The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-27

dUOuO tulEty buOubduo uOhS'
what9 To virtually degrade nearly one
half of the voters of the State; aye, TO
send sadness and sorrow to the already
hearts of down.trodden'
fallen foe, driving from your State pop
ulation of those to the manor born, at
the same time that you are anxionsiy
awaiting emigration and have expensive
agents employed for the purpose. 1t is
h1man to err and god-like to forgive"
Does it comport with the duty of wise
craftsmanship to leglslate for par
ty instead of country9 Let patrio-
tism take the place of passion and the
future prosperity Of our new State
become paramount consideration. Sir,
opposed secession,-the Pandora's box
from which comes all our troubles. That
ism has met it's reward, and stand here
in NV place alike to resist such meas
ures, come from what quarter they may.
cenfietingiin my judgement with wis.
dom and Justice as well as to infracting
the organic laws of the land, both FEEDER
al and State. Such think not only this
proposed law but others already enacted.
The constitution of the United States
declares that Congress shall make no
laws abridg1ng the freedom ofspeech.,,
Thus, fer strong reasons, a man should
not be punished for conscience sake.
His words he may restrain, but his
thoughts come at will, and his conscience
is entirely independent ofhis control NO
more can man avoid his convictions and
[sympathies than the leopard can change
his spots. Article I'd, Section 10Th, de-
clares that treason shall be punished
according to the character of the acts
| committed, by the infection of one OF
more of the penalties OF death, imprison,
| ment, fine, OF confscation of the real
and personal property of the offender
| Then we see that man may be I'M
prisoned, fined, or his property contis-
Gated, and still not disfranchised. Then,
/ ask any candid man how he can dis
franchise citizen in the absence OF all
honest trial or conviction, when disfran'
chisement is not one Of the penalties an
nexed to the crime by onr constitu-
| ton.
| Again, the law is violation OF onr
constitution, as it is retrospective or eI
post facto in it's operation; it creates a
penalty that did not attach to the Of
| fence complained of at the time of its
commission Such a law would be at
war with the best interest and ultimate
prospects of our State, Let US examine
for moment that branch of the subject
AS every member of society is more OF
| less dependant upon the community
around him for mutual help and assis-
lance, it is of the first Importance, for
the well-being and happiness of society,
that general feeling of friendship
should pervade in all classes. How, ]
ask, can that be when such invidious dis
tinctions, such class legislation, exist2
How can you expect the friendship and
good will of your neighbor when we and
our party deny to him the rights of a
| free man merely because he has differed
with you with regard to the administra-
ton of the government No, sir; such
a course must engender strife and bick-
erings of the most unpleasant character
Unlike any political difference heretofore
existing it will eventuate in destroying
family and social intercourse, growing
worse and worse, spreading its balefnl
influence to all circles, haunting church
es and school houses. The ami
mostly will lose none OF its bitterness, as
| it is transmitted from father to son, and
in all communities, the weak will be the
sufferers.
The advocates of the measure are
blindly led by the delusiye idea that
uhereby they can intrench themselves
behind this. unstable breast work, and
perpetuate themselves in power But
who that will judge the future by the
past cannot discover the fallacy OF such
a hope. All past experience teaches us
| that Bo party has or ever will secure the
| permanency of its position by snch
means
The party in power is only forging the
shackles that must some day, sooner Oh
later, recoil upon themselves 1t would
be idle to suppose that they Guild al
ways hold the reins of power Hence
it would be expecting teo much Of the
downtrodden and disgraced, if, Oh aCces-
sion to power, they would not retaliate.
which would produce constant spirit of
retaliation, with alternate vibrations,
until the good sense of the people, oper,
ating as the force of gravity, would at
last bring about an equilibrium.
And oh how demoralizing the effect
of such law an incentive to perjury to
regain lost political rights Then l re-
peat, and implore the advocates of this
measure to pause and reflect upon the
consequences inevitably flowing from
such short sighted and misguided policy,
driving men to the dire necessity of for
getting the sanctity of an oath to defend
themselves against the denial of the in
estimable privilege Of n free man, the
sacred right of suffrage.
To clamor for the rights of represeu-
tation when net exempt from taxation.
One without the other violates the
great fundamental principle that IN
derlies all free government
The Constitution of the United States
Article 9th, Section Cd, says: The citi
liens of each State shall be entitled to
all the privileges and immunities of the
several States"
The Virginia Bill of Rights of l776,
declares " That no free government or
the blessing of liberty can be preserved
to any people, but by firm adherence
to Justice, moderation, temperance, fru
gality and virtue. al frequent recur-
renee to fundamental principles.
Mr.. President, We have, in erecting
this new State, drawn our lines regard
less, at the time, of the bloody and re-
lentless war that held in duress, con-
trolled and nodded the actions of the
citizens all along our Southern border,
from Harper's Ferry to the Ohio
river. Protection aud allegiance are ex-