The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-09-12
=: l. r EC Fl
HON. GEO. H. PENDLETON
The Grand Mass Meeting at ~.

Mr.. Pendleton commenced his speech
by reading what he called "a short
speech from Maine" 1t was Il dispatch
announcing that in the recen: guberna-
torial election III that State the Demo-
cratic party had made the magnificent
gain of II 900 votes. lie then said that
it was a notable fact that, although the
pending election in the State of Ohio
was one i'll which only State interests
were involved, the campaign was being
conducted by the Republican party
mainly upon national issues. He said ::
The election is only for State and
county officers; il refers only To State
and county affairs. In its results il
touches Federal politics only i'll the
election of Senator and the adoption
of amendments to the Constitution
which may possibly be proposed. To
the State have been cOniided your dear
est interests. Look about yOn. What
do you not hold under the Ggis of it's
protection? Your life, your liberty,
the enforcement of your contracts, the
enjoyment of the fruits of your labor,
the title of your property, the peace of
society, the sanctity of your homes, the
protection of your good name from as
persion, of yOur family circle from pol
In ion, of your parental authority from
contempt, depend alone upon your State
Government. The Federal Govern
ment was organized to represent
the States in the family of nations, and
adindicatc questions of trade between
the States. 1t has not the constitution
al power to punish n murder in y9nr
streets, or burglary in yOnr houses, or
protect free speech at this meeting.
Our system was republic of repub-
lies" Its cr0wning glory was that it
contided the fewest possible powers TO
the Federal Government, and reserved
the greatest possible number to the
States; that it called around the States
the affections and interests of the peO-
pie by leaving with them the legisla-
tion affecting their daily lives, and con-
fided to the Federal Government more
remote, and therefore less susceptible
TO their influence, the fewer subjects OF
international and Interstate concerns.
Aud yet So great have been the uSur-
pations of Federal power, so far has it
overstepped the limits, both Of subjects
and powers, that by its system of taxa
ton, of banking, of tariffs, of civil
rights bills, of conquered provinces, of
military governments, of martial law,
its measures are really of vital import
ance, and do, in fact. though wrong
fully, dwarf into insigmiicancc, even i'll
State elections, all questions of State
policy aud State law.
lie then spoke of the attitude of the
cOntcndins parties-One protesting rev.
erence for and striving to enforce obe-
dicnce to the provisions of the Federal
Constitution, and the other violating
and despising the Constitution and
shamelessly cenfessing that its action
was outside of and beyond the proris-
ions of the fundamental law. He quot
cd Thad. Stevens letter to Col. SchOck,
of Lancaster, Pa, the provisions of the
reconstruction act and Stevens dccla-
ration concerning the mcOnStitntiOn-
ality of the formation of West Virginia,
in evidence that the Republican party
was not willing to obey the written
law.
He asserted that the federal govern
ment had no power but that conferred
upon it by and derived from the ConSti-
tuition, and even Massachusetts origin
ally refused to ratify that Constitution
until the express provision was insert
ed in it that the powers not therein del
egated to the general government were
reserved to the several States cOmpos-
ing the Union.
lie then referred TO the question of
negro suffrage, the pretended right of
the federal government to interfere
with suffrage in the various States, and
the constitutional amendment now be-
fore the people of Ohio giving negroes
the right to vote and DISTINGUISHING de-
serters from the army, He said:
The constitutional amendment COLI
fers sutf age on the negro, and takes it
away from the white man. We hear
many theories on this question of voting
universal suffrage manhood suffrage =,
Gentlemen, | Will not stop to analyze
them all, nor trace in each the premi-
ses to its logical conclusion. But this
| will affirm-that never in history
never in any government-nevcr by
any party in any government
even including prolific New Eng
land, has the right OF suffrage been in
practice, held TO be natural right.
Women are eXcludcd-minOrs are eX-
cluded-aliens are excluded. Pure
minded, well-infOrmed, patriotic per-
sons-not stained with crime-not
tainted with mental or moral defect
for some reason or other-have always
been excluded; and that exclusion has
proven that the right is neither natural
nor universal. The necessity of the
State-the good of the community-pO-
litical wisdom have always controlled
the enjoyment of this right-and have
established, as faras uniform practice can
establish it, that the governing powers
of every civil society may, subject to
moral laws and the revolutionary
right of every minority, decide in
whom the political power shall reside.
In England the rule of wealth has been
the rule of exclusion-perhaps | ought
to say the rule of admission. In France,
even since the constituent Assembly
decreed universal suffrage, nativity
and residence have been the tests. In
New York, and perhaps some other
States, while viii Q male citizens have
been all admitted to suffrage, negroes
were required to have property quail
fication. In the Western States negroes
were not admitted to suffrage on any
terms. In Massachusetts,, the test is
not color or wealth, but their capacity
to read the constitution. In the South
to-day, as administered by military
power, inspired by the ideas of the Re
publican party, neither universal suf-
frage nor manhood suffrage prevails.
The distinction of color alone is destroy.
ed, but the rule of sex, birth, residence,
age, sanity, and above all, "loyalty" is
maintained.
l know and suspect many colored
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