The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-09-10

! signed by several responsible gentlemen,
stating that in 1868 Governor Stevenson
stated that negro suffrage was not an
issue that he was opposed to il, and if
4 ever the Republican, party declared in
.fayors Of negro suffrage, he, Stevenson,
,oould leave he party. (The gentleman
! here read the letter, reciting the above
facts, and signed by four gentlemen
whose names I did not get.-RsP. ]
That continued the gentleman, was the
position of the Radical party ten years
ago. Yet to-day the General is in favor
Of negro suffrage, and prides himself on
his vote to enforce that measure.
Therefore it is that / say that this is
the first time in the history Of our
country, that any party ever went be
fore the people of this State on negro
suffrage platform. Two years ago they
1 were opposed to it; last year 1t was not
an issue; now they say it is an accom-
plished fact" and we should not talk OF
! It. This is the progress" Of which the
gentleman is so proud. They have pro-
crossed too fast for the people; they
have left the old land marks OF the
party, and have repudiated the doctrines
of its leaders and fathers. Is not this
SOP Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Douglas, In
the memorable campaign which they
made in Illinois, both declared that this
was a white mans government, made
by white men, for white men and
their posterity forever. These were the
principles of the Republican party in
1860, and as late as the Chicago Con-
vention they declared in their platform
that in loyal States the right to regulate
suffrage belonged to them. This was
their position in 1868. But they have
progressed" since then, and in their
platform adopted at Parkersburg they
declare That the Fifteenth Amend
ment to the Constitution Of the United
States, which forbids the exclusion OF
any class from an equal voice In the
Government, by reason Of the accident
of race or color, or the misfortune OF
previous oppression, .accords with these
time houored principles Of the Declare
ton of independence, and is alike essen
tial to justice between men, to the con-
sistency of the Government and to the
harmonious relations of the races with
in its jurisdiction. f"
Now what does the Democracy say
upon this question? The third resolu-
ton of their platform says: That the
Republican party, by voting to ratify
the Fifteenth Amendment to the Con
stitution, has shamefully violated its
pledge that the question Of suffrage
should be retained within the control
of the people of the States; calling to
political power an alien and inferior
class, it has declared the white race
incapable of self government. In op-
position to this monstrous doctrine,
we invite all intelligent white men to
unite with us in asserting the principle |
that the white race is the ruling race
of this Republic.
Here are the platforms OF the two
parties. Two years ago, they said they
were opposed to negro suffrage. We
told YOU that this was false Every
Radical speaker in the State denied
this in the most vehement terms. They |
said it could not be forced upon our
people, except by a constitutional con-
vention or by amendment to our State
Constitution, and that it would never
become an existing fact until the peo-
pie should say whether they wanted it
or not. Now, white men of Braxton, |
ask you, how has that pledge been re-
deemed. Was negro suffrage brought
on us by your consent? Did you have
an opportunity Of voting for or against
it2 No, indeed, YOU had no voice in
the matter, and if you had, what would |
have been the result2 | am confident
in asserting that nine men out OF ten
would have voted against it. 1t was
voted down in Ohio by more than
$4,000 majority and wherever the peo-
pie have had an opportunity of ex-
pressing their sentiments freely, 1t has
been repudlated Yet it is upon you
and upon the whole country. Your
delegates to the Legislature, who were
elected when they declared It was not
an issue, were scarcely warm in their
seats, ere they ratified the Fifteenth
Amendment. |, for one, have been
taught to believe, that this is a govern
ment of the people and for the people,
and to maintain this, the Revolutionary
War was fought, and the theory that
kings reigned by divine right, was super
sed by the maxim that 1.-The voice OF
the people is the voice Of God. The
people are the source of all power.
They first formed the State govern
ments by ,delegating to it, certain of
their individual rights, and then the
Federal Government was brought into
existence, by the people In the bet
ter days of The Republic, when mem
Der of the Legislature, or of Congress
was elected, he went there, not TO vote
for, or express his own personal views,
but the views and interests Of his con
stituents: and if he could not represent
those views, consistently with his own
dignity and opinion, he would resign his
agency, his position. But now the
tunes are sadly out of joint and We
see these gentlemen, instead Of asking
what do my constituents expect, asking
,chat does myparty demand
But my friend, the General, says he's
tired of hearing us talk about the ever
lasting niger. He don't like TO hear
it. OF course not. mo rogue ever felt
the halter draw, with good opinion of
the law" They don't like to hear it,
because they know 1t is the death knel
of their party. But who is TO blame
that we do talk about it? Have they
not forced us to do it? Has not their
whole legislation been niger, niger,
nigger1 First they proposed the Thir-
tenth Amendment, which freed the
negroes, and OF which the General is so
proud. Then they passed the Four
tenth Amendment and there was mig
ger in that-then the passed the Civil
Rights bill, with the niger in that
then the Fifteenth Amendment, which