The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-06-07
uImpariial Suffrage"

TERED to the fact that the Repuph'
can leaders in this State, while pro-
Tossing to oppose negro suffrage were IN
full communion with their party else
where, where this object was openly
aimed at and unblushingly avowed In
this respect our situation is very similar
to that of the people of Maryland, anu
we cannot better express our own 4''o"
mon the subject than to transfer to our
columns the following comments OF tne
Baltimore Gazette upon the proceeoinsS
Of the Impartial Suffrage League III
BOSTON, an account of which we pup
lisbed few days ago. An association
known as the Impartial Suffrage
League" held a meeting lest week III
BOSTON. Among the resolutions adopted
was one declaring that the true doc
trine of reconstruction is that defeated
rebels have no civil or political rights
which loyal men are Bound to respect
and that all loyal men, without regard TO
race OF color, are entitled to equal
rights as citizens of government wnich
derives its Just powers from the
consent of the governed"
How "a Government which derives its
Just powers FROM the consent OF the
governed" can consistently deprive the
bast majority of the people of eleven OF
twelve States of AZ civil or political
rights" and place them under the
domination of negroes, we need not
INQUIRE. In the revolutionary move
roents in which it has embarked /, Con-
gress has long since ceased to trouble
itself about the Constitution, and ii is
bat a waste OF time TO ask IL 10 adhere
heaceforth to the principles and pro-
visions of that instrument. The all
important question about which we are
concerned to-day is as TO whether Con-
yress will be able to force the people of
the South to confer the right of
suffrage or ths blacks. The ex.
tension Of the elective franchise
TO the the negroes is the single funda-
mental principle Of the policy" which
Congress has advioedly and avowedly
adopted. Notwithstanding this fact, d
segment of q politica. party here Is ID
boring energetically ln support OF the
policy Of Congress aad at the same
time protesting to oppose uegrO suIrage
II. leaders tell the people that .hey
have nothing TO 90 with this question,
and the politicians from ocnor States
who attend their meetings warmly en-
force the same view # the subject But
the orators who come here to persuado
the people TO support Congress apeak IL
little more clearly about tho policy ot
Congress when thcy address aud'cucoS
elsewhere. A. the Meeting Of tho "lm-
partial Suffrage League" TO which
wo have referred, " tho Hon Mr.
MCKEE, of Kentucky, Colonel
STOKES, of Tennessee, and Ex-Governor
boutwell, made speeches III support o.
the doctrines of the resolutions, conpli
meuting Congress and severely tic
nouncing President JOHNSON Eh'
same Mr. MCKEE and the same Coiome
STOKES addressed meeting at Tow
sontown, in Baltimore county, on the
Esd of May, and fcrvently called upon
the people cfthat district to support the
policy of Congress ca that occasion
the aforesaid Colonel STOKES, referring
to negro suffrage and to Congress, said :;
"But that is not the question here with
you. They are charging the radical
party 10 Congress with being
in favor of universal SUI
frage They have done 20
such thing, hut the States
"have the right TO do as they choose"
Mr.. MCKEE was equally explicit, and
remarked; They seek to make YOU
believe that negro suffrage is designed to
be made the law of the land Ivy Congress,
though they know that they utter what
is false when they charge that upon the
Union party" Bat when these woIthjrs
are in Boston they have no hesitation in
affirming that the "true doctrine OF
reconstruction embraces negro sut,
frsge, and they affirm that Cor Sress has
the right 10 reconstruct alterits own
fashion