The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-12-04


eigner who makes our land the home Of
his choice. In the case Of the latter,
neither q residence OF Eve years, and the
knowledge Of our institutions which Il
gives, nor attachment 70 the principles ol
the Constitution, are the only conditions
upon which he can be admitted To citizen
ship. He must prove, in addition, a good
moral character, and thus give reasonable
ground for the belief that he will be
faithful to the obligations which, be as,
sntnes as citizen Of the Republic.
Where o people-the source Of all polit.
ieal power-speak, BY their suifraees,
through the fundamentally Of the ballot,
box, It must be carefully guarded against
the control Of those who are corrupt Ia
principle and enemies OF free institutions,
for 1t can only become TO our political
and social system safe conductor oi
healthy popular sentiment when kept free
from demoraliEing influences. Controll-
ed, through fraud aud usarpa,ion, by the
designing, anarchyand depotism must IN.
eyitably follow. In the hands Of the pa.
triotic and worthy, our Government Will
be preserved upon the principles Of the
Conetituton inherited from our fathers.
y follows, therefore, that in admitting TO
the ballotbox new class Of yoters no,
qualified for the exercise Of the elective
franchise, we weaken our system Of gov.
eminent, instead Of adding 10 its strength
and durability ~ yield to no one il
attachment to that rule Of general suf.
trage which distinguishes our policy "a q
nation. But there is limit, wisely OBJ,
served hitherto, which makes the ballot q
privilege and trust, and which requires
Of some classes d time suitable for pro.
baton and preparation. To give Il indis.
criminately to new class, wholly lnpre.
pared, by previous habits and opportuni.
ties, to perform the trust which it de.
mands, is to degrade it, and finally to de.
stroy its power; for it may be. safely
assumed that no political truth is better
established than that such indiscriminate
and all.embracing extension Of popular
suffrage must end at last in It's overthrow
aud destruction "
| repeat the expression Of my willing
ness 10 join in any plan within the scope
of our constitutional authority which
promises to better the condition OF the
negroes in the South, by encouraging
them in industry, enlightening theii
minds, improving their morals, and Civ
ing protection to oil their just rights as
freedmen. But the transfer of our po-
litical inheritance 10 them would, in my
opinion, be an abandonment Of q duty
which we owe alike to the memory Of our
fathers and the rights Of our children.
The plan Of putting the Southern States
wholly, and the General Government par.
italy, into the hands Of negroes, is pro-
posed at . time peculiarly lnpropitious
The foundations Of society have been
broken up by civil war. Industry must
be reorganized, justice re.established,
public credit maintained, and order
brought out of confusion. To accom-,
plish these ends wonld require all the
wisdom and virtue Of the great men who
formed oar institutions originally. / con.
tidently believe that their descendants
will be equal to the arduOus task before
them, but it is worse than madness To
expect that negroes will peform it for us
Certainly we ought not TO ask their assist.
ance until we despair Of our own compe,
tency.s
The great difference between the two
races in physical, mental, and moral
characteristics will prevent an amalgama.
tion or fusion Of them together in one
homogeneous mass. If the inferior OBJ.
tains the ascendeucy over the other, it
will govern with reference only to its own
interests-for it will recognize no com.
mon interest-Aud create such tyranny
as this continent has never yet Witnessed
Already the negroes are Influenced by
promises Of con6Scatinn and plunder.
They are taught TO regard as an enemy
every white man who has any respect for
the rights Of his own race. If this con.
tlnues, it must become worse and worse,
until all order will be subverted, ali in :
dustry cease, and the fertile fields of the
South grow up into q wilderness. OF all
the dangers which our nation has yet en-.
countered, none are equal to those which
must result from the success Of the effort
now making to Africanize the half Of our
country.
lwould not put considerations Of money
in competition with justice and right.
But the expenses incident to "recon.
straction" under the system adopted by
Congress aggravate what l regard as the
intrinsic wrong Of the measure itself. Il
has cost uncounted millions already, aud
if persisted in will add largely to the
weight Of taxation, already too oppressive
to be borne without just complaint, and
may Gnally reduce the Treasury Of the
nation to condition Of bankruptcy. We
must not delude ourselves. II will re.
qnire q strong standing army, and proba,
by more than two hundred millions Of
dollars per annum, to maintain the su,
premRcy OF negro governments after they
are established. The sum thus thrown
away would, IL properly used, form a
sinking fund large enough to pay the
whole national debt in less than fifteen
years. II is vain to hope that negroes
will maintain their ascendency them.
selves. Without military power they are
wholly incapable of holding in subsection
the white people Of the South,
| submit to the judgment Of Congress
whether the public credit may not be in.
juriously affected by system Of measures
like this. With our debt, and the vast
private interests which are complicated
with it, We cannot be too cautious of a
policy which might, by possibility, impair
the confidence Of the world in our Gov.
crnment. That confidence can only
be retained by carefully intoxicating
tho principles Of Justice and honor
on the popular mind, and by the
most EorupulOuS tidslLy-to all our engage
!lelN OF every SORT Any serious breach Of
ths olRAniG law, persisted In for consider.
able tins, cannot but OfeAts fears for the SLA-
blllly Of our Inst tituii ionS. HRbiLual viola.
ilOn 81 prescribed rules, which va bind our.
.olves 10 ob.ervc, must demOraiiEe the peO.
pc Onr only standard OF civil duty being
set AZ hnnyht, the sheOtAHohot Of our pOllt
IGll morality " lost, Tho puhllc conscience
@lnes from It's mOorlngs,. and yields 10
every Impulse u passion ntd lnteniHt. i've
repudlAte tle Constitution, wa will not be
expected to cars much for mere pccunlAry
obligations The violation or such n plealge
AZ We tnRdu on the 2d day Of July, 1851, will
hAeslIe'ily ulmlnh . tho market VRlnB Of our
olhr promises. BCsldeS, II we now ack.
nOwledge that ihu national dOht was created.
not 70 nOld thu states in The Union, aS tho
taA.payera were led TO suppose, hut 10 Rxpel
Them IRON II and hand them over u be
governed ny negroes, he moral duty TO pay
u must Ne0ir much loss clehr. ! say II may
seem sol ioFl do mot admit that this or ANY
other argument III favor Of population can
Du entertained ~ sound; but liz Influence on
sutnc Cla'ssot OF minds may wDll Dt Rppre.
hEhu0d. Tho financial honor ut II great