The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-07-18
Gov. Morton and the l.. >. Con-
Stitutional Amendment.

w est IlrgiDia WIKI '1'''"e
rage; and this tine he thinks ne proves
it On them conclusivcly. How? why
",bcy have procured and circulated sew
er,l hundred copies Of Gov. Morton
snecch in this (Alason) aud the adjaeen
. counties" This is news to US. We
arc Glad to hear it, however. We die
wha, little we could to get the speech
before the people through the columns
Of the JOURNAL. We think DO true
patriot can rise from any unbiased peru
sal Of that speech, without being con
WINGED that it would be decidedly unsafe
TO allow the control Of the Government t.
pass into the hands Of the democratic OF
rcbc!-sympa,hizins party.
The Ern quotes the following;
IL am for amending tac Constitution
so us to cqualizc th" representation, tOs
three reasons:
IL. Because it j.: measure OF ALSO
| lutte ius,icc in itself, and removes an IN
equality which will be oppressive and
| intocrable.
10. Because it would SO reduce the
power in the Government Of those who
have been in rebellion, that they could
not, By uniting with disloyal faction
- ,bc North work mischief aud dishon.
or to the nation.
! 81. Because it woull prescat to the
| people Of the Southern States an IN
ducemcn, to confer political rights IN
due time, upon large negro population
| in their mid>t. which otherwise they
might not conccdc for many genera
tons
And then adds:
White men, is this not sufficient tc
convince you that the radical party ar,
cudcarorins 20 elevate the negro ~ the
| position you now occupy:
The present political contest is moi
between white men and negroes, there,
! fore this assumption Of championship fox
"whitc men is altogether irrelevant
and is only done for tho purpose of d.
ycr,iug attention from the true issue.
, In the above cxtrac: Gov. Morton
gives three reasons why he is in favor Of
so amendin; the Constitution as IL
eGualize representation, and the las;
Of these is, that lit would hold out an
! induccmcnt to the people Of the South
ern States to confer political right, in
due time upon large negro population
in their midst, sc.
South Carolina had, by the census Of
1860, white. population Of only POI :
3SS, while her colorcd population was
4l2,320. Can that be said to be re-
publican form Of government wherein
POI thousand persons arc allowed TO
disfranchisc Il2 thousand? The Con
s,itu,ion requires Congress to guarantee
to each State republican form Of gov
ernpcut. Many Of these co'arcd peo'
pie are now educated and intelligent,
and, in a condition 0! frcedom, this class
will rapidly increase. And, in due
time" no doubt. they will apply to Con
gross for this guarantee. Gov. Morton
thinks this equalization Of representa-.
ton may, IL d"c hm',' effect this with.
out tho nil oc Congress. Ey the Con.
s,i,u,ion, as it now il, South Carolina, il
rcadmi,tcI. would have four representa-.
tives. Adop; The proposed amcn!m@n;
and she would have only two. Tie
acknowledgements Of her coorcd popu'a.
ton would give her six. Gov. Morton
thinks the additional importance he
would acquire in the councils 81 the
nation by means O. ,hcac four additional
representatives, would, in due time,
induce her to cnrranchi>c her negro
population; to practically adopt that
democratic idea, 50 much talked oI' now
iE certain localities, "no taxation with.
out representation"
It requires li,tfc penetration to be
able to sec that minority Of little more
! thnn onc.third can not d;sfranchisc tho
majority, and yet bc entitled to the name
Of republican. 1t must, for all intent.
ind purposes, DO considered an aris,oc,
racy; and SO soon as this majority be
comes sufficiently intelligent to memo
rializc Congress, claiming their riSh
under the Constitution, that body i!
bound to give it to them.
And because Gov. Morton is in favo
of holding out an induccmcut to TIT
people of the Southern States to do fo
themselves, in due time that which
il they do not, Congress will have to Dc
for thcu.-nnd because the radical party
If Wcct Virginia approve Of the speech