Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-01-09
pi.rsnehi.ement Of Rebels.

A reaetionary and quasi rebel paper
has the following relative to the effect of
the clause requiring all persons in the
reconstructing States, who oppose the
new constitutions, TO express their op-
position In the usual way, viz, by voting:
1.-THE abolition of this clause, which
the Senate will doubtless speedily join
the House in effecting, makes IL impos-
sible for the Whites of the South, by re-
fusing to vote, to defeat the negro con-
stitutions. Ten negroes In each State, a
hundred negroes In all, provided 80 only
were to oppose them, can adopt these
constitutions, can present them for ac-
ceptance to Congress, whose action Is no
ways doubtful, can thus not merely dis
pose of 5000, 900 of practically disfran-
chised Whites, but can also, unless the
whole North is solidly united against
them, impose President, "a government,
and governmental policy, upon 30,00O,-
900 of American freemen." t9
How near is this to the facts? The
only classes DISTINGUISHED in any of the
States South, except Alabama, ARE those
who, having taken an official oath to snp-
port the Constitution of the United
States, perjured themselves to join the
Rebellion. InAlabama, there are added
to this class all who desire to deprive any
portion of their fellow-citizens of the
right to vote. This is no disqualifica-
tion, since any man can be rid of it by a
simple mental act, viz: the renunciation
of the wish to do any injustice, to restore
oppression, to nullify the act oflCongress
under which he votes. =
None of these disqualification are of
our seeking, and If we had, the molding
of reconstruction, we would not only
give the ballot to all the loyal, but would
oil aIaI ~
gress has seen fit to do otherwise, and
we bow to it's will. But these disfran-
chisements do not probably change the
result in q single Southern State. The
Registration, which includes only those
who have the right to vote, notwith-
standing all disfranchising acts, shows
thatt enfranehised Whites have clear
majority over the enfranchised Blacks
in Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas,
Georgia, and Texas, while the Blacks
have majority of tAe registered voters
in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, and SouthsCarolina; in all of
which States they probably and in the
last three certainly. have 80 large ma
jority of the population that the admis-
sion of all Rebels to vote would not pre-
vent the Radical vote from carrying
those States. We doubt, therefore, if
the exclusion of the few Rebels who are
shut out from the polls really affects the
result in any one State. 1t certainly
does not in any except Virginia and
Georgia. We have always believed that
the clauses excluding Rebels from voting
would result in great cry and little wool.
They have already greatly prejudiced us
in the Northern elections and we think
we could to-day more easily and profita-
bly, carry the Southern States without
them than with them. We doubt If
they exclude seventy thousand voters
all told in all the nine Southern States.
We wish they were all repealed. Never.
theless, we have no fit terms in which
to characterize the monstrous lying which
would represent the entire White popu'
latiOn of the South as DISTINGUISHED
The complaint that unless the ninety
nine choose to vote, the hundredth mar
will have every thing his own way, Is
like complaining that, unless the SANE
people of the State of New York choost
to vote, the lunatics will elect oil the
officers. Under every system ofsuffrage
yet accepted by nations as just or wise
1t is those who vote, not those who stay q
home, that control the result. We know
of no party that profits more by this thar
the Democratic, which in the Northern
/ States is salways ready enough TO vote, an!
will be equally ready to vote ut the Soutl
when silence ceases to be accepted in
| stead.-[N. Y. Tribune.