The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-03-29

uuueI tneSe circumstances, having the
power to do so, we ought not to petition
Congress to- remove the disability
which shuts out that portion of our
people from the elective franchise in
whom we have such long tried conf
dence. If we are to have a convention
IN the State for the purpose of changing
ITS constitution, let it be a convention
t9ll OF intellect and power. If the
Dlack man Is TO cast 4 vote, let him rest
that vote upon standard of ability,
and not be contented to see body of
men who are not competent to dis
charge the high duties that will be re-
qutred of them. We know the old
saying that fools rush in where angels
fear to tread" If, therefore, you elect
ignorant men you will have a bad con-
stitution. Give us, then, the good men
OF the State. l would rather trust him
who took up arms and went to the bat
tie field, and has come home with
his honorable scars, believing in the
Justice OF his cause, than he who skulk-
Union man. ICheers.l Such a one is
unworthy the contempt OF even a ne
gro. 1 would rather trust General
Hampton riding at the head of bis col
umn, and shouting to his men to fol-
low, than any man who has stayed at
home, and when his country was in
danger, hunted for an iron-clad or a
rat hole. tCheers.l And so would you,
["That's so."l We don't believe in
those people who, since the war, have
lodged around the corners, declaring
they were "Union men," C''No, no."l
When hear a Southern man say he
was "Union man, 1 know he is a trait
or. When / hear Northern man saw
he was Southern mau during the war,
know he is traitor. But when
hear colored man say he was a Union
man, believe him from my heart.
ha fGIn arNI,
Southern victory, the black man trem-
bled; but whenever the tidings came of
Northern victory, we rejoiced, be-
cause we felt that we were that much
nearer freedom. To-day, thank God, we
enjoy the results of that freedom. We
stand before the world invested with a
political equality with. the white man.
We can vote. G.s
Hon. Edward Arthur EsotEo Uoice1-l
You are more than our EQUALS, Nash.
in one sense, because We are disfran-
chised. ra 81 af.- no
going to let-ths halls of Congress re-
main silent until you are permitted TO
vote. 1t is the men of your class, and
your ability who recognize our wants.
and whom we desire to see reinvested
with the power of doing good. Its
with the men OF your class with whom
we want to vote on the great questions
of the day, and by whom we wish to be
counseled and directed. 1t is not our
desire to be discordant element in the
community, or to unite the poor against
the rich. We want to live together in
harmony; to go to work and restore the
lost credit of the State. AS General
Hampton has said, s'our destinies de-
pend upon each other" The white
man has land, the black man has labor,
and labor IS worth nothing without
capital. We must help to create that
capital by restoring confidence, and
we can only restore confidence by
electing proper men to fill our public
offices. There are said to be sixty
thousand colored voters, and forty
thousand white voters, in South Caro- |
lima. Look what power you have |
for good or for evil But, Iellow-citi- |
zensi be sure you use that power with |
intelligence, and to the end that South |
Carolina, with which your interests are |
all identified, may enjoy the prosperity !
which 1t gives. When citizens |
come forward and meet us as gentle |
right to doubt the future. look upon |
to-day as our Fourth o. July. And i'll
we do our duty we shall prove our
selves worthy of the great privilege |
with which we have been invested. 1t |
is true the majority of colored men |
may not be able to vote intelligently, |
but you Will be educated. In the four
weeks preceding the first election in |
this district, you will be taught more |
about voting than the people of Ireland |
or England ever did know. There |
never was a people who gained so much |
as we have done. But little while |
ago we were slaves. Now we are free
men. 1t has been declared that we |
shall have voice in public affairs. Iu |
these public affairs we must unite with |
our white fellow citizens. They tell |
us that they have been disfranchised,
yet we tell the North that we will |
never let the nails OF congress be silent
we afford to lose from the councils of |
the State our first men7 Can we spare |
judges from the bench? Can we put |
fools or strangers in their position1 |
No, fellow citizens, no I Gloomy would |
be that day, indeed. We want in |
charge of our interests onIv our best |
and ablest men. And then, with a |
strong pull, a long pull and a pull al
together. up goes South Carolina.
lCheers.