The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-03-25

WSA.SE ny AlSuu llOh 4nJlOA uub WI
IDENTIFY strong prejudice against the party
which controls the vote oil the coloret
men. Would be incorporate q, provision
Ihete thAt would prohibit thai party from
holding olElcef II would DO Improper and
lnwise. There are feeling Of party and
prejudice In almost all things-someLimes
sad, and sometimes amusing. remem
Der once in crossing the river, was sit
ting in conversation with a gentleman
when an individual, dirty, illtby and in
toxicated, coming On board sat down be-
tween US, when rose and took a seat at
a little distance This gave the new
conner considerable offence, and turning
to my late companion, he remarked, thai
man with his broadcloth, seems mighty
stuck up, l shouldn't wonder II he takes
me Tor a.lysmOcrH Ny friends, knowing
me to.be a Democrat, enjoyed the Joke
very much Of my expense, but the Incl.
dent at least showed tho man 10 be in.
nuenced by prejudice, and that he at.
tributed 70 me the same feelings. II he
could, have had his own way no doubt
he would have objected to such men al
myself having the right to hold office. 2
This inhibition is purely unnecessary,
The gentleman from Marion (Mr. Hay.
mond) has clearly shown there can DO nc
danger In allowing negroes to hold office,
L Is not wise to place such q clause in our
Constitution since this race has been en-.
iranchised. :
To keep up tho strife is but TO array
parties against each other, and disturb
that fraternity and brotherhood which
constitutes thgPtPngth otlastatc. Win
We foster and keep alive that which will
throw odium and distrust upon the negro
race, and thus concentrate them in interest
and feeling with one party. =
1t will be ungenerOus 10 those people.
II has been said In truth by the gentle.
man from Kanawha, (AIr. Fltzhugh) that
they have been made free, not by, their
own act, but through the Instrumental.
ties ofIthe war Sir, the contest Is over
and since they have come to exercise the
right OF suffrage, what has been the course
Of this class at the polls. Is itnot known
that they voted almost unanimously for
the Flick amendment, thus eniranchising
o large class OF our white citizens?
Who does not know the reverence
which this new clement Of thcbody poll.
tic have for tie old master, with what
confidence he receives the opinions and
advice Of those who for years had guided
them in all their affairs before the WARP
To whom would they more readily turn
in times OF perplexity than to the genuine
gentleman and kind.hearted master 81
other days? Why, then, not bind him
closer TO you instead Of repelling him,
causing him 10 seek other alliances? :.
/, Sir, il is beneath : the dignity Of the
proud Caucasian race Of which we have
heard so much in this debate, to go back
upon these people because they are weak.
How have we risen to such height in
the estimation Of the civilized world? Is
it not because VIC have always had our
sympathies awakened upon the side Of
the weak and the fallen? :
Hasnot this made US the glory OF this
age? Afraid Of q few thousand negroes
in our State. Shall we place our heel
upon them? Sir, understand amiss the
heart Of this proud nation II We are now
to use our power to crush the weak and
unoffending. .IF,aa ~.
This legislation would isolate lis and
put us out Of sympaty with other States
upon this question Of restoring the Union.
From ocean to ocean, with the exception,
perhaps, OF Kentucky, every State has
accepted, the situation, and shall VIC use
our power to crush three thousand voters,
denying them the right to hold office, be.
cause they were colored men? Ishoull
not envy such reputation.
We had in Old Virginia, long after the
days OF the revolution, an excentric old
gentleman who walked the streets in the
blue swallow.tail coat of 177G, with knee
breeches, long hose, shoe buckles, and
cooked hat, long after these fashions were
remembered only'as the costume of seV-
enty yearsago. This man was John Ran
dolph. He stood alone the representa-.
tive man ola race that had passed of the
stage. The grandeur Of his genius, was
the only exchsewe could make for his
impracticable excentricitics, while no one
could help but admire his towering great.
ness; none cared to follow his example in
adherence 10 old time habits and customs.
so now, we want none OF your gswal.
low tail" policy. Our work is to move
upward and onward with this progressive
age.
The gentleman from Kanawha has so
ably discussed the. 18th, 18th and 18th
amendments, that shall not enlarge upon
that phase Of the question.
3 We must carry out our, liberal policy.
Constitutions not only show the status Of
the present, but in d few years they be-
come history, constitutions, laws, and
treaties to- settle questions amicably, but
when war comes it settles what argument
and constitutions and treaties failed to
reach. We submitted 10 the arbitrament
OF war; the questions involved have been
settled beyond further discussion.
You maylhold on to the old arguments
and sprejudioes; but the, settlement ha
been irrevocably made.Saa5
l am trying to forget my prejudices. |
am trying TO rise to the question being
solved, / want to rise to the grand lesson
which the present affords. in the mutS!
tons of human government ~ q Eli
. Gentlemcn complain Of oppression by
the General Government. May not our
action here tend to provoke further Oh.
pressiopS, Has not the, time come when
this strife should. cease9 Shall we place
in our, Constitution words of discord TO
goe oundinS Through the hills and valleys
q West Virginia -?
lalmost lost the, thread of history as l
listened on yesterday to the eloquent
words OF the gentleman from Jefferson,
(Mr. Trayers) as he so ably depicted the
woes OF Old Virginia. l, too, have sym.
pathles for her, and her welfare cannot
lail to enlist every emotion Of my heart.
!, too, know something about the changes
that have. taken place there; but l must
say that these changes do not present to
my mind the same gloomy aspect as they
do to my friend. The ruin has been sad,
and the desolation has been complete
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