The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-02

New YORK; Last tkteek.-sA GOOu DOC
ument for the Times.
Just previous to the delivery of Mr..
Stewards speech at Cooper Institute, in
New York, last Thursday night, the
following address was read to and
adopted by the immense gathering:
1t is the right and duty of the people
at all times to discuss the acts of their
public servants, and especially when
grave public questions are depending.
The present is IL time which demands
such discussion, both because the ques-
tions now before the country are ofgreat
magnitude in themselves, and because
differentviews prevailin the Legislative
and Executive Departments ofthe Gov
ernment. We hope these differences
are not irreconcileable; and in order
to promote u final agreement, the peo-
pie should interpose with an expression
of their own opinions.
The issue of the war, glorious to our
arms, and more glorious forthe freedom
which it brought, leaves upon our hands
the great task of paciticntion. This is
the first question. Every other is sub
ordinate to it. All attempts to pervert
the occasion to purposes of party, on
whichever side, are unworthy of just
men and dangerous to the public well
fare.
What the country needs is repose.
The conflict of arms has ceased; the
conflict of passions, which led to that
of arms, should cease also. The alacri-
ty with which our heroic soldiers have
returned to peaceful pursuits is not less
honorable than their victories. They
cherish no enmities toward thoselwhom
they have overcome. They did not
fight for vengeance, but for "the Union,
the Constitution and the enforcement
OF the laws.n They now want firm
.tion of armed hostilities, but public
tranquility. They wantand we want
/ all the channels of business to be re-
opened, and the whole people left free
to repair the waste of5War,t and the
Southern people to regain their places,
they can, as loyal citizens of one
country, with one Constitution and one
The element for disturbance, and, as
we think, the only one; to the political
freedmen, the late slaves
whom we have emanciLated by the
great Constitutional Amendment
| There is no Substantial disagreement
civil rights. Weall agree that they
must have all the civil rights of any
other class OF, f,citizens-t the rights of per-
son and of property, the right to sue
and to testify; in short, they must have
equality before the kdW. But whether
they shall also have the suffrage is the
dividing question. Those who insist
that they should have it, do 50 chiefly
on these grounds. Some of them say
that the elective franchise is natural
right; that every person has just title
to participate in The enactment of the
laws by Witch he is governed. Others
say that the blacks aided us in the sup
preston of the rebellion, and therefore
should be endowed with the privilege
of participating in the government of
the country which they helped to save.
Others still maintain that the suffrage
| is the only safeguard of the colored race
for the preservation of their freedom
and civil rights.
are denied, and, two other considera-
tions are put forward; first, that in re-
spect to the States, whether those lately
in rebellion or those which have ever
been Ioyal,l the Federal Government
has no right to interfere with the quesS
ton of the Seiective Franchise; and
second, that in respect to the District of
Columbia and theIterritories which are
su biect to the legislation of, Congress,
lie Question is one of expectancy, de-
pending upon the heciroumstancesof each
particular case; the elective franchise
being not right but trust, and, that
wherever great numbers of the blacks
are in an ignordnt and debased condt-
ton it would be unwise and dangerous
to iad ftlit them to the esu tfrage. These
are the opposing themes, and it cannot
be denied that the judgment which men
will form upon them depends much
II
can theory inherited from the fathers
will guard With scrupulous fidelity the
rights of the States as they were re-
served byi the J Constitution 1t will be
~ ~ eeia that.s the
~ hart.;,, tSIigotad tothe II.i
PoMSi ? u :, i,
~ st,s! S,s rssft,d
nlntLeu EGIs sSata n t6 ina
70 LIts i !s y. -,
psTEpaS. pTpor.s on, can he no question whatever
Ii Ens ~ ,St ia eiac1
. : ;.I;,siveJv St
i've ests,tot NH,, VorI- has
=, sLoIi or who
,SII no i,1,t I5,1td iy SirZ;Tin than Vir1
1a. t-ss ss,SSsS. ~ s53sii II. who shall
gina mas u Sas,, NY sn''ii u
hSS H,,ao so'e ,ba ~, nistrict Of Columbia the
0ne. ~ * tsntpls ID M SS,,ht nIenarv
3, ;e i ,aS,s1 no he eSercised moi
i. ouS ~ Is. - tt rF ths, District
Stii9 tYi az ,,,t,ofs cogntTy Jnr Con.
s'..n.s tot ~, PrasiIIents ISnr .Tudges. our
~ hiI;et IN Nt;nisters. the Ministers Of for
I,es,t
w, =, ,ssoifi fo,.T tI,e
are, fort anS copveniencs ali
sssS1EEsS sSas,i 49, tsssl fI,nn fnrt1e
III ~ 9,,;,,ce Sf fhs
NJ tI,e
other lnhanltatIs: :,;,t TS;st.ia.. aiI iti,S
goVerhlnSshe !lls =. r.1l,,, ~
piaSks ,,si. S'.l. - ts;1ioI,,
o..eS toa
80. - 81 Iilt sliscriEii.
. ;s NJ,
naLl2n ss4ts e tas5 a u tis,a ,honsand