The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-05-22

i nc pTOpOSltlOu Juab III the Ql5ITau-
chised rebels don't like edisfranchisement
they can leave the State, does not i'm
press Us as the argument of statesman4
ship. Such a proposition might beft the
Lord Lieutenant of ireland. But in this
land zee claim that people hare an Inherent
right to lire ,ohere they choose, ereH u that
be toheye they are; and they hare q right 70
demand tknttheir ldlrs shall be toleraote
and not such as 10 drire them into Grille. A
policy which leaves any class choice
between exile and injustice has no claim
to be called republican. In the normal
condition OF society to which We nave
now returned, the law ought to De the
servant and protector of the citizen, not
his oppressor. In our State where pop
ulation is so much needed, it does not
seem to Us true statesmanship which
advocates driving any part of 10 away
The example of Virginia, inhicting
perpetual disabilities on her Torres aiter {
the Revolution, does not commend ltseii
IA specially worthy of imitation mere
Virginia has not boon such signal sue
cess in any respect as to make her poil-
cy shining example. Indeed, our peo-
pie here have felt constrained TO depart
from her ways and teachings very VIDE
ly. If precedents for the imposition OF
political disablement are needed to Tor
tify tho argument of the "good Aureil-
us," he need only to go back little Iur-
Ither, in the history of England, to hnd
abundance of them; when IN the alter
nate defeat and success of warning fac-
tions, the victorious party sought 10
perpetuate its power by tests and dis
abilities. But it would not be
easy to show that such policy there
ever accomplished any benefcent public
or even effected the immediate purpose
sougbt. On the other hand the great
ness and prosperity of England and the
freedom of her people did not begin TILL
she had outgrown the intolerance OF
those earlier times. Virginia, it is true,
also disfranchsed that part OF her peo'
ple who were so unfortunate as to Oe
portionless. And a most odious dis
reimbursement it was. The citation
was very unfortunate one for Azure
Inns. 1t was Just such class discrimlua-
tion as this by which Virginia paved
the way for her own dismemberment.
Certainly there is nothing in her policy
in that direction for us to initiate.
Aurelius corrects our statement that
under the present policy the Repu6ll-
cans of the State have been losing
ground. Let us see the figures. In 1864
the Republican State ticket had no op-
position. In May, 1866, the disfranchls-
ing Amendment to the Constitution was
ratified by majority of 1886. In Octo'
Der following the majority for Governor
was 6472. In 1868 it was 47l7. The loss
from May to October, 1866, was 76I.
From 1866 to 1868 it was 1855 more.
Liucoln's majority for President IN 1864
was l3,Ol5. Grants in 1868 was S9i2.
Loss in four years, 4O76, or 1919 per
year. The loss on State issues in less
than two years and a half was 25l9-
about the same rate. We should be
glad to believe with Aurelius that "the
hopelessness Of the Democracy" will
enlarge these majorities in future, but
we shall not render the Democracy
hopeless by continuance of disfran-
chisement. On the contrary, it Is the
sure foundation on which they would
build up their party into a majority;
and, coming into power in that way,
most bitter and intolerant majority.
There is no wisdom, not even party
ohrewdness, in ignoring the fact these
figures disclose. Our adversarles are
perfectly advised of it. We ought to
have courage enough TO face it, because
it helps US form a just opinion OF the
prospect. We gain nothing by sticking
our head in the sand like an ostrich and
supposing nobody sees lis. On this point
there can be no impropriety i'll introduc-
ing letter addressed to the writer OF
this last fall by the Hon. Horace Greeley,
chief editor of the New York Tribune.
Shortly before the the last session
Of the 10th Congress, it will be re-
membered, the Tribune came out in
advocacy of an amendment proposing
Mr. Greeley's plan of Universal Suf-
frage and Universal Amnesty" Be
ing sincerely desirous of seeing Con-
gress propose an Amendment enfran-
chising the Blacks, and believing if the
measure also included the rebels it
would not pass Congress or if it did
would fail of ratification, we wrote a
private note to Mr.. Greeley simply for
mis- information, stating that an Amend
ment enfranchising the Negroes only
would doubtless be ratified by our Leg
islature, while if it also enfranehised
the rebels it would be sure of rejection.
We offered no argument either for or
against rebel entranChiSement,m merely
stating the grounds on which we were
sure the Republicans in the Legislature
would vote against such measure,
Mr.. g., however, seems to have under
stood us to state these positions as our
own. He replied as follows;
Nry- Yppt- TprHr-Er