The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-10-18
The Constitutional Amendment
Yankee Trick.

nutmegs or hams, the Yankee Is sure to
impose upon the good faith of the
western purchaser, and afterwards
boast of the "cutencss" of the transac-
tion by which he imposed cheat and a
swindle upon his unsuspicious neigh
Dor. The same characteristic is dis
tinguishable in the schemes of New
England politicians. They seem to
think that the people of other sections
of the United States were born to be
fleeced by the people Of the New Eng
land States, and in fact that the whole
country must be made to pay for the
benefits conferred upon it by New Eng
land rule. If quota of troops was to
DE raised during the late war, New
England always managed to shirk her
portion of the levy, and to obtain
credit for troops which she never set In
the field. Never national, bnt always
intensely sectional in their Instincts
the politicians of New England have
ever looked upon the great West and
South as simply affording geese for the
genuine Yankees To pluck.
The latest manifestation of Yankee
shrewdness in the political world is tine
proposed constitutional amendment, to
the ratification of which the radical
party in this State and elsewhere is
pledged. This amendment is so sugar
coated and its true meaning concealed
by copiOus and unnecessary yerbiage as
that, at first sight, many of the people
will esteem it altogether just and equit-
able to all portions of our commo
country. But nothing can be farther
from the truth than this estimation.
The more critically the proposed amend
ment is examined, the more apparent
becomes the fact that it is u mere trick
to secure for New England greater adj
vantages and less burdens than have
fallen to her lot under the constitution
as it was originally framed.
For instance: the exclusion of male
negroes from the basis of representation
in the Southern States inures solely to
the benefit of New England, unless the
South concludes to permit negroes to
vote. One voter in the New England
States already exercises nearly twice as
much influence upon national affairs, as
nj hn
tutiOnal amendment is intended to in
crease this discrepancy. The represeE-
tation of the New England States will
not be increased by granting negro suf-
frage nor diminished by Withholding
suffrage from the blacks, because there
are so few. of the black race in those
States that they do not i'll the aggregate
in any State amount to the number ne
ceSsary To he represented by one member
in the Federal Congress. The New Eng
landers can give the privilege of voting
to the blacks, or withhold it from them
at their pleasure, and it makes no differ
ence in their representation. Any loss
to the West or South is relative gain
TO New England; and thus the Yankee
politicians hope to be able to sway, al
most without opposition, the destinies
of the whole country.
Don't You see the trick Don't you
see that New England is is he the sole
gamer by the adoption of the proposed
amendment Don't you see that the
whole thing has been proposed and is
now advocated solely for the purpose of
increasing the political power of New
England at the expense of all the rest
the nationi We have certainly suffered
enough during the past five years for
the spread of New England ideas, and
the establishment of New England su-
premacy. Let us beware how we sur
render ourselves any farther into the
control of the selfish and Puritanical
fanatics who have inflicted upon us the
miseries of the past, and whose purpose
is to make the whole people pay tribute
to their superior cunning and capacity
for deceit.
Ii should be observed also that these
New England politicians, while extreme
ly afxious for a. change in the basis OF
representation, have no anxiety what
ever to change the basis upon which
direct taxes are levied. The present
Constitution declares that representa-
tiyes and direct tares shall be apportioned
according to the population of the sew
eral States. A much better and far
more equitable basis for the levy OF
direct taxes would be the redifh
of the people of the respective States.
But here New England shrewdness
interferes and says: No, you shall
not tax us according to our wealth; you
must suffer the Constitution to remain
unaltered in that particular; we want
10 prevent the people of the other States
from having representation for their
negre population, but we are in favor OF
their being taxed to the fullest extent,
according to the entire population they
contain. 1t is well known that several
of the New England States contain
more wealth according to their pOpula-
tion than any other States in the Union.
The people of the West and South are an
agricultural people, the people Of New
England are manufacturers. One man
III New England is wealthier than ten
IN west Virginia. And yet, the poor
man III the West or South is taxed Just
as much for the support of the Federal
government as is the rich man in the
East; because direct taxes are levied
according to population and not accord
ing 10 wealth. This provision of the
constitution the New England thinkers
desire not to change, but they simply
ask that the South shall continue to pay