The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-02-28

Radical emissaries from the North have soWh
the seed of evil dissension with a terrible ear
nestness, and the diametric opposition OF the
races now visible all over the South, must, IN tue
very nature of things. lead, at some time OF
other. TO fearful collisions. This inevitable re-
sult TO dispassionate observer forces itsels ir'
resistibly on his attention. \ war of races de-
sired by some, and indifferently needed by
others e., to his mind consequence as sHie
20 happen under the Radical method OF re-
construction, rs il is impossible to avoid, II tne
precedents of history or the impulses that con-
troll human nature be taken into account.
And such is the united testimony OF
the intelligent men of the South.
But, sir, why press this negro su-
premacy over the whitesi What reason
can you givei ! have heard three dis
tinct answers to this question worthy
of notice:
First. Because the States of the
South rejected the constitutional
amendrse ent submitted by Congress;
Second. Because the negroes are 10y
nj and the whites dislOyal: and
Third. Because it will secure party
ascendancy.
Let us consider the first answer, that
the States of the Ssuth have rejected
the constitutional amendment submit
ted by the last Congress as tue basis OF
reconstruction.
| admit the Legislatures Of all the
Southern States rejected that amend
ment with great unanimity; but is that
any reason for the adoption of this
harsh policy: think not. In the first
place, that amendment contained
one provision which made its adop-
ton impossible by the Southern
people, at least until you change the
human heart and destroy the sense of
personal honor. 1t disfranchises from
holding office all the men of the
South in whom they had ever placed
any public confdence-all who had
ever held any office, State or Federal.
And disfrsnchises them for what For
simply doing What they themselves had
done.
can understand how one may say in
argument that the leaders should be dis
franchised. But how any man of com
mon sense, or common manhood, could
ever suppose it possible for the people
of the South to vote to disfranchise men
esteemed by them as equal to, if not bet
ter than themselves, for an otfense OF
which they themselves were equally
guilty, is beyond my comprehension.
You ask the Southern people to betray
the men whom they trust. You ask
them to dishonor those whom they hon
OF, to uproot the affection of years from
their hearts. YOu ask them to strike
with u serpent's tooth the bosom of a
friend. Until human nature shall cease
to be what God has made it, honor
able m:n could not do it; honorable
men, to save themselves, to save even
their lives, would not incur the guilt of
such unnatural treachery by voting for
such u provision. When it was pending
before the Senate, June s, lS66, urged
and implored Senators to allow the
several provisions of that amendment to
be separately submitted and voted up
Oh. and | warned the friends of the
measure that this provision would iu-
evitably defeat its adoption by every
Southern State. But, sir, the majority
were deaf to all appeals. The caucus
had resolved; the deed was to be done:
and it was done. On account, mainly,
of that provision, the amendment was
rejected almost unanimously hy every
State.
Again, when examined more closely,
we iind that the provision required
tAem to vote to disfrauchiSe thousands
who had received pardon and anp:eot.,, 81
auu = restoration. to all tber rights -
citizens under the proclamatlOnS OF
President Lincoln and President John
son, by virtue of law of Congress,
which YOU yourselves enacted, which
authorizes them to grant such
pardon and amnesty upon such terms
as they thought proper. An amend
ment offered by me in the Senate the
3lst of May, 1866, to except those men
who had "duly received pardon and am
nesty under the Constitution and laws
was voted down by an unyielding ma
iority. | can never view this provision
in any other light than palpable vio-
lation of the plighted faith of this Gov
ernment given to those DCrsOns in the
most solemn form.
If the emperor of Russia, by prccIa-
nation, were to grant full pardon to
such Poles as would take an oath OF allie
giauce to his crown, and if he should
afterwards deliberately break his wo.d,
what denuncations would be, and ought
to be, heaned upon his head by the civ
ilized world The pertidy of such an
action would only be cQnaied by is fol-
ly as Il measure Of paclticatlon to Po.
laud. Congress authorized the Prc>i-
dent to give pardon a&d amnesty to
thousands whom Congress now calls up
on the people Of the South TO vote 10
disiranChisc.
Again, sir, there is another feature
ef that provision which no senti-
mcnt of justice should tolerate
or excuse. In that sweeping diStran-
chiScment 40 distinction whatever Is
made between those who voluntarily
engaged and those who were compelled
to engage in the rebellion, no dIs;inC-
ton whatever between the innocent and
the guilty.
The Senate will remember that when
this amendment was pending offered
an amendment to restrict that dlstran-
chisement to those who had voluntarily
engaged ia the rebellion; and it was
voted down by the same unyieldng ma
jority.
Partisan zeal and party necessity may
account for many things. But when the
history of these times shall be written
it will seem incredible to our pOsterity
that learned men and able Senator's could
ever for one moment bring themselves
to believe it possible that the people OF
the South would vote for such an amend
ment.
1t contains still another objection
able feature Ill violation of an
important principle III every
good government, confounding eXscu-
tive with legislative duties. If there
be any prerogative which more than
another pertains to the executive in all
Governments, ancient and modern, that
prerogative is the power of pardon.
This amendment proposes to change
the Constitution so rs TO take that pow
er away from the Executive and confer
it upon the two Houses of Congress. 1t
is revolutionary, and worse than that.
1t vetoes the power of clemency in sd-
vance. 1t not only takes that power
from the President, but it takes it away
from a majority of Congress. 1t re-
uuires two-thirds of both Houses in
order to exercise the power of par
don. the same majority which is
necessary to pass law over the Presi-
dental veto. In what civilized Govern
nept nnon earth was there ever such q