The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-01

the negro race renders their testimony OF
very little weight, and especially when
the dsputing parties belong to different
races the desire to serve their fellow
African will go far to destroy whatever
lingering regard for truth they may have
However, the credibility Of witness is
matter for the consideration of the jury
and the mendacity of the race consti.
tutes no real objection to the negro wit
ness bill. The strongest objection to the
bill and the one which the Delegates will
be compelled to meet when they lace
their constituents is, that, by removing
one of the distinctions OF race which
have heretofore prevailed in this State,
it opens the way for the removal OF 9TH
ers It tends to break down the barrier
between the races which some men call
prejudice but which is really implanted in
man By the Creator himself for a wise
purpose With all due Difference to our
much esteemed correspondent whose
communication we publish this morn
ing, we must repeat that we do think
the passage Of the bill making negroes
eligible as witnesses, step towards ne
gro suffrage and all the other fanati-
cisms which have sprung from the brain
of New England theorists Experience,
a very sad experience too, has proven
that this modern Radicalism grows by
what it feeds upon it is never full to
safety Once, it asked only restrictions
upon the spread of slavery then it
wanted negroes to serve in the army ;
then, because they had served in the
army. it wanted them to be invested
with citizenship now they are to be ad-
mitted as witnesses in the courts, but
does any person suppose radicalism will
stop here2 Tomorrow it will demand
that negroes be qualified to act as jurors
the next day we will have the negro sut-
frage, the next absolute social equality
will be conceded, and evils worse than
those that have cursed Mexico during
the last two hundred years will cast
their blight upon the people Of the
United States Let us beware OF the
beginnings and stop a5'V n our sure pro-
gress towards fate like that of Mexico
or the still worse condi ton of Jamaica.
There is really no necessity in this State
for such bill as that which passed tho
House o. Delegates yesterday We have
all got along very we'll under the old
system. our courts have been able to ad-
justice very successfully il the
past without the aid of negro testimony,
and we can see no reason why any
catastrophe should overtake
us by the continued exclusion OF the ne
gro from the courts The introduction
and passage of Sc unnecessary measure
at the present time shows that it is sim
ply one manifestation of that spirit of
radicalism which now rules the late Re-
publican party and which has already
endeavored to enfranchise the negroes
in the District Of Columbia, and would
do the same thing here and now i it
dared The only thing that restraints
the friends and advocates of the ne
gro witness bill from coming out
openly in favor of all the po
litical heresies of SUMNER or STEVENS,
or WENDELL PHILLIPS, or FRED DoUG-
LASS, is simply the fear that by so doing
they will injure their party. They
smother their principles for the sake of
gain, but once in while little
Outburst sucE as was seen in the House
Of Delegates yesterday takes place. and
reveals the depth of fauaticism to which
they would go were they not restrained
by tear of their outraged constituents
Should they succeed in retaining their
power, it cannot be doubted that they
will jast as readily adopt negro suffrage
or negro equality as they have already
the admission of negro tcsti-
nony.