The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-10-12
Sustain the Constitution.


Suppose that, at some future time, a
Congress should be elected composed of
q majority of Democrats. And suppose,
further, that the Democratic members
should assemble at Washington city on
the day appointed for the meeting of
Congress and organize themselves into
the semblance of legislative body re-
fusing admittance TO the Republicans
who constituted the minority. Could
such body of men constitutionally act
as the Congress of the United States,
and would It's acts be respected aud
obeyed by the people? Most surely not.
And yet the case we have supposed IS,
in all essential respects, similar to that
presented by the radicals III the present
Congress In fact, the assumptions Of
the radicals are, if possible, even more
lawless and revolutionary than would
be the action of the Democrats in the
case we have supposed All the repre-
sentatlyes of ten powerful and populous
States are excluded from partlciP patton
in legislative proceedings, and the men
who have thus unlawfully usurped The
power Of government claim the right to
impose unconstitutional conditions upon
the excluded States before admitting
them to the exercise aud enjoyment Of
their lawful rights IL addition to this,
the conditions sought to be imposed ara
such as outage the feelings Of al the
pCvt'>0 IF H. G---AL--->l &c ,-..arl- .,,.a
half Of the inhabitants of the Northern
States One of these conditions Is no
less than the comforting of civil, pollti-
cal and social equality upon the degrad-
ed and british men of race Inferior
and antaConistic to the whites. The
people Of the South must submit to be
governed By their former slaves, aud
hat of tbs people of the North must
submit to having their political power
neutrali1ed or destroyed By tho votes OF
a race that never las been tt for self gov
ernment and never can be-a race I'd at,
without the care of the whites "nu'd
either relapse into barbarism, or 'e5"me
extinct by It's own vices. Aud Yet The
body of men that has control of r'e leg
islative branch of the governmei and
assumes to make laws for the naf ~. De.
MICS representation to ten States "f the
Uriop until this revolving propositi"" is
conceded.
Now we ask every honest and "anaid
Republican, and we do not deny that
there are many such, to look this queS-
ton fairly in the face. Has tia Con
gress acted in accordance with th"'lrus
of the constitution which was s.-uuly
ordained to be "the supreme las # the
laud ?" Has the Congress any righr 20
impose upon any STATE, as a condition
precedent 70 its representation aus con
ditions not authorized by tie c0DStifu-
ton Has the Congress right 10 sly
that any State shall be de. rived Of rep.
resentation until that State permits ne
groe> to vote2 Was not the late bloody
war wagsd simply for the purpose Of
restoring the Union and maintaining the
constitutions and have not the radicals
in Congress IL effect destroyed both?
The Union II still unTestortd the oOHsti
tutiun is daily disregarded. Certainly
this state Of thngs demands the 7tten.
ton OF every lover of his country
We have departed very far from
the principles taught rs b, the
founders II our republican government;
we have disregaTded the warnings they
gave; and now we must either return to
those principles, 30 obedience ami eyer-
enoe for the Constitution and the Uaion,
or we will inevitably drift into TIE an
archy aud despotism which some - the
earlier statesmen foretold and toSard
which we are now rapidly tending.
There is grave cause tor alarm If we
would avert the evils which another war,
which succession of wars, will ing.
we must compel the radical faction to
obey the law and restore the Uuion
The President is true to his obliga ions,
md is struggling, almost single-bauded,
for tire right. Let US rally around aud
sust ain and help and encourage him in
his work, and do what we can for tie
preservation OF constitutional govern
ment and of peace.