Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-31

Address to the People of western
virefnfa,
! BIZ GEN. W. 8. RoeEcRAsz, COMMANDING TIL
DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO
In consequence of the perversions of tn
Tories in Western Virginia, and to satisf,
constant applications for information upol
points discussed in the premises, Gen. RosE
cRASz has issued the following proclamation
viz:
Hk1Dou ARTEks, AMY OF occsPATIos. Il
10 tie Loyal Inhabitants of Western Vrg,n;a:
You are the vast majority of the people
1t the principle of self government is to b
respected, you have right to stand in ih,
position you have assumed, faithful TO tn
constitution and laws of Virginia as the,
were before the ordinance of Secession.
The Confederates have determined at al
hazards to destroy the Government which
for eighty years, has defended our rights aDt
given us name among the nations. Contrary
to your interests and your wishes, they hav'
brought war upon your soil. Their tools an6
dupes told you you must vote for Secession
less you did so. hordes of Abolitionists would
overrun you, plumber your property, stea
your slaves, abuse your wives and daugh
tiers, seize upon your lands, and hang al
those who opposed them.
by these and other atrocious falsehO0d
they alarmed you, and led many honest AM
unsuspecting citizens to vote for Secession
Neither threats, nor fabricAtions. nor inlimi
dations, suficed to carry Western Virginia
against the interests and wishes of its people
into the arms of Secession.
Enraged that yon dared to disobey theil
behest, sEastern Virginians, who had beer
accustomed to rule you and count your votes
and ambitious recreants from among your
selves, disappointed that you would not make
good their promises, have conspired to tie
you to the desperate fortunes of the Confed
eracy, or drive you from your houses.
Between submission to them and subju ga
ton or expulsion they leave you no alterna-
tive. You say you do not wish to destroy the
old Government, under which you have lived
SO long and peacefully; they say you shall
break it up. You say you wish to remain
citizens of the United States; they reply, you
shall join the Southern Confederacy, TO which
the Richmond junta has transferred you. and
to carry their will, their Jenkins, Wise, Jack
sou. and other cOnspirators, proclaim upon
your soil a relentless and neighbOrhood war;
their misguided or unprincipled folio Rers
re-echo their cry. threatening fire and sword,
hanging and expulsion to all who oppose
their arbitrary designs. They have set neigh
Dor against neighbor, and friend against
friend; they have introduced among you war
fare only known among savages. In viola
ton of the laws of nations and humanity
they have proclaimed that private citizens
may and ought to make war.
Hinder this hlnOdv code npacpfuI citizens
unarmed travellers, and single soldiers, have
been shot down, and even the wounded
and defenseless have been killed; scalping
their victims is all that is wanting to make
their warfare like that which seventy or
eighty years ago was waged by the Indians
against the white race on this very ground.
You have no alternative left you but TO unite
as one man in The defense of your homes, for
the restoration of law and order, or be sub
jugated or expelled from the soil.
/, therefore, earnestly exhort you to take
the most prompt and vigorous measures to
put stop to neighborhood and private wars;
you must remember that the laws are sus-
pended in E ,stern Virginia. which has trans
ferred itself to the Southern Confeder icy.
The old Constitution and laws of Virginia are
only in force in Western Virginia. These
laws you must maintain.
Let every citizen, without reference to past
political opinions, unite with his neighbors to
keep these laws in operation, and thus pre-
vent the country from being desotated by
plumber and violence, whether committed in
the name OF Secession or Unionism.
/ conjure all those who have hitherto advo-
GATED the doctrine of SecessiOnism, as poll
teal opinion, to consider that now its advo-
,acy means war against the peace aRd inter
est of Western Virginia, it is an invitation to
the Southern Contederates to come in and
subdue you, and prOclaims that there can be
no law nor right until this is done.
My mission among you Is that CT fellow
citizen, charged by the Government to expel
the arbitrary force which domineered over
you, to restore that law and order of which
you have been robbed. and to maintain your
right to govern yourselves under the Consti-
tuition and laws of the United States.
To put an end to the savage war waged
oy individuals, who. without warrant of
military authority. Turk in the bushes and
waylay messengers. or shoot sentries, l shall
be obliged to hold the neighborhood in which
these outrages are committed as responsible,
and unless they raise the hue and cry and
pursue The offenders and deal with them as
to the crime.
Unarmed and peaceful citizens shall be
protected, the rights of private property re-
spected, and only those who are found enc
mics OF the Government OF the United States,
and the peace of Western Virginia, will be
disturbed. OF these shall require absolute
certainty that they will do no mischief.
Put stop to needless arrests and the
spread of malicious reports. Let each town
and district choose five of its most reliable
aud energetic citizens a Committee of Public
Safety. to act in concert with the civil and
military authorities, and be responsible Tor
he preservation of peace and good order.
Citizens of Western Virginia, your fate is
mainly in your own hands. If you allow
yourselves to be trampled under foot by
lOrdes of disturbers plunderers, and murder
ITS, your land will become a desolation. If
1ou stand firm for law and order, and main
ain your rights, you may dwell together
and happily as in former days.
w. S. RosECRANZ.
Brig Gen. Commanding A. o. w.. V.