The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-22
Remarks OF Mr.. Fitzhugb, OF Kan
awha, i'm the Convention. March o.
on The Proposition TO Exclude
Negroes from Eligibility to ONCE.

No question has been presented to
this body that has caused me more
anxious reflection than that now under
Observation-Disclosures we should allow
negroes TO be eligible to office in this
State. II | were to follow my own in
clinations and pre- uiices, | would un-
hesitstingly vote against the privilege |;
or if | were to yield my assent TO the
preiudces o. a majority OF those whom
/ represent, | would vote 10 confer the
right to hold office upon the white man,
and upon him alone But | believe
that it would not be consistent with
right, nor with my convictions OF the
hest interests of the State, to do so. |
shall, therefore, so FAR as my vote is
concerned, throw all public offices and
honors open to competition to all alike,
and leave my action to be judged by
the reasons | shall give.
The events Of the last ten wears have
wrought a great change in the civil and
political condition OF this country,
especially as they bear upon the fortunes
and fate OF the negro. II the late
war had left the negro at its close,
where it found him at its beginning, |
would say let him remain there; do not
disturb him, socially or politically. But
the old relations between the white and
black races were entirely broken up by
the war and the emancipation OF the
negro was the necessary and inevitable
result of the success OF the Federal
arms The negro, thenceForth, became
a new social and political element in
the State, and new political theories and
dogmas had to be adopted to meet the
necessities OF his case. Accordingly, q
scr'es Of amendments were added 10
the Constitution of the United States to
emboiv these ideas. The Thirteenth
Amendnent-the first of the series
merely declares that slavery shall never,
in the future, be tolerated. 1t was not
this provis on OF the Constitution that
abolished slavery. The emancipation
Of the nero was another and in.
dependent act, and owed its origin to
other and different causes. Emancips-
tion-the abolition OF slavery-was the
certain and logical result Of the war,
and the Thirteenth Amendment was
merely the inevitable and logical result
of emancipation. The one followed as
the consequence Of the other, and it was
the Thirteenth Amendment that fol-
lowed as the result OF emancipation.
L., hot ~ 70
can be found in all the land who de-
mands repeal of this provision OF the
Constitution. No where, North or
South, can man be found to say that
the institution Of slavery will ever again
be established in this country or that it
ought to be restored. The Thirteenth
Amendment is recognized AMI received
bv all men Of all parties and opinions,
as final and conclusive on this subject.
The universal acquiescence in the pro-
visions of the Thirteenth Amendment
does not result from the mode or manner
of its adoption and PRONUNCIATION, be-
cause in these respects it is open to as
much objection, and think more. than
the manner of the adoption Of the
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments,
which have been go severely criticised
But the Thirteenth Anne 1dment, with
the principle which it embodies, is
accepted as merely decla-atory Of the
Stern logic Of event" necessary
result of the war. 1t follows, then,
that this amendment was the logical
result OF emancipation, as emsncip patton
was a consequence Of the War.
Bv the act OF emancipation more than
four millions Of negroes were at once
thrown upon society; and new political
rights and duties, carrying new obliga'
tons on each side, spring up at once,
between the two races-whlte and black
who composed the State. New ele-
ments had thrust themselves, or had
been thrust, into the body rolitic, and
it became necessary to provide for the
emergency. The first aud most natural
step to take, was to make the negro a
citizen. This gave rise 10 the -FOUR,
tenth Ameudment-or rather to that
part OF it which bears more directly on
this subject. This amendment was also