The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1862-12-18

"
ofthe rebellion, after trial of 50 years.
are satisfied that slavery and republican
Institutions ara incompatible, Many Of
them are earnest, sincere men. They
think tho masses are incapable Of self.
government. anA os an earnest OF their
faith. baye inauguMted this rebellion to
deprive the working classes cf their
rights They beiny the judges, choosing
between Democratic institutions and
slavery, have chosen slavery, and have
sought to break up the government, We
are simply trying 10 preserve the Con.
stitution and tho Onion, and to enforce
the Lnws. The Constitution guarantees
to every Stale republican form Of gov
ornmcnt, and il is our duty as freeman
to stand by our charter Of liberty. We
know that republican government has
bestowed such blessings on the free
States asno other poop's ever oaioyoii
and supposed the same blessings had been
enjoyed by the Sldee States. But Lhoss
best acquainted with tho facts (the reb,
els have decided differently. They are
asked by the President to return TO their
allegiance under the Constitution wiM
slavery. II they return slavery is guar.
antced to them; il they refuse republi.
can form Of government will be given to
every State, pithOSt slavery, and every
right any loyal nun has in the South
will bo guaranteed to him under tho
Constitution, Buff, pcrchance, loyal
man in tho South shoul d suffer, il only
adds another one 10 the thousands OF
cases of gooG men suffering by their asso'
citations with, or proximity to, bad men.
To consent 10 division Of the Union is
to consent to the destruction OF Consti
tutional liberty; andfo treat with rebels
on any terms shoh ofunConditlonolGub.
mission is tritiing NTH the lives and hap
piness of tho thousands who have been
rendered pennieSs by this rebellion
To estimate, properly, the enormity of
the crime Of this wsragainst our libor.
ties, you should visit the army, the hos.
pitfalls for the sick and convalesceng you
should heartho wall OF the widow aud
orphan, berefI Of ftheir protector slain up.
on tho battle. field or who yielded up his
life in the hospital. is only by being
brought in contact with such scenes Of
misery and woe, the natural consequent
ces flowing from the uuholy ambition Of
the leaders Of the rebellion, that you can
form o correct idea,of the baseness oftk
crime attempted to be porpotrated upon
our people,.
[ Norris Lhe proclamation in OonAistwith
The declaration Of The President and the
resolution Of both houses of Congress,
in the commencement Of this struggle,
viz: chat the prosecution OF war against
the rebels was mol to abolish slayery."-
II was necessity, forced upon the Com.
mander-in Chief by the pertinacity with
which they waged the war for the de
struction of The government. The idea
Too, that its PRONUNCIATION would increase
the desperation ofths rebels and protract
the war, is equally fnlluciOus. Their
desperation eliminated in their coascript
laws, Jeforc the proclamation was issued
aud since its issue, dismay and despair
are viaibIe in the innumerable deserIion
Of their soldiers.
Gentlemen, it only requires unnnimi
ty Of action and determination of purpose
such determination as is felt by froemeu
alone, in fighting for constitutional lib
erty, TO crush out, speedily, the rebellion
and restore peace to our distracted coun.
try. At one poriod during the past sea
son. our cause looked dark, and it seem
ed as if victory would perch upon the
banners Of treason ana rebellion, CO.
temporaneous with tho call for six hun.
drod thousand troops 10 replenish our
army, school ofpoliticians spang up
throughout the country, advising the
people to wait and see whether the war
was conducted conStilulionally before
they enlisted. This advice prevented
thousands from enlisting, and for sea
son, our cause looked gloomy, but, with
q patriotic srdor, the people came to the
rescue and our ranks were rapidly filed
with fresh troops. II the counsel of that
miserable class Of politicians who assum.
ed to bo the special guardians of tho Con.
stitution. had been followed, Lee would
have gone triumphanily to Philadelphia
instead of stopping in Maryland; Bragg
vGaA .5ays.s4psa7Si Asaisyiite'sa@, ,Guty'
cinnati, and Loring would have succeed,
cd in completely oveirunning Western
Virginia. But for the timely assistance
rendered by the fresh troops raised un.
der tho FIRST and second calls of the Pres.
daot, Cur bssaifl Na.ivual .qspi&e!..
would have fallen into the hands of the
dCspoiloT and we owe a debt Of grail.
tude to those stout hearts and strong
arms that resisted SO successfully the
northward march of the rebel borjes
and secured the salvation Of tho nation
a. Y Al a.