The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-04-26

people of this State. am not lawyer
by education or intuition, therefore my
opinion on constitutional questions will
he entitled but little weight; bat such
as il is You shall have il.
have always regarded the voters
fest oath as unconstitutional, aud know
ing many OF our best and most loyal
Union men hold the same opinion, and
that some of them refused to execute ii.
As 20 the policy of the voters test cath
aud registry act. | can only say that l
then thought, and still think il an I'M
called for and unjust measure. In the
first place, when the test oath was en-
acted, in the session O.. 1868, there was
really but enc party in the otate-the
party loyal Il the Union and the State.
That unpopular law. Of doubtful consti-
nationality divided this party, and ere
ated disturbances within it, and has
given birth taanhealable divisions. The
test oath Of the sess on OF 1860 was by
its advocates urged as q war measure.
and that apology was at the time gene
rally accepted by the Union party for its
harshnesS.
However. when The war ceased and
the rebels Hefe whipped, disbanded, and
detected, AID returned to their homes
among Us, lie test oath was hot repealed;
but the government Was asked TO re-
SEND the parole given to rebel soldiers
ta return 10 their homes. and thus to
violate the good faith Of the govern
ment. Was this course, pursued by some
Of eur authorities, calculated 10 encour
age loyalty | think not. rs have
before said the war measure test oath
was not repealed, but registry act is
enacted to make it more stringent and
oppressive, to be executed at q most eX
orbitant expense to theState, and which,
81 course mist increase our taxes, now
oppressiveiy high.
On the back Of all this Weare asked to
adopt q constitutional amendment to ex-
elude from 5he right OF citizenship AL
who have voluntarily given aid to the
rebel cause, q provision never yet adopt
cd, or likely to be adopted. by any other
State of the Union. Is this good policy
Is il calculated to build up and give
prosperity 70 cur infant Statea We are
told by the advocates of the voters test
oath registry law and unconstitutional
amendment that the object IS to keep
rebels out OF office. Is not the iron-ciad
oath Of Office sufficient for that purpose"
] was q member OF the first Wheeling
convention, and was presenta At the birth
Of our new State, and as long as lie
shall last and reason shah remain, viii
thrails, the hopes and fears which per
vaded this section at that time.
/ find, by reference to the Journal of
the convention that the suffrage clause in
the constitution bearing ca treason ana
traitors is just as it was reported by the
committee. There were two motions to
amend on that subject-ohe by JUDGE
Hall, which was defeated by a vote Of
thirteen for, 70 thirty-three against, and
the other By Judge Brown, for which
amendment there were six Votes, and
forty against it. voted Nth the ma
iority against both amendments. after
which the section was adopted. There
was where | stood then. and there IS
where stand now. 1t is the advocates
oftest Oatls sand unconstitutional amend
ments who have changed, not me. Then
it was the best evidence of loyalty to
vote for the adoption Of that constitution
and the new State. Now a man is not
loyal who does not labor to alter Or
amend that constitution. Well, gentle
men. my love for the constitution and
our State has hot abated, but increased,
and cannot see the propriety or the ne
cessity Of the test oath or constitutional
amendment Perhaps that grows out
Of the fact that | am an old man, utl-
DESTROYS Of any Office whatever, and,
perhaps, If | were young and ambitious
my mental vision might be better.
After the surrender Of the last OF the
rebel armies, the President demanded OF
the Southern States certain constitutions
al guarantees before their admission to
representation in the Congress of the
United States, which most of them have
given, and their representatives. if I'M
questionably loyal, should be admitted
to seats; but when these States
gave the guarantees required, their
loyal, as we'll as their disloyal represent
atives, were met at the door Of Congress
by q radical majority, and new and
hitherto unheard of demands and guar
antees are required of them. They arc
told that the right of suffrage, and all
other rights given to the most intelli-
gent and worthy white men, must be
given to the negro. As one side adj
vanced, the otherlreceded, and yet po-
litical convention, 'in which was the
radical majority Of our Legislature, APP
proved of the action of the Radical ma
jority of Congress. True, they also APP
proved of the course of the President