Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-06-30


gcnccr for his kind regards, but admouish
him that such ertreme generosity as be
manifests may prove so injurious to him,
that he might desire, if he were capable of
such low tricks, to supplant the Press in
its contract for public prlnting.-Press Of
Saturday.
By no means, ueighbor it is not the
state printing we want but the book
binding that goes along with it, If We had
that, at your price, we think we could retire
from business in two or three months.
our West Virginia Delegation.
(From the wellsburg Herald)
Tue bill cohfscating rebel property,
as published in another column, passed
the Huus recently by decided vote, and
we presume, will also 90 through the
Senate and become a law without materi-
al alteration We never could appreciate
the tenderness that some profess to feel in
regard to interfering with the property of
rebels, and hence have always been in
favor of ConfscatiOn bill, allowing the
largest latitude and providing for enforce
mcnt in the most prompt and efficient
manner. 1t seems that i'll this, we have
been so unfortunate as to differ with our
Congressman, Messrs Blair, Brown and
Whaley, who one and all voted against
this Conhscation. Bill. What element
there Is in the atmosphere of Washington
to render ordinary citizens of Virginia,
who when at home are full of fire and
fury against Secessionists and in favor of
any measure, even the most extreme, for
the suppression of guurrilla warfare and
the stoppage of their murderOus procee-
dings among their constituents in IVES
tern Virginia, so exceedingly conserva-
tive and mild, whenever any measure is
proposed that looks towards business is
more than we can perceive. The West
Virginia delegation probably can see it,
but all we can see in the case is, that
West Virginia has been remarkable un-
fortunate in her delegation.
The error, in our opinion, through
out the whole war, on the part of the
government, has been an excess of this
very kind of conservatism. The authO-
| rites seem to have been afraid of hur-
ting the feelings Of the rebels at the
very moment when the soldiers were
puncturing their bodies and knocking
their brains out whenever opportunity
offered. Congressman have been exec
dinghy punctillious about rights under
the Constitution, when those in whose
favor the guarantees of the constitution
arc invoked, are engaged actually in
the attempt, not only to subvert the
constitution but to kill or imprison all
who stand up in arms in its defence.
Personal rights have generally been
held to be superior to rights in property,
but in this case although you might
shoot or stab a rebel soldier according to
law and seize all his property for public
use, you could not appropriate his negro
to government uses, or turned him loose
to shift for himself, because he has two
legs instead of four, and was slave pro-
perty instead of such property as horse
or an OK. In time of peace such nice
distinctions may have been well enough,
but we have never been able to see the
point of SO much tenderness in the
present emergency Of the country.
II is true that a portion of the slave hold
ing population of the border States pro-
tested their opposition to slave con6scation.
hut 1t Is also true that the most loyal slave
holders were not those who made the
loudest Protestatious. The opposition to
con6scation of slaves in the border States
came generally from those who were rebels
at heart, and it is doubtful whether they
are any less loyal now than they were be-
tore the passage of the Con6scation Bill.
The truth is, no sound reason can be or
ever mas been given, why the property OF
rebels, slave or otherwise, should not he
con6scated for the crime of rebellion. II
the slaves are more valuable than auy 9TH
er species of property, the greater loss is
lnhlcted by their coniscalion; if they
differ from other property in the fact of
possessing human acknowledgements and the capa-
CITY Tor giving military aid to the rebels,
Inc more military necessity that the rebels
should be deprived of such an advantage.
II Constitutional scruples intervene. the
owners OF the slaves have outlawed them
selves, are not entitled to the advantage of
tue laws, and are estopped from all com.
plant. The law affects none but rebels
TUE slaves OF loyal men being as secure, 30
lar as law can give them security, as they
ever were; If the institution of slavery
generally suffers, it is an incident oc the
reOelllon, not consequence OF the law of
conhscatlon. It is possible that some sub
iimated notion of State rights may have
been coursing through the brains of our
congressman, impelling them to vote
against measure which seems so reasona-
BILE and it is barely possible that the pro
IJect OF recognizing the Vallandirham
party may have had something 10 do with
the making up of their minds.
Practically, to the rank and file, the hill
is an amnesty of ninety days, and NAV he
regarded rather as favor to Them than az
punishment II they wish to avoid CON
tiscation, let them leave the rebel service.
take the oath of allegiance aud try to be.
come better men, and it will not effect them
or their negroes, If, on the other land.
they are determined TO die ia the last ditch.
the loss of few negroes will be no serious
addition to the other losses of their fami-