The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-07-23

siSns and tUunI ie, Tor services fu suppIessIng
insuITec ION and IL b=Illou, snail not 10 que :
Toned BuE neither tue United States nor
any stale chan AIS. me or pay any oeut or
Obligation ineurred ia AID OF lnsArIecn Il OF
DsII.ou asRiusL the TN ted States or any
ca In for lie Ioss or emancipation OF Aby
slsye: but all huctl debLs, Obligations or
claus snail be held illegal ana void.
-4kcrIoS Q. That congress hhaH nave
I poE e. 10 enforce, by appropriate legislation
I Ing pSoTtsiOLs oil Ills aIticEs.
The distinguishing features of thsi
amendment are very important. ties
,sblishes the nationality Of citizenship
for the hrst time. Itdeciares all natives
and na;1raiized persons subject to our
laws 10 be citizens of the United States
a. well of The States ia which they re-
side. The States are still left to con-
troll the suffrage, but they are depriy-
ed OF all power TO discriminate in the
citizenship. That Is now held TO be the
iudefeasible right OF every person
native or naIuraIized, subject to ouI
laws. II is right that men should I'M
derstand that they owe this shield OF
protection to the republic alone, and
not to any State thereof. They may
still take pride in being citizens OF
their respective States, but they must
feel much higher pride in being citi-
zens OF the United States.
The next important point ia that
wherein the States are forbidden to
make or enforce any law which shall
abrldge the privileges or immunities OF
citizens of the United SIates. This is a
complete guarantee OF civil rights eve
rywhere, and it renders null and void
any local law infringing the freedom OF
speech, or of the free press, forbidding
the settlement of any race or color, &c.
The black codes of the south, and some
OF the black laws of the north
come under the ban of this provision.
Citizens are TO have the sumo rights
everywhere, and they are placed be-
yond the reach of sectional fanaticism.
BY this section every person Is secured
the equal protection of tho laws. Such
provision is rendered necessary by
the persistent attempts of the rebels to
establish a system OF caste which would
deprive the freedmen of all civil rights
aud Of legal status before tho laws.
By the second SECTION any State
wherein Acknowledgement Is estab-
lisbed must suffer ded uction from the
| representation in Congress to cores
pond with the disiraDchised element.
From this, however, Acknowledgement
for rebellion or crime is excepted, so
that the section mainly operates to re-
duce the representation of all States
wherein men arc DISTINGUISHED on no.
count of poverty, Ignorance, race or
color. As it stands, any State will
suffer in its representation by adopt
ing m educational or property test for
suffrage. The principal ofthis amend
ment is that the elective franchise is
the natural right of the citizen. The
adoption nn educational test at the
South would disfranchise not only
four-finhs of the freedmen, but one
third of the whites, and would place
the Government in the hands of min
orIty. Nothing is said iu this section
about race or color, the principle and
IT'S application being made general.
The third section prohibits from hold
Ing Office all rebels who had taken an
oath to support the Constitution Of the
United States before engaging in revolt,
but Congress may, by vote of two.
thirds of each House remove such dis
ability. This punishment of rebellion
IL necessary to prevent men from
lightly engaging in civil war hereafter.
In the Spanish American republics the
facility with which men may rebel,
wage war against the government,
make terms'and return to their rights
and Offices again, is found to be one of
the chief causes of the troubles of
those countries. AS we want no more
civil wars, Congress has rightly at
tempted to guard against such periIs.
The rampant course of the conquered
rebels since the close of the war is proof
that they are mostly unfit TO be trusted
with office again. With the adoption
of this amendment any one attempting
rebellion against tho authority OF
Congress under Frank BIaIr's pro-
gramme will be deprived of all right to
hold Office.
The fourth section declares the ma.
tional debt binding, forbids repudia'
ton, prohibits the assumption or pay.
Luenl Va 4GbCA naA vi
claims, and also all claims of compen
i, satlon for the loss or emancipation o
slaves. These prohibitions rest upor
the States as we'll as the republic.
The complete ratification of the whole
article will render imperative most o
toe views and aims of the Confederat,
= party, and will bring about, if allowed
, to go into peaceful operation, genera
0 and enduring tranquility. It is q set
e element of The most troublesome ques
Il tious growing out of the rebellion, ant
e is "a complete triumph of that wise, hu
k name and patriotic policy which thu
;, President in the interests OF a new re
j. betlion has been trying for more thar
v three years to defeat. Nothing shor
d of violence can reopen the issues CLOSED
= by this amendment. But this yfolenc,
is boldly proposed by Mr.. johnson, by