The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-03

substitute. ,5.sg4
lse. The House then passed by the her, re
tional amendment just rs it came this
morning from the reconstruction com
mittee, and given above in full. The
yeas were 12O and the nays 46. ! u
Hon. G. D. Hubbard, ofthe first West
Virginia district, voted among the for
mer, and NIessrs. Latham and Whaley,
of the second and third districts, among
the latter. -. .z.L.-z - .,os
RECONSTRUCTION.
FROM THE LATE NOTED SPEECH IN CON-
aREss OF MR.. DEMINa, OF CONNECTICUT.
When the administration OF
Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated,
two alternatives were before the south.
They could have staid here, fighting
the government from the inside as they
had done for the last thirty years, and
while warmed in its too gentle and for
bearing bosom, marking 1t for slauBh-
ter and measuring 1t for the grave
They could have gone ont and attempt
ed an assault upon it from the outside.
They choose the latter. They raised
their bloody hands in rebellioni and
they no sooner did so than they found
themselves confronted with the most
puisant military power which the world
has ever seen, when begirt for war, and
when it had summoned its children for
battle.
They went down with their short
lived banners in the dust OF hnmilia-
tion and defeat. And If there is any
truth in this introversion into the south
ern dnilnuS, which has been laid before
the country, they are, like a willy and
discomfitted enemy, watching the
chance to steal back and adopt the other
alternative, and strangle the govern
ment here in the very sanctuary of its
power and majesty. "Ol doubter and
Rainsayer,v hear some ardent friend
of freadmission ask, "Have they not re-
pealed the secession ordinances2 Have
they not adopted the amendment to the
constitution and repndiated the.rebel
debit" o, yes, with command OF
cOuntenance and solemnity of visage
winch, under the circumstances, is
truly marvellous. They have told all
the beads, repeated all the aves, and
pattered all the~prayers enjoined upon
Them as a condition of absolution,. but
it is within the limits of possibility that
they have done all this to purchase un-
limited indulgence in sin; and not to be
invidious in comparisons, j am told that
Italian brigands are never so devout in
kneelings, Crossings, and pateFnosteTs,
ms when theyare about 10 plunge afresh
into crime. st
They have ratified the amendment to
the constitution, have they? But how
have they ratified it? With n construc-
ton and gloss upon 1t which Is more
trumpet-tongued proof of their peren-
uial perfidy TO the black race than all
the hypocriticNl mouthings'of acqpies-
cence in emancipation which could be
collected in a six months hunt from
Richmond to the Rio Grdnde. They
have ratified IL with II construction that
it merely abolishes the infamy of buy
ing, selling, owning human beings :
and under the exceptional clause ("ex-
cept as punishment for crime'O recon
structed North Catolina is now selling
black men into slavery for petty lar
ceny, and reconstructed South Caro-
lima, Mississippi, and Louisiana, saTe
lettering the contract system with SO
many subtle formalities, forfeitures,
and conditions, that a modern labor
contract is much like an old-fashioned
sIaYe-pen-a trap TO hold the freedmen
to his work and cheat him of his
wages. III.
Il is also true that in equivocal and
guarded language they have repealed
the secession ordinance and repudiated
the rebel debt. But who can have faith
in a generation of vipers9 The next
legislatures may re-enact secession and
reaffirm the deLt, and am determined
for onerto accept no bonds for their
good behavior which they are at liberty
either to cancel or steal But the oaths!
the oathsI They have sworn soaths to
be faithful to the constitution and to
support the laws. Yes, my friend,
they have piled Pelion upon ossa in
the shape of oaths; but alasi they have
taken all these oaths before, and on the
ton of them taken perjury upon their
souls; and those who witnessed their
perjured Senators and representative,
their perjured officers, military, naval,
aud civil, their perjured judges, and
their periured ours OF low degree,
rushing from the Bible which they had
kissed to the rebel congress and the
confederate camp, will require more
irreversible guarantees from the re-
turning prodigals than those which end
with $50 help me GodI" Confidence is
said to be plant of slow growth, and
if there is any kind of confidence which
should be longer than the American
aloe in blosSoming, It Is confidence in
any oath which these convicted oath
breakers can take.