The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-03-11
WASHING TON.
Report of the Reconstruction
Committee in Favor Of the
Admission of Alabama.

as follows: That II 10 the intention 10
pursue the spirit II not the letter Of the
law OF March %, 1867, entitled IAN Act
supplementary TO an Act entitled an
Act TO provide fora more efficient gov.
eminent Of the rebel States, ~ and to IA
cIiItate their restoration. They especial
" intend 10 enforce the spirit Of that
law when there seems to be any con.
fIct in the facts In evidence between
ihe spirit and the letter. Such Is the
true principles laid down by moral
iurists for the Government Judges. BY
tho Act two.thinGs were evidently In
tpnded-ops to admit Alabama US a
state, II after full registration with
lime for deliberatIon, ma jority OF
persons should favor admission; the
other was 10 prevent hasty and precip.
ltAte legislation before the people
should have duly examined the sub
Iect. Hence the law provided that not
only Alabama but all the conquered
territory should have all her
legal voters thus registered, and
should q majority OF them cast
their votes In favor Of con.
StItutIon, convention should be or
dered for the purpose OF framing one:
but II a majority OF all the registered
voters, by either their own vOlition or
casualty should not be cast against
constitution, they should still be count:
ed in the negalive-a most unusual
proyIsion In our own or any other
government. But In ordinary times 1t
would have but little effect to
keen majority from voting, In
40 far as removals and deaths took
place between the time OF registration
and the time Of voting. On the day oil
the Alabama election most extraor'
dlnary and unexpected state Of things
existed In very large portion oil Tue
State, especially In the Republican por'
tIOn. A very severe storm ra9eo from
morning Till night. The streams were
swollen TO such an impassabledegree
that 1t is testified by Gov. Smith, then
elected Governor Of the State, and other
respectable gentlemen, that 1t kept
from the polls number oil Vo-
tiers who would otherwise have
attended. On attempting TO reach the
places OF election one or more persons
were drowned, which deferred many
from proceeding further; thus all VINO
chose to stay away were counted as
voting against the Constitution, though
II they had all gone and voted against
II II would not have changed the result
from positive majority In It's favor to
majority against II. This feature
alone Of this unfortunate election Is
sufficient in the opinion Of the Con.
yentlon to authorize the adoption oI
the Constitution. A large majority
OF the legal voters then In the State are
known to have cast their ballots for It,
besides very large proportion OF the
registered voters were deferred by the
most infamous threats from coming TO
the polls, or when there, from casIinE
their votes for The Constitution. Very
few white men did, and very few black
men dared thus 10 cast their votes lest
they should be deprived Of food, Tor
which they are suffering. All this Is
proven by the sworn testimony OF the
most respectable portion OF Alabama.
Indeed nearly two hundred labor.
ers have voluntarily come forward
singly and testiti ed TO their violent dis.
charge since the election by their cruel
employers, for having exercised the
elective franchise according TO their
own will and pleasure. AS careful
analysis has been made as well could
be of tho number of votes that were de.
strOyed, boxes seized and thrown out
Of the windows, and other modes Of
violence used TO destroy them, and II
Is believed from all this that the num-
Der OF votes thus destroyed and detalu-
ed from the polls by violence, outrage
and fraud, had they been cast, would
have overwhelmed all those counted
against the constitution, whether cast
or enumerated as cast by reason OF sick
ness, absence or death. Some time be-
fore the Alabama election, the Conven.
ton saw the injustice OF the law, and
requested Congress to restore the ma
iOrIty principle In the vote upon Tue
adoption OF the Constitution. The
House did not hesitate to perceive lis
Justice, and pissed the act and sent II
10 the Senate. The Senate, by some
unaccountable delay, from motives
which II is hard TO fathOm, suffered that
act to sleep upon their files for two
months, till after the tate Ol the Alabama
election was announced. They then
took II up and passed II, and II has now
passed both houses OF Congress. The
principle therefore that majority OF
The votes cast should govern, has been
restored, and your committee can see
no reason why 1t should not govern in
the present case. The circumstances OF
the almost unheard OF storm on the day
OF election, the violence Of human pas
sion, but little less malignant and rag
Ing, and the wild phrenZy Of former
masters at the polls, together with the
evident Injustice OF the principle In
question, upon which no one has yet
acted, seems 10 your committee TO
demand that Alabama should be
admitted into the Union NJ one
Of tho States thereof. But while
this free people are rebuilding II mighty
nution In which there must be no Iaint
Of despotIsm or injustice, they have
examined all the provisions OF the
Constitution aud Ms II precedent which
they hope will never be departed from
but when It becomes necessary by the
Injustice Of the sister States, they have
determined that no State shall ever be
admitted into the Union where the
rights to universal suffrage shall not
be made permanent and impossible OF
violation. Fearing also that cunning
schemes NIGH, bs devised by which
pconuge, such ns is already established
In some of the South American States
might be created, we recommend the
pnsSAgP Of the net for the admission OF
NInhaInu az IA State in the Union.