Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-10-18
From the wheeling Register.I
Horace Greeley Interviewed.
HI. Opinion OF tie FIFTEENTH Amendment.

His Opinion of the Fifteenth amendment.
Having some curiosity to learn the views of
gso distinguished republican concerning the,
: later and more monstrous assumptions of rad
sicalism here in relation to the Enforcement
Act, TO-, reporter to the Register called upon
Mr. Greeley last night after his lecture, and
received permission to publish the following
Sas his views. His words were substantially as
Eve quote:
q III hold that the Fifteenth Amendment
covers the case of every man willing to take
ssthe oath when . man has taken the oath, il
sswill be Necessary to introduce testimony to
s overrule it, and until such evidence Of the
2spplicant's disloyalty is sdduced, no Registror
s can refuse to enter . name upon or erase a
name from his list. IF the applicant for reg
gistration can take the oath, the registrar is
;s5bound to register him there can be no CUES.
fsisiDg or specuatiDg as to the character of the
8 party applying for registration /; the oath of
Sthe applicant must stand until refuted by posi-
sStive evidence; registrars refusing to register
sSsuch persons or erasing from their lists the
q name of such, do so at their peril"
q "The Fifteenth Amendment protects the
white as we'll as the black man. The decision
gof Judge jackson is substantially correct; no
sivoter can be cut off except crime is proven /;
8every man stricken OFF, who can take the oath,
g can sue the Registrar and undoubtedly recover
damages. The decision of Judge Bond is
s narrow the Enforcement Act is comprehen.
gsive and full Of liberty; the intention is ex>
8 pressed in the law. The Judge had no right
& Ito rely upon reports or speeches; what men
smeant or said was no law the decision should
2: have been based upon the law, not upon hear
gsay,"
9 az to>day read in the Register private
3 letter written to Mr.. Campbell, about year
sago: I could never see why Mr: Campbell
published it. Since penned it have seen
Z no reason to change my mind upon the sub
ject; am in favor Of large liberty and free
I dom; universal amnesty and universal free
|, dom. Every day am the more convinced of
8 the correctness of the position taken in the
i letter."
q The following is the letter of Mr.. Greeley
to the Editor of the MteNigencer, referred to
by him above. Il was written in answer to a
3 letter from the editor aforesaid, giving him a
q full reviebo Of The tenor and effect of our Reg.
Ristration Lato. Hence, Mr.. Greeley speaks
& understandipgly of the effect of the Act of
s Congress as applied to the Registration laws
gof our State:
Z New YORK TRIBUNE
q New York Nov. is, 1868.
q My Dear Sir Il have yours of the 10th.
,fIts leading positions have long since been un-
xderstood and apprehended in this quarter.
3 Now hear me.
g Every year one thousand Of your rebels die,
! and one thousand (or more) of their sons be-
I come of age. You can't disfranchise THEM.
!. You have now five thousand majority. Six
: years at farthcst will convert this into rebel
: majority of one thousand. Then the rebels
will be enfranchised in spite of you, and the
blacks will be left under foot-and you under
{ estimate these at two thousand.
4 Go your own way, and see if the rebels
s don't have you under foot in less than six
: years.
q sneak from a wide experience when I tell
you that your house is built on the sand. 1t
! cannot stand. Every year will see the passions
sof the war cool, and the demand for amnesty
] strengthened. Non you can amnesty the
!. rebels. Soon the question will be, shall they
amnesty yom2 Look at Kentucky and Mary
J land and read your certain fate in theirs.
q Yours, HORACE GREELEY.