necessary sacrifice of property, or where the 

 payment of interest, when due, and of the 

 principal in a reasonable time, can be secured 

 without such sacrifice ; and, also, in cases 

 where such sale would leave a family, or per- 

 sons non compos or infirm, without means of 



