The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-07-10
A VOICE FROM THE PAN HANDLE

A VOICE FROM THE PAN HANDLE
Judge Thompson issued, the 4th OF July last,
circular to the people of Northwest Virginia and
the Senate of the United States, from which we
! extract the following:
The present usurped and tyranncal despotism
| in Northwestern Virginit has declared my office
OF Judge ot the 10th Judicial Circuit vacant; and
this, notwithstanding have at all times in season
and out OF season, on the bench, and in public dis
| courses, preserved protected aud defended the
! Constitution of the United States as the supreme
! law Of the land; notwithstanding | was the first
man in Northwestern Virginia to take ground for
the determined support of the Union; notwith-
standing that for this, my firm and constant sup
| port of the Union, the Convention at Richmond
| have instituted inquiry looking to nv removal
from the same office, because OF this, loyalty to
the Union; notwithstanding | have in every act
and sentiment, publicly or privately done
pressed, maintaned the supremacy of the Cnnsti-
tuition ot the United States and the perpetuity Of
the Union in its moral integrity, the great re-
preventative of national republicaniSm in the world
notwithstanding have maintained all this by my
solemn acts OF office declaring the doctrines of
ceSslol laWleSs ana unconstitutional; notwihStan
ing have thus declared the ordinance of secession
passed by the Convention of Virginia, and all its
acts, laws ana other proceedings intended or used
To carry such ordinance into effect, void, being
against the Constitution of the Union and inimical
to its integrity; notwiths landing have in my SOL
emn official declared the officers and soldiers
ot the United States, who the soil of Nir-
to execute the laws of the Union, to be here in the
peace of the commonwealth and under the protec-
tion of its laws.
Notwithstanding all these, this usurped and law.
less faction in the State which itself above
the regular Constitution of the State pre-
scribes tn me oath above the Constitution, and
seeks to impose on me an e" post tacto qualification
unknown to the Constitution. i
They know that it is corruption on nv part
tor have only to take the little tesoath furnished
by Couthon and my present office is secure to me
beyond peradventure.
They all know, of them have said to me-
that | wanted for their Supreme Court, if |
will take the gentle and fraternal oath of Couthon.
They know that whatever OF danger, dstrust and
surveillance is to be encountered, comes here ia
pursuing an independent course and that subser-
vience will avoid all this. Whatever of property
and wife and children, and all hold dear this
earth is in their jurisdiction, and for myself, before
heaven, | defy and denounce their tyranng and
usurpation and their Couthon test-oath, grimed
and besaverGd it is with the orgies and the deep
curses of the French Anarchy. | denounce their
tyranny and usurpation--
Because it is unconstitutional in its origin pro-
ceediugs and ends 1t violates the spirit of the
Constitution of the United States in this that upan
what they affirm and know is intended to be by
many of them, it is the inaugurating movement of
State, without the prerequisite required
by the Sd section of the Constitution of the United
States
1t violates the spirit of the Constitution of the
United States the part OF the Administration,
because it is an interference in the internal admin
istratiOn of affairs OF the State bevOnd the prOtec
ton of its lnya and obedent citizens; it is protect
ing them in the vio4 ton of the Constitution of the
State; in taking from the people, lawlesslv, the
right elect their Governor and Lieutenant Gov
ernor; in the appointment of an irresponsible Ex-
ecutive Council of State Revolutionary Directo-
ry unknown to the Constitution and the laws; in
sustaining fragment of a Legislature without
any constitutional quorum in legislating for
tire people; in protecting and enforcing the laws
of a legislature which does not in legal and con-
stituional manner embrace one-twentieth of the
constitutinnalIy appointed and apportoned Irgisla
tive jurisdiction OF the Commonwealth in supply
ing vacancies, to this poor fra gmeDt ot au-
thority, bv modes Of election unknOwn to the laws
and the Constitution, and otherw in calling to-
of Legislature, BY means Sws5s,' unprecedd1hnGeed cddhGeed
and revolutionary. =
Will you, Senators of the United States, who are
not already in completely with this affair." Justify
this hagrant usurpation; this lawlrss invasion of
public liberties; this unconstitutional overthrow of
all constitutions; this foul interpositon of an ad
ministration in the affairs of internal govern
ment of the State, for purposes beyond those recog-
pized BY the spirit and the compromises of the sa
cred instrument under which you act and which in |
great measure has been brought about by that |
state policy at w Washington, which says eve wi | |
not violate the letter of the Constitution, but if YOU
want our protection you must violate your |
Constitution and laws, and principles of public lib
erty and the voice of legal ma ajorities, constitution
ally expressed, upon which is based all OF repub
cansm which is guaranteed by our forms of gov
eminent, and the express stipuatons of the very
instrument which, fear. is made the pretext of
civil war and traternal sIaugher; and when you
the people of Western Virginia, have done this,
you sold to us for all purposes which may be
demanded OF you.
