The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-07
A QUESTION OF FACr.

I
| The HlteLtigenceT processes to have OBJ
tanned information at the Auditors
! Office respecting the number of colored
4 males over q years of agein the State,
and puts down the number mt only l,
GI3. AT the same time it admits that in
/ 1850 the whole colOred population of the
| counties now included within West
| Virginia, was 81 JOB, which, by the
usual ratio of voters to population,
would indicate that at that time there
were over 1900 colored males over u
years of age. Since the census of 1850,
according TO the IHteIIigencer's Audit
or'S office data, the colored population
OF the State has fallen Off to four or five
thouSaud-makingu an exodus from the
State of this class of population of over
1000. This IS simply absurd and is con-
| trudicted by everyday observation. It is
probably true that the colored popula-
ton of the State has decreased some
what since 1850, but it is not true that
four .Bfths of these people have depart
ed. such a decrease would be quite
perceptible. 1t would only leave I'm
average of ten colored persons of all
ages in each county. If the Auditors
Office furnishes no better data ON other
subjects than it does on this, we would
advise the Legislature to carefully in
yestigate its management but we ap-
prehend there is no fault there. The
bPpOSlllOll Vi lnb lSTEI.LIIiENCER 10
popular sentiment has driUel IL to the
desperate necessity Of manufacture lIg
capital TO sustain bad cause and 6eLit-
lie Il matter of Uitdl Importance whether
considered as aquestion of policy or OF
abstract right.
We have before had occasion to nc
knowledge the eminently courteous
and kindly tone employed by our CO.
temporary in the rebukes which it is
his pleasure to administer 10 the INTEL
LIGESCER from time to time. In the
present case we are only charged with
wilful Misrepresentation in "a matter
OF fact. In answer we can say but this:
The statement we made was, that the
records in the Auditors office show
that in the entire State, excepting
Greenbrier county there are but ], 643
male colored persons over q years of
age. The 'records" referred to are the
books returned by the assessors of the
several counties for the year 1866. The
assessors are required to list all colored
males over 81, they being subject to
capitation tax. We take it that their
returns under this head are as correct
as under any other. The fact which
they exhibit may be an awkward one
for the TedeHe to manage in
the development OF his ''grand
coup d'etat;" but there it stands, and
we don't want to be blamed for it.
Those books are open, we believe, to
the inspection of the public Has the
editor of the Psiette examined them,
and found the factat variance with our
statement? ESQ it is easy to convict
us of Justification. Until that is done,
we believe We may claim credit for our
statement, on the principle that men
are TO be considered innocent until
the contrary is shown.
Our estimate based on the numbar of
colored males over p, was that there
are not over 5000 colored persons
now in the State. The Vedette thinks
this absurd and says ait would only
leave an average of ten coIored persons
of all ages in each county, There are
% counties. Ten times % are $50. Is /
not our friend little slow in his aritb-
metic 3?
The Tsdstte adheres to his estimate
that the acknowledgements of the colored !
men would add three thousand TO the /
Union majority of the State" Womb |
1t be asking too much to inquire upon
what data this OBSTINATE" is based .
II our own information is defective ,vs
should like to have better, to enable MS
10 know how much negro suffrage
would be worth to either party in this
state, as political expedient,-for this
IS the ground on which the Tedette now
puts it. We are sorry to note, indeed.
that our friend has so suddenly sbar-
doned the high moral ground on which
ne advocated negro suffrage for West
Virginia in his previous issue. We fear
he makes mistake in this. Negro
suffrage is much stronger here rs nm
ABSTRACT question than as one of expe-
iIency.
In this connection, we hope it will :
not be amiss to mention that we are va,
furious to know what the E-sdS,,s ;
hlnks of female suffrage, either on {
moral or political grounds, especialIv
ne iormer-'Justice and right being
'hencetorth in plain shining letters {
written on his banner" Will NOT IN {
eaene take hold of this question:
90 IN its usual bold manner" Then
We shall "have even more regard for I
ne editor of that sheet than we ever I
had before" So also, we are spra vii, !
ne, F;arSers6grg Tunes. whose admira- q
would ordinarily be the highest n Mnb'
-