The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-08-10

PeHulGuEe vi IEodSuTes WIN numerous
evidences of the continuing of a rebel
1ious spirit, and the manifestation of
the persecution of all that did not ad-
here to the fortunes of the Confederacy
to the last, on the part of large ma
Jorlty OF the citizens, and with press
almost unanimously expressing senti-
ments OF the same tenor, is it matter
of surprise that I should urge them to
reconsider, to reflect on the conse-
quences as regards the security Of the
Government and the fate of Union men
in the South, if these men, who once
attempted to break up the Union, sue
ceeded in grasping the power of the ma
ton again. / had seen that while pro-
Tossing with their lips, renewed alleg1-
ance to the flag, and an obligation to
the President for his pacific policy,
they were becoming arrogant, intol-
Grant and dictatOrial; they were glory
ing in the apparent schism between the
President and Congress, in the policy
of the restoration of the States lately in
rebellion, and rubbing their hands
with delight at the idea of civil
war in the loyal States. In view of
all the array of strong, stubborn facts,
frankly own that my views of conciI-
iatory policy in bringing back to their
allegiance those who have been engag-
undergone change. The intolerant
spirit, engendered by slavery, still
exists. The loss of their property and
failure oftheir hopes can never be for
given. And though 1 regard them as
impotent, to resist the constitutional
authority, enforced by the prince of
military forces, yet I am convinced
that they would renew the rebellion to-
morrow if there was n sure prospect of
success. Impressed with the truth of
these views, and forseeing the uncer-
tainty OF the future security of the
Union men of the South, and desiring
that the amendment to the constitution,
the several States for ratification,
should prevail, and fully realizing the
fact that the amendment would never
be ratified by the present Legislature,
l own that 1 was in favor of reassem-
bling the convention of 1864, as the only
means of securing the ratification, as
required, and thereby assure the ad-
mission of our representatives in Con-
gress. The legal right of the conVen-
tion to continue its functions is ques-
tion, suppose, properly pertaining to
the courts to decide. Senators and
Representatives in Congress, and great
learned men of high, legal
attainments have expressed the opin-
ion that under the resolution of ad-
journment, the Convention could law
fully re-assemble. A distinguished
Democratic Senator in Congress took
the same view. For myself, if had
any doubt on this subject which have
not, should have deferred to the opin-
ion of ADLER men. The total number of
delegates composing the Convention
was $50, the number elected 73 and the
quorum was fixed at 76. This number
being a majority of the whole, there
were q parishes unrepresented in the
Convention entitled to 81 delegates, and
adding these to 10 vacancies to be filled,
NHyNNN lo11 Dt1r, = l..
ed; besides there were some 10 or IL dele
gates who, disappearing the emaucipa-
tion clause, refused to sign the Consti-
tuition who, may be ranked with the ex-
treme conservatives. Counting the 81
delegates to be elected to be of the same
class as the balance of the Convention,
radical, it will be seen that parties
would have been nearly equally divid-
ed. There are disfranchising clauses
in the Constitution of 1864. The much
abused members of that body had it in
their power to have made the Constitu-
tlon as stringent against those engaged
in the rebellion as Tennessee and Mis-
souri, have done. They pursued an op-
posite course, believing and trusting as
l did, that these men would be actuated
by a spirit of tolerance and forbearance
in return for the liberality shown to-
wards them. How the members of
that convention have been treated in
dividually, by the very men in whose
honor and good faith they had trusted,
to say nothing of the scorn and villifi-
cation Illuminated against them as a
collective body and the constitution
they made, let the record of the bloody
doings at the Mechanics Institute on
Monday, the Both ult., answer. In
keeping with their unrelenting policy
to maintain the power of the State in
their own hands exclusively, they op-
posed the meeting of the convention of
1854. They needed no better monitor
than their own conscience to tell them
that by their conduct they had forfeited
all claim to further favOrs from the
original members of that convention.
They resolved that it must be put down,
crushed out at all risks. The terrible
scenes of the 30th of July, confidently
predicted in case the convention met,
were the result. The letters of Mayor
Monroe to Gen. Baird, accompanying
this communication, furnish proof that
it was the determination that if every
other measure failed, n resort would be
made to force. Everything was ar
ranged on Sunday preparatory to that
purpose. The police received orders
and on Monday morning they were in
large numbers at the corner of Canal
and Dryades streets, each having one
or more revolvers on his person. They
were not there except to commit vio-
lence. -.
The speakers at the Friday night
meeting counseled nothing more than
that the blacks should come armed to
defend the convention in case the MEM
berS were attacked, Admitting that