The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-09-28
Have white Men NO Rights.

How lamentably the Constitution Of
the United States has been tinkered up,
to give political superiority to negroes,
appears in the following confession of
the Wheeling Intel6geacer, of yesterday
morning
Howl about it as Democratic organs
and speakers may, the Constitution OF
the United States does provide for Con-
gressienal legislation to protect the right
of colored citizens to the suffrage, who
have but recently had the suffrage con-
ferred on them and need such protec-
ton; and it does not and never did
authorize Congressional legislation for
the protection Of white citizens in that
right, who have always possessed it
and need no such protection
The Constitution OF the United States
protects the rights of negroes, but does
not protect white men! The acts of
Congress guarantee suffrage to negroes,
but white men are beyond the pale of
Congressional legislation! What a
confession Of negro superiority before
the law, and what an illustration of the
beauties OF Radical legislation !!
The attempted apology for this dis
elimination against the white race is
contained in the assertion that white
citizens "need no such protection"
But, in West Virginia, this is notorious
ly untrue. The editors of the MtslH-
gencer know that there are one hundred
white men illegally disfranchioed in this
State for every qualified negro who is
denied the suffrage More than this;
they know that not single negro has
been improperly refused registration,
while hundreds of white men possess
ling legal qualifications have been ar
bitrarily and withoutjus cause stricken
from the list, "Now these are facts
NnfCu we CduuOt IShoIe'
| 1t is possible that the idea Of State
where white men would be denied the
rights which are freely granted to ne
groes, NAV not have entered the minds
Of the members Of Congress who voted
tor the enforcement act, but nevcrthe-
less, whether purposely or inadvertently
matters not, the act does embrace white
men in its provisions and is so interpre-
ted by the Judge OF the United States
District Court. BY that Act we intend to
abide without considering or caring
whether the Congress had constitution
al authority for its passage or not. II
the Radicals enforce it for the purpose
of giving political rights to negroes, we
demand its enforcement for the benefit Of
whites. As white men, we claim the
equal protection of the law.
In denying us this protection, the
/ Radicals are forced to assume that the
negroes, whose besotted ignorance has
been their standing theme and one Of
| the chief counts in the indictment
against the former Shareholders, are
now superior in political rights to the
most intelligent white man in the land
that Congress and the Constitution have
made them the ruling race in the
United States and that their right 10
vote must be secured at all hazards, no
matter how many white men may be
driven from the polls.
Governor STEVENSON, or the editor OF
the Intelligence, would have hard
time in proving their loyalty" il sum
! moned before any Of the Boards Of
Registration in West Virginia Not
withstanding their right to vote is I'M
deniable under the law, the Board of
Registration might, with as much JUS
tice as it usually exercises, declare itself
mot satisfied and order their names
erased from the list Hundreds Of men
whose right to vote is Just as undenia-
bic as theirs, are thus wronged year
after year. Hundreds Of white men
possessed OF all the necessary qualifica-
tons are thus excluded from the polls
at every election. And have these men
no redress when the right of negroes to
vote is enforced BY ali the power Of the
United States? Are legally qualified
white voters to be stricken down and
excluded from the polls while the whole
power of the Government is brought to
bear upon the luckless registrar who
excludes the most brutalized negro from
the ballot box? The Itelhgencsr and
Governor STEVENSON contend that white
men have no rights which can be le-
gally enforced, but the United States
Court will be governed 10y no such mon
strous opinion.
Nominations In Marshall