The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-02-07
POLITICAL DISABILITIES IN
N1SSOURI.l lllNl III
FSOG the NisNOuH Democrat Of Wednesday.
Now ,iH the Time,!,, ,,,J

Iue uOuE VI NSAOI1 70 NS uOuA ~"
nagnaniulity. The loyal people of this
State have achieved In tlIc decision Of the
Supreme Court q victory complete and
DECISIVE, tis now In their power y dis
nr1ff ItkSift tf6eSi 10 vindlcatSJ themselves,
10 restore u lasting and perfect peace to
tic State, by one act OF untorced LIBERAL
ity.
ftanchisemGnt was disputed IN the courts.
II might hive been SAID That It's repeal
was no evidence Of generosity, as he does
not give who only restores loSt property TO
its owner. But the Supreme Court has
IuhaH end u TIM Sdftp6AlG The10yal
men have moi Onlytlle power but the legal
right tn maintain the dIstfanchisement i
they please. "''" -" |
We did 0ur part-sOme lpvc sail TINT
we did. more than our shlre- lin causing
the adoption of this measure: When
men IhaTe dsclareitj cppst itutiop4qs Te
have replied, 'WhGthCr Il be so or not, 1t
was necessary, and 1--we would lpIulC same
again, a thousand times over, TO put down
u rebellion, and to secure Q just settlement
Of Tie issues rlise1 by civil war; TO.Ilay
that measure stands sustained by the
highest court In the land. We arc no
longer left to say, Constitutional or not,
IL was necessary" We have now war.
rant from the highest authority for de-
clarinrTft constitutional rs well as neces.
sary. From tho first, We have sustained
the strict enforcement Of the measure, as
long us the loyal people should retain u as
the law. For TINT, also, we were assallcd.
But we say again, as'wc have said before,
that no private citizen has right to set
aside q law, and tllat those did well who
swnrc.t0 nIaintafh IT, by bayOnets, II need
he, until repealed or abrogatcd in due
process Of law. And now, when all these
acts have been tritmphantly sustained,
VIC mAy the more properly urge our belief
that this measure Is no longer needed, anl
t4at t8FsE ahe BeeatiSSal etS paFtYY%HHs wshak9St'Ra
As long as an adverse decision was Ap-
with reason by friends and
boastingly predicted by f5es, IL could be
said that In any change Of policy the RAD
icals were governed, not by a generous
feeling, moi by IL desire 10 give peace to
the Suite, not even by IL conviction that
acknowledgements no longer nect$ $$atyy
hut by i Tear tliat tic House would he
pulled down over their heads If they did
not leave II. Such things were said,
and insolently. by men who
will now owe whatever franchises they
ever posscSs in Missouri TO, the liberality
Of tIlose &h6mi they have villifled. "Phc
decision leaves tho dominant party more
free to net, Giying,tO itsAbsnlntc md lln-
questioned Mower, It forces every diSfran-
chisCd person TO acknowledge that In any
act Of lihgrality tho ilGdicals are lprompt
cd only by regard for the welfare Of tite
State, mud are not coercGtl by any cxpeC-
tatiOn Of judicial interference. t q J. iGu
tTlisftanClIisement hAs been yintlicated
by the Cohrtsas lawful, Just, constit uttona!L
Il remains for tie same party which Origie
lated, and has enforced 1t, to vinlicatetts
spirit md purpose. By voluntary add aellbi;
crate repeal OF It when o the necessity
which Justified it, no longer exists. II
will he a proud moment TOR The RADICAL
party-tlie prOulest in It's whole History
when It shall voluntarily give hack TO
twentytliousand men the IiaNc chtses which
they forfeited Iii rebel Lion, qlid saH V tlicE1r
"TGe issues raised byy0tr rebellion are
settled ; the public peace IS restored; !;
national sffety'. 40 longer requires your Gxi
clCSiOn from AnyrrriVilegcS of citizenship,
We rely upon the Justice Of our caltse
vote and wcIcOmGt!n To the Dcmo ocratgit
will bO IL most humiliating moment, when
after all their ranting andA threats; after
all their talk of resistance and boasts pl
their abilityto sweep Radicalism from tic
land, II appears that tho Radical party Is
not only strong enough 70 mAintain dis
.itanchisement, but strong enough, and sure
eueYgkcg5 4sSE 'EpP9 to iRc1St |Ey
grahdest Vtct6ry tho Radical party hdsyc
aChievclNYflH ara OEE
Has not tic time come to win that Inst
tlecisiye triumph ( n Tell usjhRadiedls, ,ol
the Legislature! is not this the, very time
0fGll others for the Radical party ID sayi
while dtSitapchisement was leeacd, I'VE
maintain 1t, aud Ind the legal right 10 do
80. ,Itis necessary no llongef.s Nobittcl
feeling, no desire for office, prompts us to
continue itw Has not the ti9ic arrived
when the Radicals OfthiG Stationary com
pletr ithc long listio6f their glorious
iridmpls, by putting an end forever to tile
only Issue which keeps alive Democracy
in Missouri! 4
Il seems to us that, % more fortupais mp,
mont c6hllln6 be desired. Hglh oh TIC
heels of this decision, the utter failure Of
all hope Of Cnfranchisement from any
other source, may well come the solemn
declaration Of the Radical party that the
necessity tbr this measure no longer OK
lists, and that those who adopted therefore
arc prompt to rcpcalit Its infinitely en-
sier now, when no Carping creature can
say that We have no legal power to main.
tain It. dteB1 1infnitelE moro desirable
now; wheh 4te voluntary removal will 70
conclusivcly answer nil assertions that We
have been governed by yindictive feelings
or desire Tor pOweFT,F One week ago had
such IN act 6r repeal bccn .prop by
the Legislature, It would fndeedNhayC
brought peace to the State, but III would
not lIavc given ID the Isadical party such
i claim upon tllc1 1lonor, and confidence Of
all classes of people asit will ifsadoptctI
now,, 1rr rI is4,r I'd mall !r,741 r.lsS ~
THIS decision, thon, sweeps away the
last obstacle to tho removal Of 'distfa1i'
chisemont, and renders that step ipcom,
parIbly moro honorable TO the Radical
party. The question remains Shall the
matter be settled by IN amendment, Eiv'
ing suffrage to negroes, and rebCls both, OF
shall It be len 10 the action Of the nexl
Legislature which will alav9tbe poYYert9
franchise 70 colorcd people. shaIl Il be
submitted to the people fqr settlement, OF
shall this question be kept open TO disor'
LyaniEc and divide tho party In the Repre-
sentative elections next fill?
By some 1t Is suggested that tile Stat
Convention may be, LETT 10 consider thE
Question. A moments thought VIII !Qon
n f...A m -