Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-04-20

! lt'lEllltIll "a lAlOSt W llp llANN NtlN * I'll
right TO control their own property. so
it would be q personal satisfaction to
him to close his public career by seeing
engrafted in the constitution of this
State. of which he was one Of the fra
mers, provision that would affirm the
policy which he had so earnestly advo-
Gated whilst yet youth.
1t was, in his opinion, no objection
to the incorporation of this section into
the Constitution, that such would be
the law OF the State whether made =
Part of the instrument or not Ii that
objection had any force It would eX-
clude from the organic law now being
prepared not less than eight or ten
provisions which had been already
adopted bv the unanimous vote Of the
body. We had transferred from the
first section of the Fourteenth Amend
ment of the Constitution of the United
States to the second article OF our Con
stitution the entire paragraph defining
who are citizens of the United States
and who are citizens of the States.
Why this Was it necessary to the
rights of our citizens Certainly not;
and vet it forms an appropriate section
in our State Constitution. Again. we
have provided that the Legislature
shall pass no bill of attainIer, no erDod
fIc,o law. no law impairing the obliga
ton Of contracts. Were these proyiS-
ions necessary in our Constitution
Certainly not; for the Constitution OF
the United States contains positive pro-
hbition against the passage of amy
such law by State Legislation. Yet
these provisions are embraced IN all
State Constitutions, and they are aPpro-
priatelv in that of West Virginia. He
might further illustrate this idea 10y
reference to other sections, but II was
unnecessary. There were some gener-
al principles 50 important in their char
acter, and SO expressive of public opn-
ion. that no State Constitution ever
omitted them, although the rights thus
declared are III the most ample manner
protected by the Federal Constitution
Was not the perpetual prohibition OF
slavery in this state one OF the princi-
pIes which il WIS proper should be en-
hraccd in the fundamental law ? Would
it dcform the Constitution, or would IT
add mstre to its character Was itnot
eminen1lv appropriatc that. in Consti-
tutiou b6asttalIy rro!csSing to be based
upon the broadest admission of human
rinhts ncrpctuaI ipterdirt should be
intrrrosed AGAINST the possible revival
Of the Institution Of slavery ? Let it he
borne in mind that West Virginia, by
her present Constitution. recognizes
slayerv rs an existing local. though
temporary. institution. that it contains
wjtIip IFS limits at this time UPWARDS of
seventeen thousand human beings, who.
if the laws " hich were in force a few
wears ago still existed, would vet be in a
condition of slavery: and these persons
arc IGNORANT iralonS of their newly ac
uuirrd riohts and easily deceived and
m;sIod Inv thn SUGGESTIONS continually
noured into their ears. and which has
banded Them into 4 solid phaIanx
auojpst the Democratic party; that in
conceding their freedom we have only
welded to the ris n0j1r, and that we
mean again TO return them to slavery
whenever favorable opportunity shall
present Itself Are not such anxictics
and fears worthy Of the notice Of states
men WouId not such = provision in
serted in our own State Constitution be
an additional guarntv to assure them OF
the safety Of their RIGHTS. and Of the
t,Isa limitations cast uuon our ,,orty 9?
Would NOT sucb = nroyision embraced
in our State Constitution make mani
fest. to them. and the peopI. Of our sis
for States then we had aloptcd in
Good f,;tb tho now scttIcd nol,cv oftbe
5, a,' III, snL;.c, o,J ,no.rt to
adbare to il without reservation Of any
l,;nJ , lie Ley;evoJ that oyerv STATE
where slavery had ever once existed, or
v.bero snv sar;ons effort had been made
to introdIce il contained sucb a decla-
ration in It's fundamental law. Was there
anv reason whv West VIRGINIA should
Josire 70 he an eyconiion to the course
co uniformly adopted by her sister
states oftbe Soptb similarly situated ?
Iyas fbero orv ,ar,y ,,u,no.s ,ba, couIj
bs accomn};s5od Ly rliac,ing this nro-
,;sinn WAS tboro 9nytLi1g in the
nast history Of West virginia that ren.
do,ed il exncdient that her course should
! no avcantiInaI an tLis suhiact So far