Year: 1869




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Advancing backwards.


The Rtelligencer, after attempting for
months to convince the public that it
and its party favored the removal
of political disabilities in this State, on
yesterday completed the backing down
process it has been limiting at for a
week or two. In reply to letter from
Parkersburg correspondent, it says in
effect that unless the negroes and rebels
are enfranchised together, the rebels
should not be enfranchised at
all. The following extracu shows the
position it now takes:


Whatever others may have done, the
Intelligencer has never proposed to grant
'rebel enfranchisement per Sc" We
would have the same amendment en-
franchise blacks and rebels alike. We
would unite the two, so that both should
be adopted OF rejected together. We will
never consent to one without the other,
because there is no reason in favor of
the rebel that is not equally in favor of
the black man. AS matter of abstract
Justice the colored uan's right is the
best; as measure of civil equality, of
political necessity and of harmony both
are alike imperative.


And yet recurring to the Fifteenth
Amendment, we have this to say: Re-
garding that as the crowning measure
of all yet inaugurated for the complete
and enduring pacification of the coun-
try-regarding it as filling the measure
of logical and inevitable reforms grow
ing out of the altered conditions wrought
in our civil structure by the war-and
as absolutely essential to prevent fature
disturbance and evil-if through the
action of the Democratic party else
where that measure is lost, we should
favor the calling of an instant halt in
the work of magnanimity towards our
rebel fellow citizens; and then let the
further progress of such policy be
governed by such considerations as
might be forced upon the country by
that party.


This is merely pitiable trick to cover
the Intellgencer'S retreat. An amend
ment to enfranchise the blacks alene,
would not be supported by the Republi-
can party. The IntelHgencer knows it.
Hence it hooks negro suffrage with rebel
suffrage for the purpose Of killing the
latter with its OWE party. A majority
of them would now restore to the rebel
the ballot of which he has so long been
deprived. But to the masses of the Re-
publican party in this State, negro suf-
frage is dstasteful. The course of the
leaders last Fail in evading that ques.
tion and pledging the people that the
negro should never vote in West Nir-
ginia without their consent, was a con-
fession of the odious character of the
measure. The action of the Legislature,
elected upon this pledge, in ratifying
the Fifteenth Amendment without al
lowing popular sentiment chance for
expression, was another confession of
the same sort. And now, the PROPOSE
tion to unite negro suffrage with rebel
suffrage, is intended to make rebel en-
franchisement unpopular, and to stay
the tide of liberal opinion.


1t is difficult to think that the Inteth-
gencer believes in the proposition we
have quoted. For a long time it has
been arguing that the disfranchisement
of the rebels at the close of the war was
necessary for loyap protection, and
that when the necessity ceased the dis
franchisement should cease also. 1t has
asserted over and over again that this
necessity has passed away. BY its own
argument it stasds committed to "rebel
enfrauchisement per Sc" If it was
honest in that argument, it can hardly
have beat this retreat for an honest
purpose.


For our part, we don't think the Ohio
county leaders in this "new departure
ever intended to enfranchise the rebels
unless they could control their votes
Their first object was to obtain ascend.
ency in the Republican party, of which
the FOREMAN gang had deprived them,
For this purpose they raised this hue
and CRY about the dangerous character
and damaging results of prescription
They appealed to the better nature Of
the Republican rank and file. They
exposed the evil until all appreciated it
But they stopped short of any adequate
remedy. They did so because they de
signed no remedy. But unhappily fol
them, the movement didn't stop
where they did. Other Repub
licans of brains and prominence
outbid them for popular favor
PoLsLEY, HUTCHINSON, KITCHEN ant
others, seeing the tendency of events
seized the opportunity to place them
selves far in advance of the Ohio count!
Republicans, upon the score of libera
itv. They not only admitted the ini
onity of prescription, but taking advan
tape of the weak point in the case o
the Intelligsncer and its friends, the!
proclaimed in favor of immediate reform
As a matter of course they went at ono


to the van of the movement. They ar
now as far in advance of the Intelligence
as that naner has been in advance o