To YOU, the solemn Judges Of the Constitution
and the laws, appeal to main tain the integrity of
conscience and to leave your final protest, when
the occasi IN shall come, on that page OF your
0rds on which is written your protest against the
desp repeal OF the hdbeas corpus that last refuge
of liberty against tyranny.
To you, the people whom | haye served faithful
y and how well your own vote in honest Judgment
of two to one over my competitor, only a short
time since, would authorize me to say, to YOU |
appeal to become calm and considerate and ask
yourselves whittier these things tend? Where
they to end? =
| oppose their proceedings because they are
from root to branch, unconstitutional, unwarrant
able and unne ecessary. Because in hat they have
done, they and the adminstI alton at Washington
have violated the spirit of the Constitution OF the
United States; because in nothing that they have
done have they conlorned to the Constitution Of the
State which they say they intended only to
ganize; and because they have organized so as to
give high offices to men, who under other circum-
stances could never have reached to more than the
venal and corrupt dribs of party compensation and
who would have deemed themselves favored with
the offil.
refuse to touch the taint and CRIME of this test
oath, also, because the ogarchy at Wheeling is,
in the main, composed Of the drippngs and eav-
ings of that old party, to whose very heart the
offices of the republic had become corrupt de-
grading and a constant desire in their life pursuit
of them through all forms OF party and all changes
of name, and all bargains and corruptions in the
combinations Of disappointed and greedy place
hunters to that last act OF infamy and dsloyalty to
Integrity and worth, the trade and sale of body
and soul to abOlitionism and the instauration of
negro equality on the soil of Virginia, that this is
so, and that the usurped, lawless and unconstitu-
tonal rule at Wheeling was the suggestion of
northern venality, northern ianatlcism northern
policy and northern avarice, verify believe, and
for the reasons given and for others; the argument
upon which it is based is the fallacous and incon-
sequential production of the Ma jor DaIgetty of
Massachusetts, politics, the man who has ever had
an argument and coat for that Presidential candi
date who most likely to succeed.
Because the money of the North has been ten
dered to these men, and the Mimic muskes of Mas
sacbuSets have been received at Wheeling.
Because | know that the plan sugg sted by
HoadIy of Massachusetts, endorsed BY Sumner, of
the Senate and placed in the hands of Postmaster
General Blair, was forwarded to Wheeling to a
well-known agent of the Government, and has
constituted the staple of the argument on which
these most wrongful proceedings have been insti-
tuted and consummated in the violation OF const
tutions in the overthrow of well settled forms of
proceeding, and in the initiation OF despotiC
powers.
These things, men of Western Virginia, may,
perhaps, have your present concurrence; but be-
eve one who has fity-fve years of practical
perience and knowledge of the human heart and
human affairs, and pause while tell you that here
| is fearful day 10 the future unless you get back
to ancient forms OF proceeding, and to the love OF
| that order which grows out of obedience To law
| and to that obedience which is an enlightened
regard for private conscience and puohc interests
based as Mr.. Van Winke says, on the constitution
| al integers OF society.
constitutional freedom entities me, whether it will
protect not in doing So TO speak ,reey IN It's
| habaf GEO. w. THOMPSON