The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-12-09

Regulation OF Suffrage 49, Proposed
Amendment 10 the state COnStItu.
tIOn.
One portion of the Presidents mes
sage possesses for our West Virginia
readers local application, and, we
trust, local interest. 1t is that in
which he discusses the regulation of
suffrage. He afIirms that the power OF
regulating suffrage rests entirely in the
individual States, each. establishing it's
own rules, and extending or contract
ing the privilege MS 1t may choose, with
in the Republican form of govern
ment" which the general government
is required to maintain in each State.
When the pending proposition to
amend the constitution of this State
was preached, it was objected, and no
doubt believed, by some loyal men TINT
such action ON the part OF the State
would conflict with the action OF the
Executive OF the United States in the
case of those who had received. the
Presidents amnesty. President John
son himself efTectually dissiPates any
such superstition. He has repeatedly
declared, but never so directly or Off
Cially as now, that the General Govern
ment cannot and does not assume to
interfere in any way with suffrage in
the several States. He says now in
terms that can be neither misconstrued
nor refuted:
"When, at the first movement towards
Independence, the Congress of the Uni
Ted States instructed the several States
to institute governments of their own,
they lcfl each State TO decide for itself
the conditions for the enjoyment of the
elective franchise. During the period
of the confederacy, there continued to
exist very great diversity in the quail
iticatiOns of tho electors in the several
States; and even within State dis
tinction Of qualifications prevailed with
regard to the officers who were TO be
chosen. The Constitution Of the United
States recognizes these diversities when
Il enjoius that, in the choice OF members
of the House of Representatives OF the
United States, "the electors in each
State shall have the qualifications req
uisite for electors OF the most numer-
our branch OF the State legislature
After the formation OF the Constitution,
1t remained, as before, the uniform
usage for each State to enlarge the body
of its electors, according 10 its own
Judgment; and, under this system, one
State amer another has proceeded to in
crease the number OF its electors, until
now universal suffrage, or something
very near it, is the general rule. So
liked was this reservation of power in
ble habits OF the people, and so unuups-
{ oned has been the Interpretation of
the Constitution, that during the civil
war the late President never harbored
the purpose-certainlS never ayoVyed
the puTpose-of designating it: anu in
the acts of Congress, during that peri-
cd, nothing can be found which, during
the continuance of hostilities muc6
eSS after their close, would have sane
toned any departure by the Executive
from policy which has so uniformly
obtained.
Let US endeaVor to understand pre-
cisely how the case stands respecting
the proposed amendment of our STATE
Constitution. And first what is sun
rage2
Suffrage is u privilege regulated arbi-
trarily by majority OF the citizens of
the State; and the regulatlOnsembodied
by convention representing that ma
iority, are laid down in the constitution
which is the organic law. That organic
law prescribes the mode of its altera-
ton by the people who made It. The
alteration is not restricted by anything
but the will of those who make It.