Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-09-06
IL COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
LAENI nv : DIT NM " Nv =
WHEELING. Sent. 2. 1871.

1
/ Col. SAMUEL VI. WICKERsHAM, First Reg3-
nent RiFes, Pittsburgh, Pennd.:-DEAR SlR:
/ ! thank you and your gallant officers and
/ soldiers for the generous offer you made
to come to Western Virginia, and take
/ your chances in the hazards of repelllng
I the usurpers of our common inheritance
! from our patriot farthers. The general III
command of this division supposed there
was no pressing necessity for the aid you
Won proffered. Itis the policy of the Fed
eral Government to place sufficient regu-
lar volunteer force in the field to crush
ont the rebellion: and, my dear Sit, am
convinced rs this rebellion progresses, we
can not enjoy our liberties and the Injuries
of our homes both at the same time. The
rebel chiefs fixed their mark on crown
and hereditary positions and distinctions
Success on their part crowns their ambi-
ton, and gives them reward worth their
exertions Their success proves our over
throw; not the overthrow of Western Nir-
giuia, but the overthrow of constitutional
liberty from the Cult to the Lakes, from
the Atlantic to the Pacific.
If the Confederate chiefs can take pos
session of Western Virginia and Washing
ton. they can :ake Pittsburgh and Cincin-
natl. The same force that would reduce
these points would reduce New York, Bos
ton, Chicago and San Francisco. 1t is fol-
ly for Pennsylvania to suppose sue can en-
Joy her rights and Virginia be subjected to
an oligarchy. Their interests were one i'll
the days of the Revolution. They will be
one at the end of the present contest
Th9y will enjoy common constitutions!
liberty or he subjected to common bond
age. The great difficulty with our people
Is to realize the condition of the country
and the tject of the rebel leaders. II
their object had been peace, why should
they carry the sword into Virginia, Mary
| land, Kentucky and Missouri? Where
have they stopped except at the muzzie Of
the cannon aud the point of the bayonet.
Why their first great effort TO seize the Ma
| tiouul capital except for the centre of their
dominion and empire? There are those in
our midst, in Pennsylvania and Virginia,
the advocates of peace and compromise by
amending the Constitution. | assure you
this class is more dangerous ut this mo-
ment :hat the leaders of the Confederate
| army
Their effort is to paralyze the power Of
the Federal Government by applying odious
epithets 10 the war and dissuading men
from volunteering in tue regular service.
| In the first place, the organs of this class
of men will have to be silenced. There is
no difference between the chiefs of the
Confederate army, who are in open rebel
| lion, and those who are using every effort
| in their power to paralyze the arm of the
Federal Government which is trying to put
down the rebellion. 1t matters not wheth-
cr they will by their own power or by the
weakness of the Federal Government
| The destruction of the Federal COustitu-
ton and the establishment OF an olignrchy
is the object of both parties, and one peace
advocate in tie North may be worth more
| to the rebel cause than many rebels i'll the
| field in the South. a whole neighborhood
may be paralyzed by his influence, yet this
peace man shares in some degree the con-
| lidence and esteem of his good Union
neigh0ors, while he is actually preventing
the volunteering of soldiers for the de-
fence of our liberty.
If the trne men in the North could only
realize the perfidy and treachery of these
peace advocates, they would at once sup
press every journal and silence every ad-
vocate of peace until constitutional liberty
is restored. The ranks of our army would
shortly be swclled to half a million, and
rebellion crushed out in the same time
Excuse me, my dear sir. / did not in
tend to indulge in these remarks. inten-
dcd to thank you and your brave soldiers
and officers for your generous offer to as
sist Western Virginia in this struggle for
liberty, which now do, and should ncces-
sity require, will gladly let you know
Then, am sure you will be on hand.
am yours, &c,
F. H. PEIRPoINT