The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-24

n good deal of trouble another propost-
ton was cooked up by the Committee
on Reconstruction, which viii read
to you now, that you may see the diff
ference aRepresentatives shall be APP
portioned among the several States
which may be included within this
Union according to their respective
numbers, counting the whole number
of persons in each State, excluding In
dians not taxed: PrOUided, That
whenever the elective franchise shall
be denied or abriged in any shape, on
ACCOUNT of race or color, all persons
therein of such race or color shall be
excluded from the basis of representa-
tion.D Now, is not that fair PROPOSE
ton? We took a basis of representa-
ton as before, upon population, SO as
to provide for the ladies of New Eng
land, the foreigners OF New york ana
the rebels of the South, and we said II
Won exclude from voting any portion of
yorlr- people on account of race or
color. Won shall not exercise their
nolitfcaI powers; but that political
power shall be divided all over this
broad country. [Applause.l So that
it South Carolina were to say, We MliI
not give these 400, 900 blacks any politl-
cal power, here" We would reply,
toThen YOU shall not yourselves exer-
else the power that they should have
Won shall not cast their votes" Gap
plause.) Now, my friends, mark the
singular position in Congress within
the last week or two, This proposition
was reported by the Committee on Re-
construction, and 1t passed the House
of Representatives by an overwhelming
vote, believe every Union man voted
for it and every Democrat against it,
And why did they vote against in Be-
cause It took away from the rebels po-
liticaI power that these Democrats
might want to use some time; that is
the reasou. We are all governed by
self-interest. But in this case we want,
ed to take away that power from them
because it was just to do SO, and be-
cause we don't choose to trustthe rebels
to vote for the negroes; 1t was bad
enough TO trust them to vote for them
selves. (Laughter.1 We didn't want
to 90 further than that at one time, and
that was Just the difference between us
and the Democrats, That proposition
come to the Senate, where it was de-
bated at some length, for you know
there is no limit to debate in that body.
1t was debated there, and hnally put
to a vote. The Democrats voted against
II. lust MS was naturally TO be expected.
SOME gentlemen, who had committed
themselves too stt ongly to the proposi-
tions ofthe President, also voted against
il. and some other gentlemen, who are
known as Radicals, would not vote for
it because, perchance, there was some
inference buried under these words,
that n State might exclude portion OF
her people from the ballot-box on the
ground of race or color, and the conse-
0uence was that although there were
more than two-thirds of the Senate de-
sirous 10 accomplish the object of this
resolution, only twenty-five voted for
il, and against it. 1t was
therefore defeated, and its further con-
until yUnRtr
Now say that between the PROPOSE
ton of the President and that of the
Union members of Congress there is
not the difference between Tweedlcdum
and Tweedledee; it is n mere difference
of opinion as to the means that
will best accomplish the object
sought to be attained. But il
that proposition is carried out L
am satisfied that it will be effective,
and that no one will have a right to
complain. I2don't believe that the peo-
ple of New England will complain,
even III the ladies are not counted, be-
cause the descendants of New England
in the West still remember and love
the home of their ancestors, and If you
don't count the ladies here, let them
come out there and we will count them
twice over. [Inughter. don't think
either, that the State of New York is
in such a virtuous condition that if n
portion of her foreigners who live here
and make money, and enjoy the
naLnralized, are excluded from the
ballot-box, the people will cry aboutit.
Nor do 1 believe that the present con-
dition of society in the Southern States,
which is merely temporary, ought to
be made the basis of an amendment to
the Constitution. which must endure
for all time. think it is wise states
~ 20 n constitutional
upon n State of affairs
which is merely ephemeral; and, there
fore, am willing to vote for either of
these amendments, the Presidents or
that of Congress, which Will base rep
upon population. All this
difference, then, between the President
and Congress is not sufficient for any
body to quarrel about, and if anybody
wants to abuse Andy johnson on nc
count of his difference with the MAJOR
ity of Congress on this subject, he ought
in fairness first to. abuse the Union
of Congress who would not
aid us to carry out our plan. And 1
wish some of You gentlemen to think
of that u little. There is another point
on which there is n difference between
the President and Congress, and that is
how farthe elective franchise should be
to the negro population of the
Southern Stutes. For myself, never
could understand why, and I never
could reason myself into the belief that
any person should be excluded from The
of the elective franchise
merely because of color. do under
stand why people may be excluded
from suffrage on account of conditions;
and / can understand that the negro 1
is now so ignorant on ac-
count of slavery, as that it would not
be wise now to compel the Southern
Statesto give them the elective fran
cbise as condition of readmission to |
the Union. But would refuse to make
this condition, not because the disfran-
chised} people are black, but be-
cause by reason of their long
and consequent ignorance
they are unfit to exercise that high
right of suffrage by which the will OF a
free people is expressed. The right of
suffrage is too precious to be given TO
any but patriotic men and Intelligent
men. When American citizens go up
TO deposit their ballots, they exercise
the samo power thatthe Emperor Ma
poleon or the Emperor of all the Rus
sias does when he issues his edict. The
vote cast by the people of America IS
their sovereign command, and the
highest law of this land, subject only |
to The constitution OF the United States.
say, therefore, we ought
not to force the southern States to put
the ballot into the hands of the negro |
at present-at least until
they shall have been educated into
some degree of intelligence. But if I
am compelled TO choose between giving |
a voice in our Legislature TO rebel or
TO an ignorant negro 1 will take the
negro ten thousand times over. Jap
The legislation that we do
now is not for this day or generation
merely. We are mere worms of day,
passing into our graves; but the Gov
ernment we are now administering is
N last II trnst for all time When 1our