The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-08
T,.,rCr..d ont INTO Worf..

In ENGLAND, " aers Lney nave no con-
s,itution, the fundamental principles
living az the bottom Of the whole gov
ernmentaI organization, are classified
as "Eeges nan SaIpta." Occasionally
some distinguished authority under
takes TO put them in print, especially
when their absurdIties and ineougrui-
ties are TO be made strikiDgIy manifest
70 the public. The celebrated Goblet
used 70 do this with striking effect IN
his treuchant pleas for reform. We Cd
serve that Mr.. SheIlabarger, Of ohio'
has been doing the same thing ai1er a
fashion, in Congress, IN speech de-
huing and reducing the actual unwrit-
ten creed OF the Democratic party He
afIirms that If the doctrines hsIdlby that
marty were actually embodied in sec
lions and put into the Constitution of
the United States, they would read as
follows:
Art 9, Sec. /. Ifthe people Of sec
lion shall raise rebellion against the
Government of the United States, shall
overthrow the Constitution and laws,
shall use the State governments to carry
on war against the United States, shall
set up an independent national govern
nent, shall assume and exercise all the
belligsrent rights Of foreign alliances
and invite the aid OF foreign powers to
divide this Republic, shall continue to
wage war for four years, and thereby
kill quarter OF a million Of loyal men
destroy $1,000, OOo, COO Of property, in
dict upon the people a debt of 81 ,OOO,-
OJOrOJO, and shall persist until they are
50 utterly defeated that they cannot
wiring from their section any more
means 70 continue resistance, and shall
aggravate this bIOOdshed by the most
aLrocious cruslties, they shall not there
Dy forfeit any pOWe or privilege of
citizens OF the United States, nor snail
they thereby be disqualified as electors,
nor from being elected TO any Office in
the United States, nor shall il be in the
power Of the United States Government
70 impose any such disqualification
for the carrying on of sucn a war"
Now who can truthfully say that
the foregoing very terse presentation
IS not a substantial and almost literal
reduction of an unwritten tenet of the
Democratic party TO printed words.
Taking the newspaper articles of that
\ party, and the speeches and votes OF
their members OF Congress throughout
the war, and the general tenor OF party
opinion as we saw 1t exhibited on all
public and private occasions, and we de-
~ any man to say that Mr.. Shellabar-
gers embodiment is q misrepresenta-
ton.
The same distinguished author has
also reduced to print another tenet Of
the Democratic party-viz:-the doc
;rine that the rebels were restored to
their rights by the end OF the rebellion
and the acts of Andrew johnson. II
this doctrine were written out and
placed in the Constitution it would read
as follows:
Art. 8, Sec. 2. Whenever such a rebel
lion as is described in the preceding
section, shall have beer overthrown
by the armed forces ofthe United States
so that 1t can no longer make armed
resistance the persons who have car
Tied 1t on shall be restored uncondi-
tionaIIy 10 the rights, privileges and
lmmunities of citizens, and they shall
be eligible 10 any and all the offices of
the United States; and the Government
OF the United States shall not have
power to impose any conditions or DO
liticai disabilities on them by reason
of such war or rebellion.
Now these are exactly the doctriaes
persistently urged by the Democratic
organs, orators and congressman. Let
the Democrats study them in this
shape, and see how they like them.