Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-11-07

/ an -eGeEClS6- VI 1tNA4 loNBANeuG9Si
"good Lord deliVer %. " .
} The eentlenan fam Ohio liam happy
howevergto hear him say tkat he does NOT
know but that be will vote for the bill says
J THAT whenever q mBn takes q solemn oath
to do thing be takes II for granted that
be intends to do It, II once thought so my
. self, and would be happier man than
am to-day II thought 30 yet. The re-
verse is not pleasing reflection to me, but
it is a conviction forced upon my mind
against my will. Bat how many have /
seen, after having been engaged In acts OF
rebelliop, come forward, sometimes Of their
own accord, aud take sOlemn oath upon
Gods holy evangelist 70 support the Con-
kstitutipn e0f the United States; and then
kvoIQntariIy 60 again into rebellion, and
they are to-day fighting 5opF own sons and
i brothers and neighbors WHO are defending
Why, Mr.. President, they have to do so
\ to be consistent. The inAuguraters of the
/. schemes of rebellion did it as aforesaid
! under an oath Of thesmost solemn charac.
, acter to support the Constitution Of the
| United States, aud under pay of the same;
and would you take It for granted that
such men intended to carry out their oaths
| in good faith; or that even the followers of
such men are to be trusted, whatever their
| professional The mort of them are evil
IDENTIFY bound by secret league which
they hold more sacred than any oath you
can impose upon then. It is asked then
what is the use of imptsiuR an oath upon
them when you do moi believe what they
sWear2 That has been well answered by
the gentleman from Jackson. That gives
Us something tangible upon which to act.
They can swear TO q ssntiment that is in
tangible, such as TO support the Con-
stitution of the United States, and
nothing short of omnisdence can pronounce
it perjury; but Whenlhe sWears shat be
"has not borne arms" or "giVen aidsor
comfort" the fact states him in the face
that there are living witnesses ready to
testify to his acts Of treason, and be is |
either deferred from mixing the attempt,
or he is liable to cOuvikion for peEjury.-l
do not pretend to sayfhat such persons |
are any more exceptilnRble to holding |
Offices than the man wtp has never borne |
arms, but still is a triitor (for we have
many such); but it afuds one means, at |
least, OF preventing rebels from holding
office, and, depend upOhit, the time 10 not |
far distant, when therewill be greater
scrambling for Office bydisloyal men than
yOn have probably dreamed of.
1t required the unitel exertions of the
loyal people of Ohio to prevent u rebel, as
foul as JEFF. Davis hiBseIf, from being
elected to the highest dice within their
gilt He would have taken an oath as he
had often done before, tOsupport the Con'
tstitutiOn of the United States but when the
oath proposed in this bill had been present
ed, lido not see how he could have gotten
over it, ibis treasOBAbla teaching being |
known and read by ell niens
Some ut tina arqn ments by tha Gsntleman |
from Preston were truly astonishing, con-
sidering their source :-he seemed almost
to exhaust himselfin his pathetic appeals
to the sympathies of the Senate in describ-
ing the untold hardships and injustice
they would inflict upon the people of
his [PresIOnl county we're they to elect
a man to the Senate and we, by the
Clerk, would confront him WITH this oath,
aud because he, perchance, had borne
arms against the government, We would
send him home. They would elect anoth-
er, and he would come likewise with full
credentials as the accredited represents
tive of Preston county, but unfortunately, |
he too had borne arms against his country |
'-wewould send him back. And oh hor-
rible to think of, Preston county is dis. |
frGnchised by the iniqUitous PrOUistOns OF
this bill l ask, is il not likely that the |
people of Preston county, before they |
would make TWO efforts to be represented,
would know the qualifications and restric- |
tions necessary for q seat in this branch of
our Legislature Is it at all likely that
the loyal people of the good old loyal coun-
ty of Preston, would be SO determined to
have man representing her in the coun-
ellis Of the State, who had borne arms
against his country, as to even make the
attempt once, in the face of the provisions
of this bill, If such were the law2
do not think that the loyal citizens of
preston county will consider their loyalty
flattered or complimented by the gentle.
mau's illustration. ] might ask the gen.
ltleman if his argument Of hardships would
not apply with the same force were the
people of Preston county, in their madness
| to elect JEFF. Davis 70 represent them, or
the veriest pauper In his country, or even
| q free negro Yet am certain the gentle
man will not argue the propriety of receiv-
ing either of the characters named.
1t is fact not to be contrOverted, that
one of our great errors has been, and still
is too tender policy toward rebels. We
are too prone 70 overlook the magnitude Of
the crime of LIeusun. DULh UuF Govern.
ment aud people seem TO be possessed with
| sort of insane obliytousness a. to the
magnitude of the crime, aud until the re-
bellion which is laying wGste our fair her
itage, drenchipg our country with innocent
blood, filing our land from centre to cir
conference with the vail of the widow
and the cry of the orphan, is looked upon
and contemplated in its proper light. 1t
does appear to me that We will mRke but
little progress in suppressiDg il. What
other government under the sun, l ask.
i however despotIc or Oppressiye-or how
ever mild and benign, ever exercised ten
lderness towards those who attempted its
ldesructtonY Much less, would ask, what
other nation or State ever proposed to re-
ward its enemies with Ofhce while the re-
bellion was going on 2
1t does appear to me that the OppOsers
Of this bill have not considered it in all il
4 bearings.
You admit, the man who has committed
u ar, infannnna nlfance L. not alegihle 70 Of.