Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-04-02

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West Virginia had expressed their desire to
bestow not only the right of suffrage, but the
privilege to hold Office, on this class of our
population: He wholly misunderstood that
act of his felow-citizens, if it was fairly suss
ceptibfe of such an Interpretation! The
adoption of that amendment was urged solely
on the ground that it involved no principle
that had not already been settled by the late
amendments to the Constitution of the United
States, which had been forced upon the States
by fraud, 'chicanery and intimidation. These
amendments. it may be argued, had given the
right of suffrageSto the negro, and no adds
tional privilege would be bestowed upon him
by the Flick Amendment, while it gave the
opportunity of restoring the ri ,ht of suffrage
to large class of disfranchised citizens who
had been made aliens in their native State
and stripped of the commonest rights that be-
long to the people of a free State. Who
among us would have been so bold as either
to have commended or accepted this amend>
ment, had it been supposed that at the same
time it struck from the limbs of men of Anglo
Saxon blood the political shackles which a
relentless and merciless prescription had
forged upon them, while it elevated to the
dignity of American citizenship and to par
ticipation in The high privileges that belong
to it, a race that, through all the long ages Of
the world, have only been found capable of
wearing the yoke of bondmen and of slavery
There has been connected with this subject
another which he did not believe. properly
belonged to it. Some gentlemen had been
pleased to express the opinion that the pross
pect of amnesty to the brave men who were
suffering under the disabilities, imposed upon
them by The Fourteenth Amendment might
be injuriously affected by the Incorporation of
the word DIate in the Constitution to designate
the class of citizens who shall be eligible to
Office in the State of West Virginia. Did he
befeve that our action on the proposition now
before the Convention, would retard, for one
hour, consummatioD, so devoutly desired as
this, he might hesitate in the course which he
now thonght it his duty to pursue. But he
was satisfied no such effect would be produced.
What are the facts which the history OF this
subject shows?
1t has been seven years since; on the fatal
field of Appomattox, the armies of the late
Confederacy surrendered their arms and re-
turned to the peaceful occupations Of private
life. On promise of a restoration of their
States and themselves to their former position
in the Federal Union, they had surrendered,
one by one, their cherished political princi-
pies. They acquiesced in the abolition of
slavery. They passed through the terrible
ordeal which wrung from them the concession
that branded with political degradation their
own comrades in the heroic struggle from
which they had emerged. They made SUI
periors in political privileges of men who had
been their own slaves. and submitted to be
governed by their new masters. All these
sacrifices have been made, aud yet the proms-
cd restoration and amnesty have been deferred
Mr.. Travers then depicted the prostra.ion
and humiliation of the Southern States their
helplessness and desolation and yet, said he,
with all the appeals which these are calcula-
ted to make to the heart of the conqucring
power, it is without pity and shows no mercy
No determination of ours here to -day will
reach it or influence its action. Amnesty will
come only when it accords with the pleasure
aud will promote the interest of the party now
in power. He feared that much had been
lost by the concessions which, from time to
time had been made on the subject now under
consideration. TO yield to one exacton had
always been followed by demands for another.
At first it was only the equality of the negro
before the law and his protection under it
that were demanded. Then the right of suf-
frage was conferred, and now eligibility to of.
fee must follow. Next, in the order of se-
quences must be enforced social equality, and
then all distinctions between the races, except
that of color, will have ceased. Step by step
have we approached this fearful and revolving
conclusion. Atfrst, velcd from sight, it now
boldly appears, through the thin draperv that
covers it, we'll defined, in all it's hideous and
revolving reality
He believed it was time to pause and pro-
test in some tangible and unmistakable form
against this attempted debasement of their
race Did gentlemen believe that it was
wise to throw open to the temptation aud
competition of this class the official honors
and positions of the State? What more an,
propriate place for such an annunciation p.
In doing so they would strike down no mans
rights. Office is a privilege and of right be.
longs to no one. 1t is, therefore, within the
scope of.she power of every State to say on
whom it shall be bestowed, and from whom it
shall be withheld. He was now and here in
favor of an assertion OF that power in the mode
presented by the proposition already adopted
by the Convention. 4 failure to exercise it,
especially+sinc the question had been brought
to the direct issue before them; would be to
manifest an Indifference which he was unwil,
ling to believe existed, to any great extent,
in this budy; to consequences which he could
not contemplate without shudder, and from
which he earnestly prayed his State and
country might be saved in all the generations
to come!
Playing Judge.