The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-08-10
THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY,
HENRY II. WEST, Editor and
Proprietor.
Suffrage,

The Woodsfeld Spirit replying to us,
says:
at is not 'democratic doctrine to
force that upon people which they have
rejected. Equal rights under the law
means in Radical parlance. that all the
races Of Blacks shall be given the right
to vote and hold office in the United
States, while Registration Boards shall
decide who of the White people shall
vote in ten States of the Union. There
are 100000 White men in the South de-
MED the privilege OF exercising the right
of suffrage or holding office. That is
equal rights under the law according
to Radlcalism, because such scoundrel
ism enables them to retain power and
continue their depredations upon the
pocket books Of the taxpayers"
COMMENTS By THE REGISTER.
The editor of the Spirit was elm
coin hireling;;" and when we print hire
ling, as applied to him, we mean the
term in its most despicable sense. He
was prostitute who served for pay, in
the Union army, in opposition to his
own base sentiments, which should have
taken him into the rebel army, where he
rightfully belonged; served for pay, "to
force that upon people which they had
rejected y served for pay, and the wages
OF his prostitution, received by himself,
is a part of that Democratic legacy to
the people, the National Debt-the cost
of putting down the Democratic Rebe.-
lion-which this "hireling" so constantly
growls about as proving upon the pock-
ct books of the taxpayers. To be guilty
of like mean and cowardly conduct, any
respectable dog would hang his head
and drop his tail, and stink away into
his kennel.
Were they rebels, or were they not
rebels? If rebels, neither they nor you
can complain of the ''force'' necessary
to put upon them the penalties of their
rebellion, when subdued, and to secure
to the People the fruits of their victory
over the rebels.
Now, sir, by "equal rights under the
law" We mean just that, in its broadest
sense. We would have no disfranchised
class in our Government. Of course,
rebels had not the right of suffrage; but
when the war is over, and its results Sc
cured, and all return to allss lance and to
duty, then is the ballot-box be thrown
open to law-abiding citizen. And this
is Republican-''THE GATES WIDE OPEN"
The Platform upon which Ulysses S.
Grant was elected President of the Uni
ted States declared in plain language:
ave favor the removal of the dis
qualifications and restrictions imposed
upon the late rebels in the same measure
as the spirit Of disloyalty will die out,
and as may be consistent with the safety
of the loyal people"
On this line, Reconstruction" is now
going on in the three States of Virginia
Mississippi and Texas, which chose not
to accept reconstruction in 1868.
Patience possess your soul; for quick
ly,undcr the Republican Administration,
every one CT your 100000 white men
in the South" uWhare "the right of suf-
frage and the privilege of holding Office
in this country made by the Republicans
FREE, where all men shall be equal IN
der the laws thereof, in spite Of the Vi
cious opposition of the Aristocratic De-
mocracy.-Marietta Reqistcr.
COMMENTS BY THE SPIRIT,
The abuse and low slang Of the editor
of the Register is to prove to his party
that he is qualified to edit Radical pa
per.
We served four years and three
months in the army for the purpose, as
we understood, and the whole army had
the same understanding, of restoring the
seeded States to their proper status in
the Union.
The memory of the Register editor is
at fault when he says the war was not
perverted from the original intent chow
ever covered up it may have been) to
that of crusade against the institution
of slavery.
The history Of the declared intention
of Congress, by solemn resolution, of
the purpose for which the war was
waged, and signed by ABRAHAM LINCOLN
then President, will serve to set him
right Congress during the gloomy
days which followed the defeat Of Nc
DowELL, at Bull Run, in July, 1861. pass
ed the following resolution:
Resolued, That this war is not waged
upon our part With sny purpose of over
throwing or interfering with the rights
or established institutions of these
States, but to defend and maintain the
supremacy of the Constitution, and to
preserve the Union, with all the dignity,
equality, and rights of the several States
unimpaired; that as soon as these OBJ.
jects are accomplished, the war ought 70
cease"
In April, 1865, the "objects" Of the
war were accomplished. The Confede-
rate armies laid down their arms and
surrendered Then, to test whether ''all
the dignity, equality, and rights of the
several States" were to be ''unimpaired,
every one Of the States engaged in the
war elected Representatives and Sena
tors and in December, 1865, they pre-
sented themselves at Washington.
At the doors of the Capitol they were
confronted by, the 'loyalists," )" who had