The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1869-05-17
TFson the Wheeling ln,c!ligeneer,l
REPUBLICAN POLICY IN WEST
VIRGINIA,

VIRGINIA.
The article in the Monroe Republican,,
to which reference was made in this column
yesterday, discussing the need Ct amend
ing the State Constitutions SOFAS 10 conform,
to the altered and improved condition Of
the State, remarks:
In this and numss. Of the adjoin-
ing border counties. an average of three
fourtl's OF the formerly qualified voters ARE
denied all voice in aa government they
are taxed to support, all share in the
framing Of laws they are expected to assist
in enforcing. This condition ef'hings is
unnatural, abnormal, aud un,i-Rcpublican
Growing gu, of1he peculiar condition Of
things existing at the close Of the war, the
State Legislation imposing disabilities is in
our judgmcn. seriously defective in mcrg-
Ing MI degrees Of political crime, and yis-
i'ins with the same rigor, the compare
lively innocent, and the culpaLly guilty,
a large portion Of the people Of this see.
ton wen! into the rebellion under mista-
ken conviction Of duty, aud MS conse.
quencc of persistent, gross misrcpresenta-
tons Of facts, and convinced Of their error
have since its termination, in good faith
accepted the results, and given m honest
support to laws whose proscripl;yc features
have operated lurshly upon themselves
a distinction should be made between cit
liens Of this class and those who up to the
time when Grants election became certain
were engaged in a persistent effort to
brand fcaliy to the Union MS both social
and political crime. Up to this time we
have been stupidity treating friends and
foes alike.
The disfranchiscmcnt Of cx-rcbels here
discussed by the Etpullicaa. is a suhjcc.
WHICH cannot much longer be ignored.
Political cxci,emen's having ceased, the
discussion Of more engrossing questions
having icrmin,'cd, the question, VIA,
is to be done with the distranchiscd rebel,
here? presses upon us for attention. The
cnfranchiscment Of The blacks is, we trust,
already assured. And now the question
of cnfranchisns the ex-rebcls will CROWN
prominence until in some way u solution
is reached. There is 10 help forit. It's
our Banquo's ghost it will not down at
our bidding. President Grant expressed
a well worn truth, and one illustrated by
the history Of slavery in this country,
when lie said that the exclusion Of any
portion Of the citizens in State from the
privilege Of suffrage would provoke agita.
ton SO long MS that exclusion continued.
There is in ,lis State body ofmen
vuriously estimated to number from 10, goo
to $4,000, (probably midway between
these figures would not be far from the
fact, )wbo are di>franclised and suffer other
disabilities OIL account of'lcir participation
in the rebellion. We have always dcfeu-
ded the policy which disfrancl,i.ed them.
1t was a measure Of self pro,eeiien; and
since in war the laws are silent, it was nda
inconsistent will, The principles by which
we had to be governed a. the time. 1t
was justified by tile masimlhat the safety
of,lc people is. the supreme law. So loug
after the cessation ofl,os,ilitcs us the same
rule required it, the continuance Of the
same policy was justified. Boycud that
it cannot De defended, For We are 10 re.
member that when We decided to whip the
rebels back into subsection in the Uhi6u,
we Of necessity accepted the consequences
Of doing SO. We did it 10 maintain the
republican character Of the Govern
mcnt aud to compel them to be citizens
under it. The foundation s,onc Of our
Government, is, tia, it rests upon all its
citizens alike. or course, therefore, the
permanent exclusion Of any class from all
equal voice in il does violcnec 10 The fun.
damental principle By virtue Of wl'icl,
alone it exists. 1t follows that just SO
soon us the sius ;,dpali permits it, we
must deal Sitl, these suljuguted rebels
precisely MS we deal viii, other citizens =
These are truths Of universal acceptance.
The question which every one Gun best an.
swcr for himself is. whether the time Of
danger is past We have Grant in the
White House, with Congress ovcrwhcl.
nirgly Republican. The power Of the
South is thoroughly broken. her negroes
voting. the people who made the rebellion
cured Of any wisl, ever TO renew it. The
very theories on which they built it we're
completely rcfuled by the most irresistible
logic Known to human affairs. Theirsys.
TEN Of labor. 10 maintain which the rcbell-
ion was inaugurated, is overtLrowu ire.
dccnably and another bsilt on its ruins.
For the first time in the history Of tie
country the South is thrown open to tho
world and money and mcn from the
North are going in and buying Up the land /.
establishing industries, building upa pop.
ulation and creating sentiment which
will soon eradicate tile last of the rebcll-
ious spirit and make that region in all
things homogeneous with tic rest of the
Republic. Danger from The South is
past; aud the sweep of events. rapid aud
ceaseless bears us further away from II ev.
cry day Is the public safety still threat
encd by the ex.rebels' in the mountain
counties Of West Virginia?
All intelligent people recognize The
principle that law can only rest upon yea
SON Whenever the reason ceases the Law
becomes anomalous aud arbitrary. and
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