The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-23
it is the duty Of this Convention to guard
sacredly and viyilent,y.

it is the duty Of this Convention to guard
sscredly and vigilent!y.
1t had been said that by the amend.
ment to the State Constitution, known
as the Flick Amendment, q large
majority of the people Of West Virginia
had expressed their desire to beatow moi
only the right Of suffrage. but the
privilege to hold Office, on this class Of
our population. He wholly misunder
stood that act OF his ow-citizens, il j,
was fairly susceptible OF such an inter
probation. 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 bv fraud, cbicanery and
intimidation. These amendments, II
may be argued, had given the right Of
suffrage to the negro, and no add 'tional
privilege would be bestowed upon him
by the Flick Amendment, while it gave
the opportunity of restoring the right
of suffrage to large class of disfran-
chised citizens who had been made aliens
in their native State and stripped Of the
commonest rights that belong to the
people Of a free State. Who among US
would have been go bold as either to
have commended or accepted this
amendment, mad it been supposed that
at the same time it struck from the
limbs Of men Of Anglo-Saxon blood the
political snackles which a relentless
and merciless prescription had forged
upon them, while it elevated to the Dig
nifty o! American citizenship and to a
participa in the high privileges that
belong 10 it, a race that, through all the
long ages OF the world, have only been
ionnd capable of wearing the yoke OF
bondmen and OF slavery.
There has been connected with this
subject another which he did not be-
lieve properly belonged to it. Some
gentlemen had been pleased to express
the opinion that the prospect of amnes-
ty TO the brave men who were suffering
under the disabilities, imposed upon
tbrm BY the Fourteenth Amendment
might be injuriou.ly affected by the in
corporation OF the word whits 10 the
Constitution to designate the class Of
citizens who shall be eligible to office
in the State Of West Virginia. Did he
believe that our action on the PROPOSE
ton now before the Convention. would
retard. for one hour, a contamination,
so deyoutly desired as this, he might
hesitate in the course while he now
thought it his duty to pursue. But he
was satisfied no such effect would he
produced. What are the facts which
the history o. this subject shows?
1t has been seven years since, on the
fatal field OF Appomattox, the armies OF
the late Con'ederacy surrendere their
arms and returned to the peaceful occu-
pations of private life. On promise Of q
restoration Of their States and them
selves to their former position in the
Federal Union, they had surrendered,
one by one, their cherished political
principles 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 superiors in political privileges
of men who had been their own slaves,
and submitted 10 be governed by their
new masters. All these sacrifces have
been made, and yet the promised resto-
ration and amnesty have been deferred.
Mr.. Travers then depicted the pros
tratlon and humiliation OF the Southern
States; their helplessness and desola>
ton; and vet, said he, with all the ap-
peas which these are calculated 10
make to the heart Of the conquering
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 and will
promote the interest OF the party now
in power. He feared that much had
been lot by the concessions which,
from time to time had been made on
the subject now under consideration.
TO Weld to one exaction 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 suffrage was conferred, and
now eligibility to office must follow.
Next, in the order OF sequences must he
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. At first,
yelled from sight, it now boldly appears,
through the thin drapery that covers it,
we'll defined, in all its hideous and
revolving reality!
He believed it was time TO pause
and protest 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 and competition OF this class
the official houors and positions of the
State? What more appropriate place
for such an annunciation Ia doing
so they would strike down no mans
rights. Office is a privilege and OF
ri ht belongs to no one. 1t is, there
tore, within the scope of the 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. A
failure to exercise it, espec ally since the
question had been brought 10 the direct
issue before them, would be to manlie>t