The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-02
cipqted brother to the rights sefIman,

cipated brother to the rights of Fmah-
hood. Wewould take him by the hand
and bid him stand up and be of good
cheer, for hehceforth no man can call
himself his master. But when we are
asked to give all the men of his race 4t
the moment of their emancipation the
right to. participate in the Government
we must answer in the words of their.
own number, more Intelligent than.
many others. white or black, tthe ablt- :
bodied only bear arms, the able-mind-
ed only should vote" z. - 80.
To Insist that the black will not be
protected in their freedom and all their
rights, if they have not the elective.
franchise, is to: forget that by the sec
ond clause of the Great Amendmentit it
is provided that Congress shall have
power Is. enforce this article by. appro-
PIRATE legislation" .siiE-se.l-
It is also to forget that the men and
women of the South are OF like senti-
ments and instincts with ourselves, and
something, certainly, may be expected
from their regard to their interests and
from their sense of justice. ii. =.
1t is a curious feature of the Freed
mems Bill, which the President has just
vetoed, that it took the pblaclSs under
the protection of the Federal Govern
ment asif they were not able to take
care of themselves; whilethe same per-
sons who rsged through the meastre,
are the most clamoro to give the same
dependent population a large share in
the government OF the country.
The exclusion of Representatives in
both Houses of Congress from the
States lately in rebellion can only be
justified hlthe theory that those States
are not in the Union, or that no proper
elections have been held, or that the
persons. elected cannot take the. oath
prescribed by Congress as n test of 10y
atty. The first theory is opposed to the
opinion and practice of the whole North.
during the war, and the last
cannot apply, because the oath has
not-Ebeen rendered to any person
to obe a representative, the sec
be held, for there does not appear to
have been any investigation before the
regular committee on elections of the
and fairness of the respec-l
tive elections. Some other reason is
to exist, and that desire to
make the exclusion n means of COM
pelling those States to do something
which they could not otherwise be COM
PEELED TO do. This is an unjust proceed,
ing and an unsafe precedent. Con-
gress cannot, of right, do indirectly
what it cannot do directly. We are
bound, therefore, to express our con-
viction that the exclusion yasrepresenta
LlVeS from the eleven winch are
now unrepresented in Congress, of 10y
al men, who were fairly elected, and can
take the oath, is a manifest usurpa-
ton. - i,5.'. ,l...'str,.fa mo at.isl,-..
+ Eellow-citizens, the maintenance of
the constitution, which is but another
preston for the, fidelity of the public
servants to the trusts which they have
sworn 10 execute, is of more value to
the people of this country than the rise
or fall of any party, or the success or
failure ofany measure. In the present
unhappy difference between Congress
and the President, the latter, in obedi-
ence to'his sense of constitutional duty,
declines the vast patronage and power,
civil and military, which the former
would give him. We honor him for
this. We believe the whole country
willdo as much.G 1t knows'that no man
has suffered more,io or struggled harder
for his convictions. His loyalty to his
country, and his devotion to all classes
of its people, are ,unquestioned; and
while it does not become treemen to
promise beforehand concurrence in all
acts of any public servant, we express
to Andrew johnson. our confidence in
his integrity, and his fidelity to the
principles in reference to which he was
elected our hearty commendation of
the general doctrines of histwo messa-
ges, and our readiness tonsupport him
In all constitutional measures for the
public welfare. ~ gs, ~. -. -. 5.,te