The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-03-27

THE CONVENTION.
"A white Mans Government"
More OF the Debate on Making Color
adjudication for Office


n, BAssEt. Of Harrison oncStrlnt
.,i,h me request Of friends Ior Inoih /.
wlIn ~; ;SS sreStest respect, ! YESTERDAY
lays 1. .HS tSC motion to insert tue Wort
%SiS IN the fourth section, Ou. y - n9I hae
bCcn renewed, shall now yole az sIhr nSs
Os;a;n lSv intended TO- The gentleman
S S.n.a T"y,or MI. Martini says we w9aIl
ION t y: ,SilIISS 10 take seat 10 Con
Sress, Notwithstanding lAs. neRT S"t nav m",
&c %cG ,r,s. but The late Of theman who tool
= Oe AVN nortlon Of poison with impqnltY!
as", ,sh6 mon taking a larger dose fount
M 10 BE- htal, may bca warning to US. :, \ !
strange to see men WHO once acIeC
En- Tho Vice President Of the Southern
ConIileracy upon the doctrine tina
sISvery was tho cornerstone Of the GOV
emment, now acting with those who a. y.
yOCsle The striking out the word wnlt'
rror,, or1r Constitution. The gentleman
rom Wood (Mr. Jackson has tried t
move that that clause Of the Constitution
which says, "The citizens Of each sLalS
shaII he entitled to all tho privileges anC
immunities of citizens In the seyera
states =" when compared with tho four
teenth amendment to the Constitution
which saws. mo State shall abridgo thu
prIylleges or immunities Of citizens Of thu
United States" would prohibit US from
DENYING to negroes the right TO hold
oflce I think neither Of these provisions
have ANYTHING to do with this question
The right to hold office is privilege that
NAV be granted or Withheldby the citi'
zeus OF each State as may seem to them
best, and tho privileges and immunlties
Spoken Of in the Constitution ofthe United
States have nothing at all to do with our
provisions here In regard to our own in
ternal affairs.
M, FAULxNER-I am aware, Of the
somewhat peculiar state of things in the
county Of Jefferson. | know Of the acri.
mony and ascerbation Of public feeling
which prompts the course Of the gentle.
man lAtr. Trayers) from that county.
came here to humbly assist in framing a
State Constitution, not Tor o part, but lor
The State Of West Virginia; not for q class,
but for all the citizens Of the State. In
all the addresses | delivered in the coun-
lies Of Berkeley and Jefferson at which
my colleague was present. ANNOUNCED In
emphatic terms that would assist In
making no Constitution that made any
distinction Of party, color or position In
life | heard Of no exceptions 10 that
proposition. None were manifest at the
polls.
The colored vote, It Is true, did not
seem to give me credit for my sincerity
10 those declarations, as they cast their
votes almost en- HldSse against me.
have no hard feelings against them
for stood as the nominee OF the Demo
cratic party, and there was much in the
history Of that party that would lead then
TO conclude that there might be sAiel
hands in which to repose their interests
Task no man to bend his course for mt
ron my account. ask no Office. 'Tis
true | might desire to have my disabili.
lies removed, but do not feel but that
have served my country faithfully.
The simple question before us is
whether we shall diSiranchise and deprive
OF heirexisting constitutional rights some
three thousand poor men in this State,
who are recognized TO be our fellow
citizens, who enjoy with us some of the
civil rights, who by virtue of the action OF
the General Government and the vote of
the people of West Virginia have been en-.
lowed with the sacred right TO hold
office. o.
1t would seem TO me that in this nine.
tenth century, in the light Of the sur.
rounding events, our conviction should be
for the right
II l should vote to take away any mans
invested rights should do violence 10 my
whole life and my avOwals before the
people. ".al
lam told that 10 deprive a man OF eli
gibility to office is no great offence. Why
then does the United States government
make no higher punishment for any
offence than 10 deprive Of the right "a
hold office, Even treason, that highest Of
sllpolitiCal crimes, has in the history OIL
our country received no higher condem.
nation. T5
No prescription comes more directly
home to the human heart than this, and
Tor this reason il Is that the disability now
resting upon so many Of our white citizens
under the fourteenth amendment threat.
ems, unless wiped out, to become the lead.
ing question in the coming presidential
campaign. ~Ss-'TT
Why should not every disability DO re.
moved and every proscripLive feature
wiped outs Sir, to declare man llis.
qualified to hold office Is to separate him
from the great mass Of community and
place a brand upon him which IS to follow
him like the mark Of Cain. It's 10 make
enemies to society, because OF the feeling
0IinjuStice which you plant within their
hearts, there to rankle until removed.
ST., ! came here with no intention tn
proclaim that color was q crime or that
ignorance was q felony. 7,
30 long as ColOred mon are rccopnizefi
As citizens, | will recognize their rights "a
as citizens, and be willing to accord 10
lem all the rights Of citizenship. II
eVlIS follow, l will try to remedy them,
aud labor to alleviate whatever NAV be-
hard or unjust.
.,I Inc gentleman from Tyler (Sr. John.
sSnl mas stated that there Is nothing IN,
sue constitution Of the United States Of
~, u inc amendments thereto to prohibit
w, W. people Of West Virginia from passing.
@ , restriction. But are We only 10 ex.
%ua these principles of right and iustice
SS .te compelledI Let us DO Guided
SE SulA and right; let It's act in good
% an yes, by such bonds Of good faith
il' AMY Us TO heaven md euoblc US as Leo.
Ms be it from us to commence nro.
,o Ipsloa upon others, when prescription
S %"aus US needs but one more act to have
.i,siS and when the end seems 50 nearly
,.r %,ay lsit that Congress limited its pro.
NJ Su so SIMPLY to the elective franchise in
SeS fourteenth amendment For obvious
S SSs S Theywerel egislating as to what
w gong on In the Southern States ana
ivy Knew that In those States the ricit
, SSO!s carried with it the right inevitably
M uylg Office. In all the States South