The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-07-18

hut MH only legitimate modc by 'chich
they can Le recognized as eiti=ens is by a
luw Of naturalization. And in comforting
the privilege Of citizenship BY q law Of
naturalization, you may attach to it what
conditions and consequences you think
proper. III this Wow nm sustuinedby MIR.
johnson, who said, ID his acccptuncco oftbo
nomination for tho Vicc Presidency: 81
sag Mat the raitoS has censed to DC q
citizen, and, in joini"g III rebellion,
has Jccome a pnLifc enemy. lie forfeited
his right to vote with loyal mon when no
rcnouuced his citizenship, and sought to
destroy our Government. We say to tho
most honest and industrious foreigner,
who comes from England or Germany, to
dwell among US, and to add to the
wealth Of the country: Before you can
be a citizen, you must stay here tvo
years. II We are 80 cautious about for
eigners, who voluntarily rcnounce their
homes to live with US, what should we
say to tho traitor, who, although horn and
reared among US, has raised parricidal
hand against the Government which al'
ways protected him? My judgment is
that he should be subjected to scverer
ordeal Jcforc he is restored 10 citizenship"
And now, in regard to tho pardons
that have boon granted by Mr. johnson,
I do not believe they nrc worth ono cop
per. I have been carrying on q vigorous
war against these people at homo through
the newspapers and by letters, in which
| have cited as authorities Chief Justice
! Marshall and Chief Justice Tuncy, to
show that there is no power to pardon
before conviction. And inasmuch as by
law every man in this country is recog'
nized as. innocent until he is proven
guilty, the power to pardon and reprieVc
commenc nccs after conviction, and not be.
fore.
l deny that any State right has been
swept away. Ridiculous State ossump-
tions have been swept away, and | thank
God for it; but no right that existed
before the war but what exists now.
Certain rights, such rs representation,
have been abandoncd--voluntarily and
treachcrously abandoncd-and have thus
been taken from the people. But when
ever they shall make themselves fit to be
represented, and cease to prefer Russian
dcspotism to American freedom, they will
be admitted to the same representation
ngnin, and they have no business to DO
represented before.
Some pretend to say that they went
into this rebellion on account Of MIR.
Lincolns Proclamation Of Emancip patton.
think it is Joscphus who relates that
after the world was destroyed by water,
Noah appealed to the Almighty, and
prayed that the world might never be
!, destroyed by wutcr again, and lie prom
iscd that it should not be. But be also
replied: at wns not that brought on
the flood. 1t was your hard.hcartcd, stiff
ncckcd people that would not obey my
Constitution and my Law that brought
it on" And so Abraham Lincoln, if he
were now alive, might say: "lt was
no. that brought on the Emancipation
Proclamation; it was your hard. hearted
stiff. ncckcd, rebcllious people thai
$ brought on tho Emancipation Proclama
ton"
The question had arisen between tho
, life Of the Union and the existence O.
. slavery. And, for one, whenever tha
y question did arise, said then, and say
+ now, as o Southern man and slavehold
, or, was prepared to declare, as l did do
clare, ,"Let the Union live aud let sIavory
perish" If this Union had never con
g ierred but the onc.tenth or tho one
hundrcdth part that I and my childre'
I and nv forcEathcrs have derived from
it - that of securing my liberty ngains
, the world - would not have forsakeI
it for all the slaves that ever existed Oh
Garth.
And the question now arises-ono o
the most interesting connected with tn
present politics Of the day-wbat is tt
O be done with cmancipatcd negroes
. There are some people who believe thu
=. they arc to be instantancously admitted
, to tho right Of suffrage. ain not one o
@ them. While l um not one OF them, | 40
D not rebcl--I am not o secesssionist. l
! it comes upon me, shall not resist It
, When this Government or this country
n becomes so obnoxious TO me that car
not live under it with safety and satI'fac
ton, I will promise to leave it and ind I
homo ehewhcrc. will never disturb you
, rights and your security by rcbcll'oe
, againstit =.
I think know more about this insti
tuition of slavery than many OF my Nor
! ,hern friends who are so anxious for tn
, establishment Of negro suffrage. The,
. expect to overcome, to overpower th'
secession element in the South By con
f.rring suffrage upon the negroes. Cnh
f as q large minority of them are for it
, grant you there are great many v6f
$ would exercise the right very judlcIou''y
, and with great safety to tho country,
you would fail to break tho element
I Make tho constitutional amendment t.
f say that they shall ha7o the power t. t.
. vo,o whenever thoy vote the loyal ticket
. and when ,hoy do not, strike it out:
toll you, just as surely I" you live be,'
to.dsy. that tho Democracy will have o.
tbo;- yoios in the cud. They will give til
,E,,oo IN the m themselves iuota q