The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-08-10

Il6E9 Is Ou6 JULIET pEGblSAOu Va Nhe
amendment objected to, and especially
since the Democratic, Ku-Klux Seces-
siOn-triumph in Kentucky of this cur
rent month of August. 1868. The
Louisville Courier has objected to the
provision that no person who having
heretofore taken an oath either In the
capacity OF State or Federal officer to
support the Constitution of the United
States, and afterwards broke 1t by en-
tering into the rebellion, shall ever.
again be permitted toahold any Office of
trust, honor or profit, State or national,
civil or military, until his disability
shall have been removed by a two
thirds vote of the Congress of the ma
ton. Since the triumph of but yester-
day in Kentucky, with 10000 or 81, 600
majority when they had it all their
own way-the whole thing managed by
a secession Governor and secession
Legislature and this Ku-KluN Khan
that musters in midnight darkness
armed to the teeth ready to put to the
sword every man that does not vote for
the Khan and for the Klan's chief, Ho-
ratio Seymour, OF New York; see
their organ, the Louisville Courier now
declares that provision OF the AlNth
Article of the amendment is void; and
he astutely reasons to that conclusion
in this wise: that 1t is in conflict with
other provisions of the Constitution of
Well, is not that a powerful logic2 i
ask you, my good friends, what is this
reserved right of the American people
worth-this rightto amend their Con-
stitution of government at their pleas
ure if they are not permitted 10 put
anything into it by way of amendment
that is In conflict with anything in il
now? 1 might choose if my strength
would enable me to do it, TO combat
this Constitutional lawyer that pre-
sides over the columns of the Louisville
COurierand utterly deny his premises.
never saw it in the Constitution of the
United States that verybody should be
eligible to office after they should be
guilty of high treason. 1 did see it in
the Constitution of the United States as
it was originally ordained by this peo-
pie that treason should consist in levy
ing war against the United States, or in
giving aid and comfort TO its enemies;
aud that the Congress of the United
States should have power to define the
punishment of treason. l did read it
in the statute of the United States, en-
acted by virtue of this grant of power
by the first Congress OF the United
States, and approved by Washing
ton himself, that whatsoever should
be guilty of treason against the United
States should suffer death. Washing
ton was not the same kind of a Demo-
crat, was he. as the Louisville Courier
or the Ku Klux Khan? lAppIRuse.l
Now we put in the Constitution by tine
authority of the American people the
provision that whatsoever broke an
oath to enter upon this rebellion shall
never hereafter hold an Office of honor,
profit or trust, State or national, civil or
military, until by an act of Congress be
the American people through two
thirds vote shall give him leave. We
say to Mr.. Jefferson Davis. to General
Beauregard and to Mr.. Robert Z. Leo,
live in peace, under the protection of
the law in the land you have outraged
and deiled in your great and unmatch-
ed crime, but never until the American
people see fit to give you leave shall
you be eligible again TO any post Of hon
or, profit or trust. They ought TO be
very thankful for the privilege to live
and enjoy their possessions and the
equal protection of the laws without as
Stunning to hold the high trusts of this
people again only to betray them.
Applause
Now, my countrymen, L have stated
very briefly the general provisions of
this amendment and grounds of objec-
ton to it, h1d the great fact that it is this
day brought in issue before the Ameri-
can people. But, some man says,
three-fourths of the States have ratified
it and tits beyond tho reach of accident.
/ wish it were so; but l beg you to I'M
derst0nd, my cOuntrymen, the issue Is
also directly made, all through the
South to.day-made in the Democratic
Journals of the Norlh-made by your
apostate President, Andrew Johnson,
to the Congress of the United States in
his veto message last month, that six
of the States of the South, recognized
by virtue of the reconstruction acts of
Congress, are not constitutional or le-
gitimate State governments, and, there
nf hat Il
ment is null and void. This is the
language of your Democratic platform,
that the acts of reconstruction are null
and void. If null and void, the States
organized in pursuance of those acts of
commandments that embraces the
whole eleven States lately in insured.
ton, the unorganiZed States of Virgin
ia, Mississippi and: Texas excepted-are
thus unconstitutional and void organi-
cations of government. What do these
gentlemen mean by this? Why, that
the government which antedated the
rebellion, which passed its ordinance
of secession, was simply in allegiance
during the rebellion and revived on the
cessation of hostilities; and that they
alone have the right to ratify or reject
your constitutional amendment. How
is the ratification of this constitutional
amendment to be verified? How is it
to be established? Simply by an act of
the Congress of the United States.
The act of 1878 requires the Secretary
ofState when three ofthe Legis-
latures of the States of the Union shall
have ratified a constitutional amend
ment, to certify it under the Great Seal
OF State, and thereby verify it to all
your courts and bind all your officials.
That has not been done except with an
IL and "whereas." How, then, is
this question settled beyond accident ?
You elect Congress in 1858 to reject
the States organized in the South under
your acts of reconstruction, to declare
that the Legislatures chosen In pur-
suance of the acts of your Congress
were illegally chosen, that the Senators
of the United States but recently elected
by eight of those States were not law
fully chosen and shall not hold their
seats-and they have taken long
stride towards annihilating your
amendment and throwing you back on
the old general provisions of the Con-
stiLution, which, as we have seen, au-
thorize, in the judgment of eleven
States of this Union, acts of secession
and armed rebellion.
This, my countrymen, brings me to
the great point in this conflict, and that
is tDhether yoH are to have PEACE OF.
WAR-whether you are to have LAW or
coming elections of 1868. II you want
further evidence on that subject go read
the word of Frank Blair, who is lifted
by reclamation to the nomination for
the Vice Presidency on the Democratic
ticket because of a letter he published
only few days before the Convention
met in which he declared these acts of
Congress were acts of usurpation, un-
and void, and that the