The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-07-24

protection of the laws
"SECTIoN 2. Representatives shall be
appOrtioned among the several States ac-
cording to their respective numbers,
counting the whole number of persons
in each State, excluding IndiIus not
taxed. But when the right to vote at
any election for the choice of electors
for President and Vice President of the
United States, Representatives to Con-
gress, the executive and judicial officers
of State, or the members of the Legis-
lature thereof, is denied to any of the
male inhabitants of such State, being
twcnty-one years of age and citizens OF
the United States, or in any way
abridged, except for participation in
rebellion or other crime, the basis OF
representation therein shall be reduced
in the proportion which the number of
suchl male citizens shall bear to the
whole number of male citizens twenty
one years of age i'll such State.
"SECrIoN B No person shall be q Sen
ator or Representative in Congress, or
elector of President and Vice President,
or hold any office, civil or military
ander the United States or under any
State, who, having previously taken an
oath, as q member of Congress, or as an
officer of the United States, or as men,
Der of any State Legislature, or as an
executive or judicial officer sf any State,
to support the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, shall have engaged in insnr.
Iection or rebellion against the same, or
given aid and comfort to the cAenies
thereof. But Congress may, by vote
of twe-thirds of each House, remove
such disability.
"SECTIoN 4. The validity Of the pub.
lie debt OF the United States authOriz-
ed by law, including debts incurred for
payments of pensions and hountles for
services in suppressing insurrectlon
and rebellion, shall not be questioned.
But neither the United States nor any
State shall assume or pay any debt or
obligation incurred in AID OF lnsurrec
ton or rebellion against the United
States, or any claim for the loss or
emancipation of any slave; but all such
debts, obligations or claims shall bc
hcld illegal and void.
SECTION >. That Congress shall have
power To enforce, by appropriate legis
lati6n, the provision of this article"
We notice its more important feat
ures. The first section declares that
"all persons born or naturaizcd in The
United States, and subject to the jurls
diction thereof, are citizens of the Uni
ted States, and the State wherein they re-
side" This nullifies portion OF the
Constitutional Amendment adopted III
this State, under the operation of the
Registration law in the spring of 1866
That Amendment declares that rebels
their aiders and abettors shall not bt
citizens of West Virginia. The same
party ratified both amendments, pcrpe
trating a characteristic inconsistency
The second portion of this Amendment
declaring that no State shall abridgt
the privileges or impurities of citizens
of the United States, upsets all test
oaths, for suitors, lawyers, teachers, 4 C
Nevertheless these oaths remain upor
the statute books of Wcse Virginia and
will continue to be enforced, although
abrogated by Constitutional provision
which their authors have approved.
The second section offers premium
upon the disfranchisement of white
men, and imposes a penalty upon th'
disfranchisement of negroes. In this
state not less than 10000 white men art
disfranchiseL. Under this section they
are to be counted in the basis of repre-
sentation. In q State where 10000 ne
groes are disfranchised, the number o
representatives to which the State ii
entitled will be reduced in the proper
ton which those negroes bear to th'
whole adult male population. A South
ern State may exclude her white mel
from the ballot box without loss OF
member of Congress, but if she aisfran
chises her blacks, she loses in Congress
sional representation. Another fact i
worthy of notice. Where the whites ar
disfranchised, as in Tennessee, tn
blacks cast their own votes and those o
the resident white men, because all ar
represented. Where the blacks are dis
franchised, rs in Ohio, white ma
casts his own vote aud no more, becans
the blacks are not represented. Il
other words, tie negro Of Tennessee
who votes for himself and his old mas
ter, wields twice as much politica
power as the white man of Ohio, who
allowed t. vote for nobody but himself
The blacks of Tennessee outvote tn
whites of Ohio, in the proportion G
two to one; this is tho result Of tn
Congressional effort to guarantee to tn
States Republican form of Govern
ment.
Section third renders ineligible t
State and Federal offices, and also par
TALLY disfranchises, all persons VIII
having in an official capacity taken a
oath to support the Federal Constitr
tion, thereafter aided the rebellion
This operates severely against such me
as General BUTLER, who furnished tb
rebels with supplies at New Orlean.
and all men of his class. 1t also reach
ca NAT HARRISON, E. 3. HALL and oil
er leading Radicals of this State, wit
whose record our readers are familia
JOE BROWN, the Georgia rebel Govern
or, who helped nominate Gener'
GRANT at Chicago, making the leadin
,..L npor that occasion. is also dis;