The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-03-12
For TeIegraphic News Sec Ee"r'h
Page,
sHE ApDR e S s.
J0 THE PEOPLE OF WEST VIRGINIA.

serving the nights ana IioI 49, W., o,,1 Of
selves and their fellow citi"eno, 'u" .a "'
ter adopting the resolutions "ino4 a." W.
ranublish herewith, request9" "s on tnoii
behalf to address you on the gueslloli1
that are now a%i'"'i"s' '''
in West Virginia.
=" Ereedom of speech and of the press is
,,,rantied to us by the constitution of
fbe limited States and of West Virginia,
We have the right to examine and dis
mss the acts OF our rulers, and if we suf-
fer ourselves to be deprived OF this right,
the pretencc of liberty becomes a mere
mockery 1t is true our legislature has
told us that we must not question the
constitutionality of their measures, but
we propose to exercise this privilege not
withstanding the prohibitions and If, by
doing so, we incur the penalties that
have been threatened, we must rely
upon the Constitution for our protection,
We are aware that to appeal to that in
strument is regarded, III certain quarters,
as n proof of disloyalty We may incur
this reproach, but it cannot come from
nnr legislators, our executive or the Off
GERS of the State, who have sworn to sup
mort the constitution to which we would
appeal 1t is said, too. III high quar-
ters. that "rebels and rebel sympathiZ-
ers' are now the most devoted friends OF
the constitution, and the most boisterous
defenders of the. integrity of the new
state. Be it sO-we congratulate them
noon their conversion. We will STILL
however, venture to support both the
constitution and the integrity OF the
state of West Virginia These words,
rebels and rebel sympathlZerS, have
heeu abused by selfish and malignant
men until they have lost their charm.
They have been so often used as
the pretext or cheap defence, for
iniouitous and oppressive measures,
tlbt we can no longer b6 deceived
and influenced by them The peO-
pie, in every section OF the state,
have learned that IT is not every one who
cries aloud against rebels and rebel SYM
n,tLizers that is an honest man, or wOr-
Inv of the public confidence; aud we be-
heve that they will maintain both the
new State and the constitution, notwlth-
standing any use that may he made OF
snch phrases The new State Is heU
work. and though it may have fallen Tor
q time into evil hands, they Will not
abandon it In fact it is too firmly es-
tablished to be any longer proper sub
iect of discussion. Its existence is be-
yopd the reach of any political party
II has been recognized by every depart
mont of the General Government, by the
state of Virpinia-from whose Jurlsdlc-
tion il was TsepaTated-and by every
state in the Union with which 1t has
had anv official intercourse As we'll
MIGHT we dispute the legal existence OF
So States of Ohio and Kentucky, be-
mss their territory was once included
thin the limits Of Virginia. The con-
,t;tntiou is the great act--not OF the
Iegislature-but of the people, They
noSsed il in 1868, by a vote OF |5"|l 10
20 or about fifty to one, and 1t derives
;ts whole force aud effect from that rati-
fcation We believe they will require
+Loir nublic servants to obey it. 1t Is
~ oriIr safepuard of our liberties-the
o,,Ir means bV which the weak can be
T,rntacted against the injustice OF the
ltrong-by which power can be restrain
81 ,T7tbin its proper limits, and the
U;o,ts of every one defended against op-
preston and tyranny, from WhateFer
pnarter and under whatever preteXt
they may come. Every man IS interested
in preserving it inviOlate, Tor he Knows
NOT how soon he may he compelled TO ap-
.eol to it for his own protection.
Tnat constitution, we think, has been
grossly violated by the recent act which
fhe Legislature have been pleased TO call
AN act to regulate the registration OF
voters" 1t is true that the twelfth sec
tion of the third article declares that
rho legislature may provide for regis
rrv of voters" But a registry Is merely
= list a record. or an enrolment; and
tbe constitution i'll the first section OF
tbe same article, has also declared who
,boU be voters, in language too PLAIN to
he misunderstood. This section provides
that every white male citizen OF the
state who has resided therein Tor twelve
months. and in the county Tor thirty
1avs. shall BE- entitled 10 rOtc (such are the
amnhatic words OF the instrument I'M
los! he is a minor. or OF unSOund mind,
ar q manner. or is under conviction OF
treason felony or bribery in an election.
Tho first section and the twelfth section
lre equally parts of the instrument, ana
we must give effect to both The collstl-
tution authorizes the Legislature to pro
vide for n registry of rOtCrH but 1t has
itself explained what the word roters
shall mean. The power conferred 10y
the twelfth section is, therefore, nothing
more than to provide that proper lists or
enrollments shall he made from time to
time of the persons who are designated
as voters by the constitution. No au
fhoritv has been granted to the Legisla.
'ture to prescribe who shall vote or who
.shajl not, for that is fixed by the constl-
autiol itself
What is then this so called registration
oct stripped of all false pretences Is
II an act to provide for such registry
.0teyS as the constitution manltestly
OF ~ulates Who imagines that 1t
coh.eh,. "a lt,,, Ted for any such purpose! IN
T was .in iu'9n mr"+on," ,"e of registry law, the
nTT, n1iS st Stricken out of the constitution and
the Legislature have assums" 'ue pow ,;t -
to regulate the right of suffrage ~ sun nI
themselves. Let us not be decelYSu y.
name. The act IN question does NOT
provide for registry of voters, accord
ing to the constitutional signitcation OF
those terms, but for the registration OF
such persons as the Legislature permits
to exercise the right of suffrage
The question, then, in reference to the
constitutionality of the registration act
IS simply this: Our constitution has de
II