The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-18

gaaora WEST VA FRIDAY IORNING.MAY l8 1866

thereof may sdtrect.N VINO Will say II
this amendment is adopted, that the
State Legislatures may not direct the
manner and each State appoint cleo
tors7 To what, then, are we reduced
This amendment does not disqualtty
any rebel or alder of the rebellion from
voting at all the State elections ltor all
State officers, nor does it d1BquHltfy
them from being appointed PreS1den.
tial electors. 1t amounts, therefore, 70
this: though it be adopted, and made
part of the Constitution, vet all persons
t'who voluntarily adhered to the late
insurrection; giving it aid and comtortp
may vote at all the State elections for
State officers, and, being largely in the.
majority in every insurrectionaryS State,
may elect the State Legislature, which
may appoint electors for President and
Vice President of the United States,
and from aughtsin the amendment may
appoint rebels as such electors.
1t seems to me, sir, that 1t must by
this time be apparent to members OF
the House that this clause of the amend-
ment is never to be executed until that
part of the text of your Constitutionlts is
stricken out; or in other words, that It
will require another amendment to the
Constitutionito enforce this clause If
adopted. -sl.--si-sft s'-st t.J
thrust, therefore, that when the vote
comes to be taken on the pending mo-
tion to strike out, which is offered by
way of instruction to the motionitO re-
commit, 1t will be adopted, and that af-
terward the House will, if it deems 1t
Important, put such provision as TO
the election of Representatives to Com
gress as 1t has the lawful right to do In
the bill of ofdisfranchisement
Mr.. Speaker, there is another section
which simply prohibits the United
States or any State of this Union from
ever assuming or paying any part of
the rebel debt or making compensation
for emancipated slaves. / do not be-
lieve that there is a man on this floor
who can answer to his constituency for
Withholding his vote from that propo-I
sition. 1t involves the future fidelity of
the1nation. 1t is a declaration, in SOL
emn form If accepted by the people,
that the resources of this great country
shall be used in the future, not to
liqufdate debts contracted in aid of re-
bellion, not TO pay for emancipated
slaves, but to maintain inyiolate the
plighted faith of the nation to all the
world, and especially TO its dead and
living defenders
Mr.. Speaker, trust that this amend
ment, with or without the third section,
will pass this House. trust that the
distranchisement bill, with or without
additions, will pass this House. thrust
that the enabling act for the restoration
of the States that have been in rebel
non Will, Will ptLSS LulS
House $50 thatthe day may soon come
when Tennessee-loya Tennessee, 10y
al in the very heart of the rebellion,
her mountains and plains blasted by
the ravHgeS of war and stained with
the blood other faithful children fallen
in the great struggle for the mainte-
nance of the Union-having already
conformed her constitution and laws to
every provision of this amendment,
will at once upon its submission by
Congress irrevocably ratify it, and be
without further delay represented in
Congress by her loyal Representatives
and Senators, duly elected and duly
qualified and ready to take the oath of
office prescribed by existing law.
Let that great example be set by Ten
nessee, and it will be worth a hundred
thousand votes to the loyal people In
the free North. Let this be done and 1t
will be hailed as the harbinger OF that
day for which all good men pray, when
the fallen pillars of the Republic shall
be restored without violence or the
noise ofwords or the sound of the ham
mer each to its original place in the
sacred temple of our national Liberties,
thereby giving assurance to all the
world that for the defence of the Re-
public IL was not in vain that a million
and half of men, the very elect of the
earth, rushed to arms; thatlthe Repub-
lie still lives, and will live forevermore,
the sanctuary of AN inviolable Justice,
the refuge of liberty, and the tmperish-
able monument. of the nations dead,
from the humblest soldier who perish.
ed on the march, or went down amid
the thunder and tempest of the dread
conflict, up through all the shining roll
OF heroes and patriots, and martyrs, to
the incorruptible and immortal Conn
mander-in- Chief, who fell by an as
sassin's hand in the capital; and thus
died that his country might live.