The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-06-23
written for The Spirit of Democracy
LETTER FROM WEST VIRGINIA

Ed SPIRIT: To persons desiring to re-
move from old associations, and seek new
homes, schools and church privileg yes al
ways exercise more or less of a control
ling influence. Inmy last spoke of our
common school advantages, and now, in
addition to that, l am pleased that 1 can
say, that churchIprivileges are such over
here that none need hesitate in making up
their mind to come to Doddridge County,
as all, or nearly so, can be accommodated.
The NJ E Church, old side, the NJ. E.
Church South, the Baptist Church, Bible
Christians, NJ. P. Church, Seventh Day
Baptist, and the new sect known as Ad
ventists, are all represented, the Metho-
dists and Baptists taking the lead land the
Roman Catholic Church also has its
chapels along the line of this railroad. So,
to sum up, we have fertile soil, good
climate, splendid water, excellent timber.
No markets for produce or stock, good
opportunity for common school educa
ton, and last, but not least, about all the
religious sects represented in Monroe
County may find sympathetic spirits over
here.
A few years since the "nigger in the
wood pile" was all the Cry Of the Demo
cratic party, which asserted boldly that
the opposition were seeking an emancipa-
ton of the negroes, for equalizing purpo.
ses, which accusation was as boldly and
sturdily denied, but the world still moved
and time passed on, the wise of one party
shaking their heads, saying eve shall see
what we shall see" and on the other hand
the incredulous smile was all the reply.
and now we see the result. A few days
since the country was thrown into con
sternation at the action of the U. S. Sem
ate passing the civil! rights bill ,and which,
if passed by the other branch of the Ma
tional Legislature. sounds the death note
to free education all through the land, at
least for some time TO come, and especial
ly in the South. tits only few months
since the House of Representatives pas
sed an act to give soldiers, &C., of the late
war a patent for 160 acres of land; this
same Senate strangled the bill, after hav-
ing given to spectators millions of acres.
The soldier was ignored, the Spectator
got the land by free gift, instead of the
soldier realizing something from it, and
allthrough the U. S Senate, which ap-
pears to have no vision save for the sable
sons, the American citizens Of African
descent. think sometimes of the SOL
dier down in the Army of the Potomac,
while we were there, who wanted to be a
"brevet niger" that he might get to ride
in wagon when the army was moving
Don't you think, friend Jere, that we
could induce the q. S. Senate to create
the lsnk of "brevet nigger," so that white
men, by making use of the advantages
therein conferred, could have some rights
the negro would be bound to respect2
have come to the conclusion that,
although believing the Republican party
was organized upon sound and just
principles, as I understood them, the
party in power is most outrageously
corrupt My understanding of the
Constitution is that a State desiring ad.
mission into the Union is required to
adopt Constitution, guaranteeing a
Republican form of Government, to its
citizens, and it is understood that after
admission as one of the United States, a
State could make its OWE local police
regulations. Many States adopted con
stitutions and under them enacted laws
for the education of White and Black
children, in separate schools, which was
not suspected of being unconstitutional
by even ,our national legislators, but
these latter gentlemen p now step in
and say by simply an act of Congress,
no State shall educate the Whites in one
school and the blacks in another, but
all must come together, and the acl
stultifes the enactors in this, that when
they adopted or ratified the constitu.
tions Of some of the Southern States
and West Virginia the first among them
these honorable y legislators violated
the q S. Constitution then or they
have violated it m the late civil rights
bill, consistency is a jewel, worn by
very few party leaders.
Let us hope the National House ot
Representatives will strangle this Sena
torial monster, before it comes forth ir
its hideousness,to oppress and degrade
under the guise of law GANo.