The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-08-16

rights to participate in government af'
fairs, will, without doubt, cause fearful
amount of jangling and quarreling, and
are now, and will be, used by aspiring
politicians, for the attainment Of their
selfish purposes, regardless Of the conse'
oucnces. mean the disloyul white man,
and the loyal black man. This question:
in the nature Of its surroundings, is CAL
culated to stir up the very worst passions
Of the human heart, and result in fear.
full consequences to the country unless
men will discuss it in the light of reason,
and with calm consideration. The qucs.
ton is, whether that man whose entire
influence was given to involve the coun'
try in all the horrors Of civil war, and who
has plucked down wide spread ruin and
desola,iou upon his country, and whose
fratricidal hands arc still reekiug with
the hearts blood Of slaughtered loyalty,
and whose heart is still ranking with all
that hellish malignity and hate which
have marked every step taken BY him
since the outbreak Of this most wicked
and unparalleled conspiracy, shall be en-
powered with the right to control that
government he has tried so long and so
hard to overthrow, BY putting the ballot
into his hands, and ut the samc time de-
ny it to the loyal black man, who has;
shed his blood and sacrificed his life
upon the battle field to save it? This
would be u species Of the most cruel In.
Justice, that would forever blackcu the
fair escutchcou Of our nation iu the eyes
Of the whole civilized world, and would
result in opening again the floodgates of
God Almigh;y's wrath, and might end in
our utter cx,ermiuation from the face Of
the earth. In Gods name let justicetri.
umph, though the Heavens fall. And it
! the returned rebel, who is at home only
because his hopes Of establishing 4 South
crn Confcderaey have been swept away,
and who has ceased to shed the blood
and take the lives Of our fathers, our
husbands, our sous, and our brothers, be.
cause that power which hitherto gave
him protection, in his work Of treason
and death, has been disarmed and wi pc i
out, if such arc 10 WELD the power Of the
ballo,.box, then VIC say, give it to the
! black mau also. who has always been loyal
and true to tho country, and thousands
Of whom huyc sacrificed their lives in its
dcleucc, and in behalf Of the sacred cause
Of human liberty. If the latter is to be
denied this privilege, then deny tito the
former also. This looks just, and would
be just and right, in the eyes Of both God
and man. We have no objections to ad'
mi,ting the rank aud.iile Of the rebel ar
my to the rights Of the ballot'box, after a
term Of five or ten ears. But no man
who ever voluntarily accepted commits
sion to carry on a war for the overthrow
Of this government, should ever be per-
mittcd again to touch our sacred and glo'
rious Temple Of Liberty. But while VIC
believe it to be just and right to extend
the right Of suffrage to all, black and
white, who have been loyal to the govern
ment and who have aided in the suppress
sion Of the rebellion, We also believe that
the sauctity of the ballot.to1 ought to be
guarded, BY requiring certain qualIfica
tons, in an educational point Of view
And upon this point We would say, tha,
after reasonable length Of time, and be-
lug in possession Of all the facilities
thereto, if men fail from neglect, to qualify
themselves as the law may require, then,
for the safety Of the government, the
right Of suffrage should be withheld. Men
should form their opinions from thei
own researches, and not from the say.
SOS Of designing politicians, who, nine
cases out Of ten, arc void Of honesty or
moral character. Hence We gay educate
the negro first, and then give him the
ballot, but withhold it from the other
class until this is done, for We think il
will require as much time to loy"li:c the
disloyal, as it will to educate the isno'
rant. W. W. II.
}, Works, not Words.
The Richmond Wig is very indignant