The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-06-08
rhe Po,lcx OF L,berelIzetlon.

frage in this State as affecting Republi-
can ascendency. We perceive no essen
tial difference between his general pur-
pose and our own, and in the most of
what he says can cordially concur.
In regard to special legislation and
sweeping changes in our constitutional
and statutory systems, we have already
expressed the views entertained by him.
In another matter, however, we proba-
bly, entertain diverse views about how
purpose common to both is TO be best
promoted. We have not Imagined"
that all the Republicans out there, or
even majority of them, were ready for
"let up" of the ex-rebels. Nothing we
have written on the subject has been
based on any such presumption. 1t is
but natural, and it Is inevitable, that
many, If not all, the Republicans in the
border counties should find unpalata-
BILE the idea of restoring the cx-rcbels
amongst them TO the privileges
of the government. For this feeling
there arc many good and reasonable
causes. There may be cases where
there arc additional reasons of an I'M
case they are sufficient to prompt men
of short sighted and narrow views to
resist such proposition. These rea-
Sons good, aud bad, MISUNDERSTOOD and
appreciated at their true value.
SO far as there is controversy among
Republicans about tie matter of ex-
rebel Acknowledgement, we think our
correspondent does not address him.
self 10 the immediate point in issue,
unless he holds that the disabilities are
TO be perpetual. We have already ex-
pressed the conviction that in the
nature of things they cannot be per-
petual nor exist any great length of
time. Our friend is too Intelligent not
to realize that the question of a "let up"
is au impending issue here and must
continue SO while anybody is kept
down. The very phrase, which we
borrow from him, expresses the fact.
Tine question will have to DO met at
every turn, in every campaign, until
tho "let up" comes, whether that be by
the voluntary action of the Republic
cans or through an involuntary sur
rcnder OF our power. 1t is just as we'll
We think to accept the presumption
that IL "let up" sometime, and at not
distant period, is inevitable. We
believe even those who declaim most
loudly that they will never consent to
such thing, confess TO themselves
that it is inevitable. Those who see
most of political movements In other
States are first to recOguiZs it.
Believing this. we also believe the
real question for thoughtful Republic
cans TO consider is how to postpone the
event longest ard how best to employ
the interval go as to maintain the con-
tinUed ascendency of Republican ideas
among our people and to SO fOrtify the
best results of Republican legislation
against the reactionary tendencies of
our opponents, that even In the event
OF their success our favorite measures,
such as the free school and township
systems, would be too strongly en-
trenched in the affections of the people
OF both parties for overthrow. we have
had six years of undisputed and almost
unlimited power. Had it. bsen used
wisely-had the legislature been filled
with men who appreciated the needs
of the State and possessed the ca
pnciIy 10 provide tor them-had the CUB
ernatoriaI chair held man who spent
more thought about how our unpeopled
wIlds could be- filled with intelligent
get tiers from abroad and less about
how the patronage under his control
could be dispensed so as to put him in
the United State Ssnate,-we might
10 day have had population enough
from the North to enable us to make
the government of the State republican
without ondangering the supremacy OF
the Republican party. But for all such
public purposes those six years were
wasted, and more people ore each
year leaving the State for the West
than are coming into il from abroad.
Now, 1t will become our party mana
gers, since it is probably too late to rely
on immigration for political aid, to
make their policy 80 just and benig-
nant to our own people that they will
desire Il continuance it. We have an
Interval OF two or three years which il
wisely Improved will yield golden
results. We ought in that time to take
away from our adversaries the arsu-
ment s of which they now make such
effective use.
1t Is the policy of those Republicans
with whom we are constrained to differ
to keep the party in power by the sheer
exercise ofthe arbitrary power of which
we happen 10 be possessed. They
are for simply maintaining the present
status, with i, blind persistency that
heeds no warning, respects no political
philosophy and entertains no regard
for consequences. They remind us OF
the scriptural allusion to the wise man
who "foreseeth the danger aud hideth
himself" while "the fool goeth on and
Is punished" Perhaps If some of
them, who are so ready to de-
nounce as apprehension every sng-
gestion of political duty that does not
exactly square with their stereotyped
conceptions OF loyalty, would institute
a careful inquiry into the essence and
nature of genuine RepublicaniSm. they
might make some very useful discov.
cries, and might by possibility become
more liberal. II is the misfortune OF
our party (and perhaps all parties long
In power suffer like infIctions) to have
many things done in the name OF Re-
publicanism which arc wholly foreign
to its principles, and those who are
loudest in demanding that they shall
be done are often the last who ought to