The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-10-05
,.,,.r from General WHARF.-The
Views of a "True hey IN Blue"-
Negro Suffrage the Issrc.
CLAYMoNT, Sept. 26, 1866.


CLAYMoNT, Sept. 2s, 1860.
Thomas n. Woodward, Esq, and Others
Committee: k.St6 z
GrsrIEMrN: I have received Your
favor of yesterday, inviting me to ad.
dress a meeting Of my Democratic and
Conservative neighbors on Saturday
evening next % IS
Iregret that the state OF my neai'n
renders it imprudent for me to be out az
| night when possible to avoid 1t.
An my sympathies and pest "lsnes'
however, are with those whose e1orts
are directed towards restoring the VI ion
of the States as 1t was constructed Dy
the great statesmen of the past. To AID
in the election of q Congress which shall
honestly accept peace and union now
that thew are offered, seems to me to be
a work of true patriotism, worthy of any
/ effort. and any reasonable sacrifice
There can now be no honest doubt that
onr fellow-citizens of the excluded States
ara willing and anxious togive any rcas-
onable guarant ee of the earnest and b on
orabls acceptance of the results of the
| war-especially the abolition Of slavery,
and the adoption and guarantee OF tue
national debt. This is manifest NOS only
from the uniform approval by southern
Conventions and public men OF the plat.
form of the great National Convention OF
the I4th of August, but from the quick
and hearty response made py the LeSis
latures of South Carolina ana OF ner
Southern States, as evidenced III
the immediate repeal of their So
called "black codes" and the elevation
of the negro to entire equality WIN
other citizens, save as to the single rlsnt
which we in Pennsylvania deem best
also to withhold, viz: suffrage. Under
LEGISLATION enacted within week past,
the negro in South Carolina, as to all
his rights of person and property ana
education, is now placed precisely on q
mar with his fellow in Pennsylvania.
Wby then. we may justly ask, should
not the State which has ranged her'
self alongside of Pennsylvania be rel re
sented as Pennsylvania is represent ed,
and "a the Consultation prescrlbes LOT
| hotb2 They have forever abolished
slavery. they have solemnly admitted
the binding obligations Of our national
debit and have bestowed upon the ne
gro all the rights which we allow MN;
What further, then. does this haoicsi
Con gress requirel There is really moth
inc left to dem and except negro sufraqe'
and this, gid i and disguise it as they
may, is really heir great and ultlm tie
object
True. they rave obscured aud els
euised the rea design in their constitu-
fiopal aunendn emit, by which they pro-
nose to change the whole structural
character of he Republic as 1T vas
| established by Washington and his CO.
temporaries-or in other words to aban.
don the old Union which we all thonght
we were fighting for, and to institute
a ne one which shall better suit the
new views Of Messrs, Stevens, BROW u
! low aud Doug ass
Our fathers, after a long discussion,
concluded to base representation on
| population, and not on voters merely.
New England now requires that that
distinguishing feature of the Republic
shall be given p, and that represents
tiou in the Leg stature shall depend on
population in The North, but on eoters
Ia, .I,av tssa,stl.v.Is,rv srefun, auu ano0
for the South-a fragment for each-tor
such must be the practical operation OF
their crafty and complicated scheme;
Thav ara by no means in favor OF
1neSro suffrage But the South must
4 either confer that right on her negroes
. which. in several States where the
! I,lacks have the majority, would be VII
! tnoIiy handing over to them the State
Covernnrent, with the certainty OF thelr
Sending negro Senators and Representa-
tives to Congress, or else, if they hes ~
to put themselves under tttl hS1 are to lose
of the late asHtse!ffi laafhf1 of the representation
| Which the Constitution guarantees to
them
Until our unfortunate Southern
brethren shall hs tormented into accept
| ing ore or Other of these calamities, and
thus alling e. an inferior and excep-
| tiona position ia the Union, they are to
be ca 5luded al 'gether, and a generation
of inhabitants i'll be permitted to grow
ND il ten State which must inevitably
and Justly regu d US as oppressors and
task. 10 asters- king them with relent'
less eight, vhile denying them all
|
@Now, this sci me, which is SO cunning
" provided in the constitutional
amendment, however it may crafty the
hopes of contractors or the malice OF
politicians is 1t, in my Judgment, in
accordance witt the solemnly proclaim,
cd premises of Ir. Lincoln, or with the
well known res lutions Of former and
ADLER Congress Nor is it the way TO pre-
serve he Union nor to consolidate the
patriotism ana selfrespect Of great
integ al nation.
1t is not VIII l and other soldiers
tough, and suffered for; it is not what d
brave people OF hit to impose on beat
en-, but manly AID honest foe; it is not
the wish of Grant, Sherman, Porter
Farragut, or aIy of the great leaders oi
the war; and, if adopted, it will, believe
in the end, retu u TO plague the victor;
worse than the vauqulshed.
No. 1t is not vengeance or persfcu-
ton that is demanded by the Northern
people. What We want is UuiOn, peace
friendship and forgiveness, and the uni
versal prosperity which must follow
these, and these alone.
Believing such to be the sentiments OF
the Conservative and Democratic citi'
zens in whose name you have invited
me, I have no hesitation in saying that
my hopes and wishes are for your sue
| c.ss ~ rebnkiuo the revolutionary