The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-05-20
IFrom the National IntelHgencer.l
The Arkansas Consiitution.

| in this issue to present in detail the
manifold objections to this Constitu-
tion. The instrument is skilfully con-
trived to throw the present and future
power of the State into the hands ol
the negroes. Every negro is allowed
to vote freely, unless he should become
convinced that the true interests OF his
own race demand that the whites should
hold the power, and then he becomes
disfrauchised. But there is the feature
repudiated with laundering emphasis
by the white men Of the North, and
40 repugnant to the South-unlimit'
ed negro suffrage. .g What Michigan
and Ohio reject with loathing when OF,
fered in homeopathic doses, is forced
by wholesale upon the whites of Arkan-
sas. What is this but cruel malignity
which loves to degrade and oppress,
at the risk of enduring hate be-
tween the two sections Shall we
strike such towards blow as this, und
not expect men to strike back when
they have opportunity And are we to
have no policy of conciliatien with the
whites of the Southf Is it so unreason-
able-their demand to have govern
ments exactly similar in principle to
these of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New
York! -rss.tsrr Ns--~
But it is not enough to enfranchise
every brutal and ignorant negro. The
whites are not allowed to vote as race
by this constitution. Fully third are
disfranchised by the terms of the con-
stitutional amendment, which this con-
stitution expressly adopts. There are
disfranchised all who were ever in the
Union lines and there took the oath,
but were subsequently conscribed in
the rebel army. There are other clauses
of prescription, but the most odious
and comprehensive of all is test-oath
required of all who desire to
vote; and this test-oath is
one of political opinion-aye, OF
party political opinion, The voter, in
order to vote, must swear that he
will accept for all time the political
equality" of the two races. He is to
sacrifice either his conscience or his
vote. The aim of this Is to drive oil
from the ballot box all whites who hold,
as do the whites Of Ohio and Michigan,
that negro suffrage is mischief and
degradation to the white race! What
would be thought of exacting such a
test oath of the white men in Ohio,
Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania be-
fore allowing them to votei By look.
ing at it in this way, we see the enor-
nifty of this outrage.
Under the head of education we find
that not only are the common schools
to be mixed with white and black, but
that the whites are TO be compelled, by
lac, to send their sons and daughters 10
these schools, there to nttr and associate
uith negro children.
We fear that because these things do
not como home at once and visibly to
the North, they are not appreciated In
their full significance. They are Vlsi-
BILE, however, In the ruin of q beautiful
country, which three years ofsystemat-
ic agitation and oppression has so
blighted that it is worse off than it was
at the close of the war. We see the
fruits in the reduced revenue returns,
not only of the South, but of the North,
and the increased burden to the tax
payer. And if there be those who think
that this policy of continued persecu-
ton by which every feeling of pride
and self Prospect is sought to be crushed,
every interest trampled under foot, un-
til there is no social order, and capital
flies at the prospect of negro taxation,
can be maintained without exciting q
feeling of festraagement, he is, sadly ig-
norant of the most ordinary impulses of
humanity. The veriest worm will turn
at last; the most cowardly cur may be
brought to bay, and will then resist.
These examples Of the brute creation
admonish us that it is not we'll to drive
a brave people to despair. Cruelty and
oppression are expensive lux uries, even
to the most powerful of nations. Re-
venge belongs to the heat of strife, and
three years of cooling time surely ought
to stay these acts. The present bill is
refinement of revenge which would put
an Indian savage to the blush.