The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-01
Tho Question of To-Day.

The Legislature is now called upon to
say whether it will ratify the Amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States, just passed by Congress and
printed elsewhere in these columns.
The intent and effect OF the new article
thus proposed are to eQualize political
rights among all the citizens OF the Re-
public. The practical effect is to secure
the negro the right to the ballot where
he now has it and to confer it on him
where it is now denied. For the eleven
States lately in rebellion this is a meas
ure of prime necessity. Those States
have been reconstructed on a basis of
loyalty to the Government by giving
political rights to their colOred people.
1t could have been done in no other way.
Nor can that work be maintained e1-
cept by firmly securing those rights to
that class OF the Southern people. Their
right to the ballot must be anchored
in the Federal Constitution unless
it is, the work of reconstruction
will be incomplete and may be +"
failure. This alone is reason enough
for this amendment; but there is
"a broader and better one. The re-
bellion ami subsequent reconstruction
have made freem Ell and citizens of the
c1lored people of the United States. 1t
is a logical and inevitable consequence,
unle.s the American people intend TO
siultify themselves and unless the re-
public is to be am ockery, that these like
other citizens are henceforth to have
their fair proportionHte voice in the
Government.
The logic of everything that has
transpired in this country since the
opening OF the rebellion leads inexOra-
bly, to this conclusions; and does so be-
cause that conclusion is the fuliillment
OF a grand law OF public justice upon
which this government ought to be and
Is 10 be based. No government which
makes political discrimination between
classes for such reasons AS the tint OF
their complexion or other physical
characteristics, has any claim TO be
called democratic. The purpose of the
rebellion was to maintain the Prerog-
alive OF the States TO support aristOcrnt-
ic governments based on such diStinc-
lions, under IL prOfessed Republic. The
overthrow OF the rebellion and the ex-
tinction of slavery swept away that pre-
rogative, and decided that it was the
purpose OF the American people TO have
Republic in every corner of whose do
main her citizens should be equally free
and equally safe.
The W hole foundation of republican
government consists in the idea that it
rests equally and uniformly upon all
its citizens; not that every individual,
without respect to sex or ago. has di-
rect political relation to it, but that it
makes no discrimination between clas-
ses having the same attributes. This was
the conception on which the people of
this country who supported the Gov
eminent fought out the war for the
overthrow OF the rebellion. This was
the idea which the South resisted; and
it was this idea which triumphed, if
anything did, in the overthrow
construction measures enacted by
the 39th and 10Th Congress has
been to maintain the victory thus
gained over aristocratic Government,
by so repairing the machinery of our
system rs to eradicate caste legislation
and incorporate this grand democratic
principle into the very life and essence
of the Government, and make it what it
so long proGessed to be but was not
truly republican. One great measure
to this end WAS to make all the people
of the United States citizens, and equal
before the law, and this was done by
the fourteenth amendment and civil
rights bill. The work of rCconstrUCting
the equities of the government, of re-
founded, and of giving those ideas a
practical working expression, has pro-
ceededed step by step, until, as Mr..
Boutwell, said the other day, in bring
ing this amendment before Congress, 1t
seems to require but this one measure
to crown aud complete the work.
Some fault is found with this amend
ment in that it il too narrow in its
scope. We have no doubt the growth and
progress OF the country will yet require a
still greater enlargement Ofthe suffrage;
but we may let the laws grow with the
wants OF the people. This measure
deals rs practical one with the only
question that now presses upon the
country for solution. We may safely
defer provision for the "Chiuese Ques-
ton" till that question becomes more
Imminent; and so too we may without
much danger omit precautions agains'
property, religious or educational tests,
until there is come probability that
such precautions will be needed. The
question that needs settlemement now
Is the status of the cOlOred population
of the country. Ii the negroes of the
United States could all be deported it
would be most agreeable 10 the major
ity of the white people. Yet it would
be measure OF unparalleled injustice
and cruelty; for they have the same
right TO stay here that we have; the
tics that bind them here are as strong
as those that bind us; it is their coun.
try by the same title that it is ours; and
those of them who defended it with
arms have the best title to citizen
ship that amy nation recognizes.
But the thought OF deportation is
wholly abandoned, as impracticable.
Tho negroes are here. They must stay
here. And being here they cannot in
justice or in wisdom be dealt with az
aliens. They have become identified
- 81, Fryt-