The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-01-23

they doing this? Under the privileges
that have been conferred upon them
they have been SO far restored to their
political rights as to try to get their
State governments reorganized. There
has not up to this time in the whole
South been one single man elected to
any office who was known to be loyal
man, and they were rejected on account
of their loyalty, and the men who were
elected were elected on account of their
services in the rebellion and their pres
ent position of determined enmity to
the Government. Well, now, the ex-
pertinent of setting a people who are in
this temper and frame of mind to re-
organizing government, with the pros
pect of restoring them to their relations
to the Union and getting them repre-
sented in Congress, is very bad one.
There is no chance for 1t at all, because
although we cannot get indemnity for
the past we must have security for the
future. The Government in comforting
| its favor, its grace, its undeserved favor,
has right to do it in its own manner,
in its own time, and in its own meas
ure; and If It is wise it will not do 1t in
such manner, at such time or in such
measure as will put the existence of
the Government itself in jeopardy.
Hence we can proceed on no other prin-
ciple than this in accepting members of
Congress from these States, that they
must beloyal men. They must electand
send up their loyal men. Whenever they
are ready to do this, and as fast as they
do this, there Is no reason why their
members should not be accepted II IS
desirable to the whole country, and 1t
will be the interest of the whole eoun-
try, to get these two sections reconc1led
and get everything to working smooth
ly and harmoniously again; but 1t Will
be much more to the interest of the peo-
ple OF the South than of the North, for
they are ruined and dependent peo-
pie, and we are getting along tolerably
comfortably without them. Neverthe-
less we desire to have them restored;
but the safety of the Government re-
ouires that you let no rebel come into
Congress while he is a rebel; and the
safety of the country requires that you
let no man come into Congress who has
ever committed the crime of treason.
They tell you they cannot elect any
body else because they have no loyal
men. tell you that is not so. They
said the same thing in the county Where
had my headquarters. Ihey electeu
all their officers there and took patnsto
elect rebels, and elected them because
theywererebels,a ,and their papers advoca-
ted their claims specially on the eground
of the service they had rendered in the
rebellion; and they would not notice
anybody else or have anybody else
edge there were in the town of
fredericksburg about sixty loyal men,
and amongst them men better quallhed
and more competent to represent them
than the men they elected. They did
not want to elect loyal men. They did
not want to find them. They would
show them no countenance, and We're 1t
not for the protecting power OF the Gov
ernment by its military authority they
would persecute them SO badly they
could not live among them.
Well, now, how arc you going to cure
this2 You must show them they have
| got to give up their rebellion. We can
not cease from this contest until the re-
bellion is put down. 1t has cost us too
much, and there was too much in it at
| the start for US ever to abandon 1t. 1t
| is necessity, cost what it may-and it
has cost great deal and may and Will
cost more. But cost what it may 1t is a
necessity. This rebellion must be put
down, and you can never put 1t down
by comforting political rights on rebels
and putting them in places of power
and places where they can injure and
destroy the Government. This principle
must be adhered to.
There are certain guarantees talked
about that are proposed to be made
Constitutional amendments. One of
them is to prevent any State from ever
assuming debt incurred in the effort
to break up the Government. Well,
you will say they have all repudiated
these debts in their State Conventions
and Legislatures. But you will observe
| that this is simply an act of the people
of the State in their sovereign capacity,
and they can Mt any time abrogate 1t
aud set it aside, and adopt different
policy and if they ever get in posi-
ton that they can do this thing they
will do it, and they will assume all
| these debts. Now it is important that
they should be estnpped from this by
provision of the Constitution of the Uni
| ted States. 1t should stand there as an
eternal warning to all men not TO go
| into the treason of rebellion, because no
debt SO incurred could ever be made
good.
nothing shall ever be done by Congress
towards repudiating the debt incurred
by the Governmentfo for its preservation.
This also believe to be necessary, be-
cause there is a party in this country,
North and South, if they were in pow
err, would repudiate this debt, and
would subvert this Government and
establish monarchy or anything else
rather than let the Government live.
Another proposition is to change the ba-
sis of representation. Well, now, this is
an Indispensable necessity. II ought to
be done, first, because it is right in itself
that it should be changed. On what
principle ofjustice or right should these
Southern States have that much poIlt1-
cal power conferred upon them to which
they are not entitled-thirty-th mem
bers in Congress, representing whom
Representing the colored population.
Did the colored population choose them
for their representatives, and do they
go there in good faith to represent the
interests OF the colored population?
They are chosen by one class to repre-
sent another, ostensibly, when in fact
they represent the class that chose them,
nearly twice as much political power
as they are entitled TO on any principle
of republican government.
Now do not care much what kind OF
amendment you make, so 1t secures this
end; SO that no colored man from any
State in this country shall be counted
in the basis of representation unless he
is allowed to vote. Now mind do not
advocate this in order to force negro suf-
frage on any State, but I do it to pro-
tect the rights and interests of the white
people of this country. Why should a
population of five millions in the South
have in Congress thtrty-three more
members than five millions in any
other section OF the country2 The thing
Is preposterous. Now if you can attain
the end simply by changing the basis
of representation from that of members
to that of voters, all right. But see
some members in Congress have gone
to work and looked over the statistics
and found out, they say, this thing
would operate very unequally among
the States of the North. Well, now, if
that thing cannot be adjusted 10 operate
fairly ali round, then get up some other
device, but do not let this section have
any more political power than it is
Justly entitled to; and this proposition
would secure It: that no ,coIored man
shonId he countAd5 in the basis unless