The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-09-25

amendment to the National Constitution,
have been presented, not only to the peo-
ple of the South, but to the natien, Is
without precedent. For the first time In
the history of this Government PROPOSE
tions without connection have been
united in one amendment, and the PEG.
pie have been denied the opportunity OF
free choice concerning each. Inc hrst
section of this single article defines citl-
zenship of the United States. Inc sec
ond lays down the basis OF representa-
ton. The third is IN the following
words:
No person shall be Senator or Repre-
sentative in Congress, or elector of Pres
ident and Vice President, or hold any
office, civil or military, under the unl.eo
States, or under any State' VINO
having previously taken an oath,
as a member of Congress, or as an
officer of the United States, or as an ex'
ecutive orjudicial officer of any State, TO
support the Constitution of the United
States, shall have engaged in insurrec-
tion or rebellion against the same, or
given aid or comfort to the enemies
thereof. But Congress may, by vote
of two thirds of each House, remove sucn
disability. ;.
The effect of each of these utterly dis.
connected propositions is made to depend
upon the acceptance or rejection OF the
whole. I6 seems incredible that those
who insisted upon thus connecting them
could have expected that they would be
| ratified. The Southern people, after fol-
lowing their political leaders into the
late struggle and sharing the risk of their
fate, through four years OF terrible wal
are called upon to aid the proscrlption'
Whatever punishment their Leaders may
deserve at the hands of the Government,
| it is unintelligible that statesmen should
have dreamed of asking their associates
and followers to infict that punishment
upon them, especially punishment OF
| lasting disgrace more terrible than any
which the Government itself is author
| lied to impose. If, in the midst of their
errors, the people of the South retain the
ordinary fidelity of comrades In arms to
each other-the common sentiment OF
honor which rules all ompanionshlp-
they will not voluntarily desert the men
whom they have voluntarily and stead
! ily followed amid so many perlls. Ihey
will not accept this third section OF the
amendment, and they are forbidden to
accept the others without it. We be-
lieve that the only effect of such q prop.
osition will be q prolonged exclusion OF
the South from the practice OF selt,goV'
eminent and the warping OF patriotism
| But if they could be persuaded or con-
strained to accept it, we are at loss 10
| perceive the benefit to be derived from
| it, because no act of Congress, nor any
thing contained in the proposed amend
ment, gives any pledge of assurance that
| the adoption of those amendments Will
secure the admission of loyal rep
| resentatiyes from the Southern States
now excluded, or the recognition OF
their constitutional relations to the Gov
ernment of the United States. The pre-
amble and resolution adopted in the case
of Tennessee do not commit Congress to
the restoration of the Union should their
example be followed at once by every
other excluded State. It is evident from
the course pursued by the extreme men
who urge these amendments, and from
the sentiments enunciated by them, that
it is their fixed purpose, even IT the
amendments be adopted, to still insist
upon the political equality OF the colored
race as 2 condition precedent TO aam1e
ern States lately in rebellion. The par
tisans of these conditions attempt to ex-
cite the indignation and alarm of the
| country by declaring the readmission of
| the South without them is an abandon
| ment of the dear bought fruits of the
| war. It is not for the soldiers and sail
: ors of that war to shrink from being
! wise, lest they should be suspected Of
| insulting the graves of their comrades,
and forgetting the objects for which
they suffered so much. They know that
there is progress in the life of this ma
ton, and that there is God who AMI
mates that life, and they hold that fear
| to be as infidel as it is cowardly Nations
never die in their adolescence The man
hood which this people has indicated in
| war will not sicken and perish IN peace
The South cannot, if it would, cast of
| the obligation Of events; and under the
good that has been done it has shared
already, and by n law that is irresistible
| as time, must COntinne to share the COM
| mon development Of this season of quick
growth The North, with its sense Of
| Justice, its faith in true democracy, its
vigor and industry and vast wealth,
| must inevitably rule this l2ud; bnt twill
secure aud benelicially exercise that rule
only by the same process which governs
all true civilization, not by force II
| fear is entertained that the Southern PEG
pie may he insiDcero in what they have
done towards reconstruction, aud that
| they desire admission to The national
councils only that they may undo it and
repudiate our national debt, here is con-
| tinued exclusion by means Of the pro.
| posed amendment, which will not be
ratified. Their exclusion cannot be per.
manent. This people will not suffer it to
be lasting, and they will retaru at last
without those conditions, but still less
Inclined to patriotism ahd good faith.
They are Americans, aud they have at
least the weakness common to the nation;
and to them, as ii would be to us, exclu-
sion from the Union and from complete
self government is disoTganization, po-
litically aud socially The freedmen
among them and the rest of the nation
must suffer by everything which demon
allies their condition, and be benefited
by everything which elevates it True,
we do not believe the people of the South
will violate the good faith which they
have pledged to u.s.. In the National