The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-11-21

| ASAANos 0DNAOun ACfSldI1OuS bQe llY-
ing present, betTdy the South into the
QHy Of Perditi0n whose jROod0ates The
Radical leaders are aDditin1 O7lLV the ia
UorGbte OpporttfIity to open anon her.
For ourselves, we wash our hands of ali
part In SO cruel, so wicked, so criminal
a betrayal. We tell the South that it
has but one way to head off the RaCli-
cal Vaccinations for its degradation.
and that is to accept the Inevitable as to
negro suffrage, and exercise her right
as States TO establish a fair and Just
system in accordance with the devel-
opments ofpublic opinion. We 6eEieUe
the South is moving to do this. She may
be sure that soon she will not have even
the choice between impartial suffrage
and the constitutionalam amendment, and
she knows how infinitely preferable the
former is to the latter, and how injuri-
GUS to her the latter would be.
The Rochester Union does not come
down SO gracefully as the Chicago and
Boston organs, but surrenders after the
following style:
Following the explanation of Judge
Regan, of Texas, member of JEFF. Dayis'
Cabinet, and others who aided at
l Charleston and Washington in the
work OF wrestling the administration OF
the Government from the hands of the
Democratic Party, the Chicago Times,
| WAAGny WtOTG CtIN tt1tY OGtteG-s JOkF1lESk III
tte country, has eIerted an influence cal
cuLdted to Keep that party IN amiMoTfty,
Is now verY much exercised upon Il
question of its own raising, viz: "Shall
the Democratic Party Live or Die?n In
its consideration of the proposition the
1tnseS lays down two "lines" which it
thinks ought to be pursued: /. A cut
ting loose from the administration of
President Johnson; and 2. A coming
out in favor of negro or Impartial"
suffrage.
The first cline" is superfluous one,
for the very good and sufficient reason
that the Democratic Party Is not fast
ened to The Administration of President
Johnson. 1t and President johnson
have agreed perfectly in matters of con.
Istttuttonal construction and in policy
of restoration, and they have acted in
independent accord as has seemed best
to. each. The Democratic Party oweS
nothing from him. 1t has no action to
take with regard to his Administration.
Tho only possible question which brings
them into relation is one for the sole
consideration of the resident-tUHetheY
he aOiH he1lcefoTth join and act with The
Democratic PCET'ty, or stand as 7lOiO lUhoLLy
isolated so far as party connections are
concerned.
AS to the matter of negro or "impar-
tialp suffrage, as national question,
that cannot legitimately come up until
we first agree to the amendment of the
Constitution and change'in an essential
form our Government. The Democratic
party is not SO much opposed to a
proper extension of suffrage as to the at
tempt to secure such extension in an un-
conditional manner. That party has by
antipodean and conspiring influences
been deprived of power, because it
stood by the Constitution and its com.
/ hnN lad
fathers-because it upheld the Consti-
tuition and States rights under it, while
other parties North and South, became
open nullitiers and advocates of States
rights above it. The events of the past
few years, and especially the result of
the elections of 1865, show that The people
are not for the Constitution as it stands.
1t is decided, against what is called the
conservatism of the Democratic party,
that the Constitution must be amended.
This conclusion comes and stands in
such way as to prove exclusively that
the rebellion of the South in attempting
to assert unwarrantableS State rights has
weakened If not destroyed in the North
respect for Legitimate State rights, and
| that the feeling for assimilation in all
matters pertaining to Federal power is
too strong to be overcome. The cor
rectness of these premises being con-
ceded, it follows that the simple duty of
LUG 2<GNbCCINStE Pt6t - 90 ODtU tU ttIS IlG=
ciSiO1t Of The people and address itself to
the tUOrkof q far aud impartial read
jLStRteHt of the points i3I dispute, tOhich
may be stated as tlVo in one
Representation and Id1dtion. Com
ing to these points, we believe it is
! the duty of the Democratic party,
instead of taking formal action hostile
to President Johnson or his adminis-
tration, to unite With him in support of
his manifestly just and simple plan of
amending the Constitution so as to base
representation upon voters and taxa
tion upon property. We believe it
would be wise, in view of the agitation
danger of inequalities as great as exist
now from the temptation held out to
States to increase their apportionment
of voters, to go further, and to have the
quail ifodtionS for the right of suffrage IN
the election of President Vice President
and members Of Congress made 1tnifOrNl
throughout the United States aud cypress
" declared i1t The Federal Constitution.
This, coupled with a general amnesty,
would clinch the nail ola perfect set
Element. Representation based upon
voters, the qualification of voters for
Executive and Representatives made
uniform and "impartial," !" taxation
based upon property uniformly assess
ed, and general Rmnesty-why not all
of these be agreed upon together, by
North and South, Democrats and Re
publicans, and the people of thecoun-
try turn their attention to and divide
upon finance and other important mat
ters that are now lost sight of In the
shade of the negro7 The differences of
opinion as to what ought to constitute
the quail ification for the exercise of the
Federal franchise would be reconciled
by its uniformity, which would ensure
equal and exact Justice: while in mat
Nf OF ftSfEa aopIN
ber of the Uuion would retain its power
as now over the local franchise.
The Southern PresbytorIans.