Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-09-17

expose their cause, send them 20 headquar-
teFs with exaggerated accounts Of the afro
cities and abominatiOns committed by the
Home Guards, demanding their immediate
disbandmeut, aud urging It as the demand
Of the, Union men Of the netghbOrhOOdi
pleading their own Union record As, an en-
dOtsement Of their demand. Nov l am
free 70 confess that some irregularities,
petite larceniss, and perhaps misdemsanOrl
of q graVer character have been perpetrat-
ed by these Home Guards, or State troops,
bat still, believing as do, that they are
doing a vast amount Of good in protecting
our citizens. do not'Wfsh 70 see them dis
banded. There are other modes of rene
dying the evils complicated Of. Let tie per-
petratoFs Of those hOTTii crimes complained
Of, be tried and punished either by the civ
II or military authorities, bat do not
deprive MS of the protection afforded the
suffering loyal citizens Of our frontieF.-
Thousands Of them have already been COM
pelled 20 abandon their homes aud fire.
sides, and seek protection amongst strap
gers, and many more will be compelled 70
do SO if this arm Of protection Is taken
away. So far as Union men are concerned,
il is manifestly better 70 bear some Of the
inconvenience and grievances Of the
"Home Guards" than TO be annoyed and
OVeFrun by the murdeFing and thieViug
bands of JEFF Davis + Co, nov held in
check by them. t-
Aud to the seeessiOnists and sympathiz-
ers permit me 70 say, that while We dep
recate every attempt 90 WFeak vengeance
upon you while y0u remain quietly At
home, yet remember that the evils you
suffer from the presence OF the Home
Guards amongst you, (if any exist,) are
only the results of your own miserable
policy in encouraging the enemies OF the
country in their wicked attempts at Its
destruction. If you have ''sOwed the
wind" do not blame others If you ''reap
the whirlWind." a1i g.4ela q
The most prominent object Of these
complaints appears to be 0apt RuckeF, who
has been operating in the frontier Of Put
nam and Mason counties; utiwhile have
no doubt but that his men have committed
some errors, yet / have not learned that
Capt. Rucker himself has either paEticipa-
ted in or sanctioned any Of the crimes or
misdemeanors alluded to, but has done all
in his power 70 prevent their recurrence; /;
and it Is very evident that bat for the pro-
lection furnished by him aud his command
that the suiferings and iueOuyeuieueies to
which even secessiOnists and sympathiZers
have been subjected does not amount to a
titbe Of what loyal men iu.thOse localities
would have been without such protection.
The evils complained of are only the legit-
innate results Of state Of tOav and must
be endured by all true and loyal men for
the sake of the protection thus afforded.
If any crimes have been committed such
as were not necessary or not justiied by
the unhappy state of the county, il is
hoped the officers will not attempt to
screen the perpetrators from trial and
0y the proper authorities, bat
I hope that while such conduct As Is COM
plained Of is discontinued and punished.
that the loyal citizens of these sections
will not be deprived of that protection by
the aid Of which alone they can remain At
their homes with their families.
would mention in this connection that
but for the efleient services OF Capt. Ste
phensOn in Clay and Capt, Ramsey of
Nicholas counties, aud their gallant bands,
but few, IL any, loyal men eould find q
resting place in either Of those counties.
Il is to be hoped that the present Legisla-
ture will make some provisions to pay
these gallant mountaineers for their Ia
borious and dangerous services, instead Of
them. SELDON.