The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-13
me ConsfItufional Amendment

tee Amounted at the recent Democratic
convention in this city a. to adopt such
measures as shall in their opinion be
necessary to accomplish the purposes of
the convention, has issued 81 ar. address
TO the people OF West yirgfnin," in
which he has much TO say against the
late Legislature for having passed n
Registry law, and for having ratified
the observation-disclosures
1--WE do not propose to take up the adj
dress for elaborate. consideration. We
have stated its subject matter TO be hos
tilityto the two chief acts of the late
Legislature It is brief, but sufficient
comment, as It seems to us, to make on
this address, to state that the constitu-
tional amendment reprobnted by 1t, Is
itself the work of Mr.. Lambs own
hand. He IS its author. Not only that,
but in n speech upon the general prin-
cipIe embraced in that amendment, viz
Lie right of the State TO prohibit those
who were in voluntarily completely
with the rebellion, from participating
either as candidates or as voters Mt any
future election, was as emphntically,
and ms unuuulifiedly laid down and adj
voc,ted by sIr. Lamb, as by any 9 riid-
ic.il " whom he now repudiates. The
difference between 3Ir. Lamb ana the
men whom he characterizes as
"rndicals " is found in the fact that
they have held fast to the po-
sition taken both by him and
them in the winter OF eighteen hundred
and sixty-fiye, while he has changed.
We do not say that Mr.. Lamb has not a
perfect right TO change, nor yet that no
IL not entirely sincere in 80 doing. We
have always esteemed him as man OF
good motives, however, mistaken at
times events have proved him TO DO.
MIR. Lamb was originally opposed to
the New State itself, and made a
speech against it. He was also OPP
posed to emancipation, and report
cd in favor of paying for the
slaves owned in the State. He himself
now no doubt considers that he made
serious mistakes ON these points. We
thought so ut tho time, just rs we think
now that he Is very far wrong in the
course which he is pursuing. We be-
Iieve that Mr.. Lamb was right in the
winter OF 1865, when he reported the
constitutional amendment. That re-
port was not originated without great
de:iIof preceding reflection on his part.
lie, himself has told us in speech
which he made about that time, that the
course marked ont toward the rebels
ia that amendment he had long CON
tempIated as public necessity. His
cxnct language was rs follows:
az have always contemplated that II
would 10 necessary for us here in WesI
Virginia, as soon as VIC could sec Ger
family tic end of these troubles, tC
hold a Constitutional Convention fol
tile pnrpose of amending many proyis'
ions OF orr constitution and hnVe
nlwnys contemplated that when such
convention was held, or otherwise, II il
should he decided that n convention
SHOULD not be held, II would be neces'
sary to adopt constitutional. restric
ton for the purpose OF preyepting reD
els from coming here among us 10 eN'
orcisc the right Of suffrage in uttempt
ing To control our affairs after being en-
gagged for years in endeavoring TO de
...fhis is is tho course which I hay,
long contemplated in References 10 thii
- ----A,g-~A-ts
This Language on the part of Mr.
Lamb is very explicit. 1t is the expires
sion of long matured conviction
and not passing remark made il
the heat of debate. And yet Mr.
Lamb, in his address, proceeds din
metricalIy in the fnce OF the lnnguagC
we have quoted above, and arraisns
those who mt the late session of the Leg
islattre ratified the act which he orig
mated only year before. Hedoes 50
ON the ground that peace has now come
TINT tho amendment WAS n war meas
use-that weshonld now forego all such
legislation. His language is that the
amendment "is now measure OF vim
dictiveness and revenge" This is very
strange language considering the words
we have quoted from Mr.. Lamb's
speech OF February, 1865, in which he
said that ''as soon ms We could certainly
sec the end ofthcse troubles. /" that then
il would be proper and right to engraft
mn amendment which should prevent
rebels from coming here among us to
exercise the right of suffrage" &c, &c.
Mr.. Lamb most assuredly, IL his words
mean anything at all, looked forward
10 time like tho present, for the adop.
tlon OF the amendment. He proposed
the enactment not as a war measure fol
time OF war, but as a pence measure
for time of peace, He has declared
SO in Language that will admit OF mt
other construction.
We have said that we do not object L
Mr.. Lamb going back on his own re
cord. That he has perfect right to do
Aud while we are willing to conced'
him an honest exercise of that right IL
the address which he has issued TO tn
people OF the State, yet ut the SAM
time we desire that the same peopl
should know that Mr.. Lamb is occupy
ing to-day very different position
from what he occupied year ago, ant
that the measure which he now repudi
ates as radical" was his own act, AM
that the circumstances contemplated b.
him in It's origination have no
changed in the least. Only he himscl
has changed-thnt is all. The amend
incut is as much necessity for the wei
being of this State in the future as i
was when Mr.. Lamb pronounced sucl
mn enactment to be u simple act of self
preservation. He esteemed it an nc
nothing short of self-preservation fo
the Stntc. His own Language was a
follows:
1--WE have n rightto self.prcservation
and have admitted that L think I