The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-02-08
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THE FLICK AMENDMENT:
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81 B1fBe Nd pr Freed I I O
In the Legislature of West Virginia an
important amendment has been proposed
In The Constitution of thut State, rcmov.
ing at once the word Gchite from the article
regulating and restricting the right Of
suffrage, and also the following clause,
which DISTINGUISHED all those who vOlun-
tarily gave aid or assistance TO the rebel
lion: = a AR9H
June, 1851. has given, or shall give, vol.
untary aid or assistance'to the rebellion
agSihst he United States Shall be q citi.
Idol dis shte, 'oEb6 allowed TO vote at
any election therein, unless he has volun.
teered into the military or naval service
of the United States, and has been, or
shall be, honorably discharged there
from"
The Acknowledgement Of the persons
thus designated was, at the time It was
done, an eminently just md prudent
measure; for then they were dangerous
characters, and open and avowed enemies
of the Government Now, It may safely
be presumed, they Ncquiescc In q state OF
things. 50 firmly established that they
know that.ft b folly to quarrel withik
Two stained ClasSes-One stained by
overt acts oftreason, the other by the sun
and climate Of Afr1Ca-come In together,
and both tak6 their places on the same
political platform with white men. The
last, an offset and check upon the first,
step upon the platform under higher au.
thority than q State Constitution tile
XVthlam enllrnent Of the National Consti-
tuition This Thing which West Virginia
proposes TO do, therefore, Is simply bring.
ing It's constitution into harmony with the
supreme law of the land; but 1t Is fitting
occasion to remove the disability from that
other class, which, having now no power,
and many Of them no inclination, to be
dangerous, may very properly he restored
10 the rights Of citizenship.
In Missouri there Is o similar constitu'
tional disability resting upon the same
class. The Democracy Of that Suite con-
tended that 1t was unconstitutional, and
brought n test case into the Supreme
Court of the United States, sure Of de-
cisiOn in their favor; but to their extreme
establishment and chagrin, the Court, last
week, affirmed the constttutipnallty Of the
Il |oathi required blythe Constitution d
Mibgddrh Nov the Republicans d t1at
State can gracefully remove this restric-
ton upon the franchise Of that unluclsy
class; and will initiate measures to that
end without delay. There, too, US in
West Virginia, the XVIII Amendment
will cnfranchisc US many cOlorCd men MS
will balance the votes Of those who will
liefesored t03the sufIt BY tlieSa bfoge1
ton oFit6e test oath, pefhlpS more. n ~
ThesXYth Amendm 6ntis 9Th Drowning
act in the great work Of Reconstruction.
By It's direct and Indirect force 1t re-
moves from one class the stigma Of slyae-
nv, and from another the stain ofrcbellion,
making oil alike American citizens. Never
in the history of the world was great
and difficult work so admirably accom-
plished as has been tliisot the ReconstrucI
tioh Of the, American Union:
From the WSIlaburg Herald Of Friday.
Removing Disabilities .ngf
In the absence Of anything Of particu-
lar interest in the reports from the Legis.
lature, we copy an article or portion OF
an article, from the Wheeling lNTELLI-
GpNCER, in reference to tic removal of
political disabilities, from participants in
tic rebellion The Emotion was intro
duCcd by Mr.. Flick, regular radical Re-
publican, and not either by let-up Re.
publican or n straight-Out Democrat and
so fir, there Is Il particular prOprity in It.
Modification as; TO form, 1Tc think, can be
raised even by the mbSt determined fault
finder, whatever may be made the subject
matter itself. 1t Is none too soon 70 IN
Itroduce the matter, or put the disabilities
spoken Of in way of being removed, as
even If commenced now, the consnmlna-
ton cannot be, until aftcr two LcSsla-
lures have acted upon the matter which
will delay contamination until 1872.
The objection to the Legislation on the
XVth amendment by the1ast Legislature,
was more in reference to the form Of the
Legislation, than to the matter actually
legfslated, at least, that was the objection
We had 10 it, and we have, q recollection
OF making consid erable, objection on that
lead about a year ago. II lad to us, and
no doubt to others, the appearance Of TAX
Inc snap Judgment on the public, a course
of procedure that hardly ever either wears
well or pays In the long run. Weattri-
butte now, much Of the filling Off from the
Republican vote at the lust election to that
very matter. lyui ugtS gAEu,
In this latter affair, Il Is being approach
cd In the proper shape, no advantage can
be taken and both Democrats and dis
grmued Republicans, arc. debHred from
raising the complaint Of foul play. -Ir
FTos he ParEtri5ary TTkss'et "Wednesday. V
Very Important.
The proceedings Of lour Legislature in.
form us of II Joint Resolution, offered by
Mr.. Flick, DeleGateo of PeldletQn, for the
repeal of the DISTINGUISHING amendment.
The Wheeling lSTELLIGEHCERsa able mr.
ticle places It before our readers In the
proper light. As Mr.. Flick, according TO
the statement II tie 1NTRIhTdENCER, has
been reelected rs n proscriptivC Republic
can; wa ham his Resolution as sign That
II Is dawning even III the camp Of his
friends. If they had joined the liberal
movement, the only salvation Of the Re-
publican party, the result Of our last cleo
ton woull, perhaps, lAEe been different.
| WGshall,; SatCat Will anxiety tiOSe nlpIn-
beB of on pafty WHO were GlectGltas lib:
Cral Republicans with the confidence that
they will heartily sustain the Resolution,
offered almost too late; we also shall have
our eye upon the prOscriptivc mcmbeTs
and be whether they Will not arrive at
the conviction that the time Inns passed for
the further, delay In tho repeal !otltho dis
franchising amendment. Mr.. Flick has
elevated himself lto9they ran6tor sound
stainaInnn md il entitled 10 the GYGrlNst.