Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-04-03

see what can be done for him.
Between the friends of Messrs. Clemens, Crna-
cract and Raymond down there, and the friends
of the same parties up about here, together with
those in the interest of Messrs. Lnngit, Rus
sci and Oldham, the contest for the next noinin-
alton promises an unusual degree of animation.
-SsSaD.S-----
"TnE ONLY White DIsTmcT"--Did Hr.
Clemens Tote Represent a?-We cannot help
thinking now, that Lecompton has turned out
to be such miserable failure how unfortunate
it was that our Congressman should have lent
himself to its attempted passage. Mr. Clemens,
in his speech sometime ago. took particular
pains to let the other members of Congress
know that he alone, of all the Virginia mem
bers, represented white district. Why was it
Mr.. Clemens should have made point, or a
supposed one, of this fact, if he had not some
particular purpose in view: if it was not to ex-
plain necessity for some distinguishing course
of action on his part, from that which the other
members of the delegation those representing
black districts, we mean, might feel called to
take? Surely, there was no call to make
the distinction, if there was no application or
inference to be made oft, or from it. IfMr. Cald
well, or Mr.. Sweeny, or Mr. Woods. should get
up in our Legislature, and in course of remark
upon any bill pending, should observe to the
other NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., am, or we three.
are the only members of this body who repre-
sent a manufacturing interest what, VIC ask,
would be the natural conclusion? Why, GER
tainly, it would be- that we have an interest to
protect: an interest to speak for and work for,
other than that which other members have
Just so was tho natural inference from what
Mr. Clemens said: either its logical force was
of this character, or else it was empty
rhetorical flourish, and meant nothing
And il it was true that Mr.. Clemens had a
white district to look aGter-if it was true that
he had the guardianship of white labor commit
ted to his care, how does he justify his making
this distinction in theory, and yet annulIing it
in practiccg We cannot see any force in such
course: on the contrary there is the lack of
the commonest kind of consistency in mans
claiming an isolated interest, and strnightway
eyincing, by his vote or action, that the interest
is in no wise different from the one or the Others
against which he has just drawn the line of
discrimination.
We apprehend that Mr. Clemens will see tho
1onsensical dilemma in which he has involved
himself We are sorry that he has so involved
himself 1t would have been both a consistent,
praiseworthy, and ststesmanlike course, for
him to have held fast to his theory in his vote.
And it would have been popular for him to
have done so: or, at least, twould not have been
unpopular. No one can doubt that the senti-
ment of this white district, is and has been
against the introduction ofnigger labor into
Kansas-much more is it against the attempt to
do so by fraud. But Mr. Clemens has not only
pursued course calculated 10 disparage that
white labor, and those industrial interests which
only white men can originate and carry out, by
bringing it to degrading level with serf labor.
but he has voted to sustain that anti-white la
Dor interest, and all the frauds by which it was
seeking foot.holdin Kansas. So that taking
Mr. Clemens own premises, We claim that the
conclusion is inevitable, that he has not repre-
scented his own people-that he has turned his
back upon their distinctive interests, and gone
over to the help of interests which were antaeo-
nistic to theirs