Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-01-01
The Rneots OF a Ri the close atten. |


Aud follow Il TO Death OF AAms- ~ IN :
- -. + = =.
The Ensots OF a Ri the close atten
Uni lR9s 70 an incident recorded
ne seessdglon letter to one Of our ex
tiqggsS It is worth reading and still
= more worth remembering It is this: Il
the course Of debate uthe United State
Senate, Senator Fessenden, of Maine, pu
this question to Senator Powell, of Ken
lucky. who was making a speech denOunc
ing government arrests:
"Will the Senator tell me, if be was a
the head of the government, and he wer
satisfied in his own mind that an indiyid
nal, in q time like this, was about to com
nit crime the consequence of whic
would be exceedingly injurious to the gov
erpmeut itself, and would strengthen ii
arm OF the rebellion, and there WAS no ott
er way in which he could prevent it, Woul
he not arrest the Individual without Law
and hold him by the strong hand for II
safety Of the people!n rs
This question goes to the Eoexteus.
most searching in its breadt1cthat Pow.
No wonder that the REPAID aPOlogized."
eli "cOughed, explals intentiOns-at the
It struck hop,, only of his speech, then
whole anirdfS whole course siuce this re-
makiroegan. He, himself, is mOnu-
I'D Of spared mercy-mist,ken mercy, as
Ne believe, to call it no harsher name. In
no other government under the whole heav-
en-, could such man as Senator PoWell,With
his often disclosed sympathies, wishes aud
Intentions, have held position of public
honor..or trust, And yet strangetO say. and
shameful to say, be has been allowed, just
az John @. Breckinridge was, to sit in the
highest council of the nation, and there
day by day use his talents and personal in.
huence to impair and stay the strength Of
the government from being exerted against
this rebellion. There is not Senator
around him who does not this day know
eand feel tina: Powell's Industrious afIilia
tions ana sympathies are with the rebels.
They know, because the record ia there
TO prove it, that every speech which he
makes aud every vote which he gives, 90
as far as ne can make them go, to the moral
support of the rebellion.
Its knowledge of fact like this, that
makes the loyal American people sick and
Respondent at heart. 1t is this latnentable
and melancholy weakness in high places
thht takes away from them that instinct of
confidence which always disccrus "t the
eternal fitness" of any line of policy on the
part Of those in power. 1t is repeated
evidence like that recorded above which
has gradually undermined the expectation
Of results in the efforts making to put
down this rebellion:
II is perhaps now late in the day, and
may be ont OF time and propriety, to ask
why is this man Powell allowed in the
American Senate. His own colleague, Sen
atof Davis, earnestly aud long protested
before the country against his being per-
mitted to remain there. That protest was
uhhesded. He remains as Catalina so long
remained. He is not thrust out, and we sup
pose he never will be. 1t is perhaps too.
Iate now. Public opinion is too far demor-
allied perhaps, Lamehtable and mournful
probability How it chills the heart, mocks
he hopes, and blasts the desires of Loyal
men. that such things should be. Time
wears away and precious opportunities to
do things pass with them. Imagine w6ss a
different state of things might now sur
round tho country had the strong, untiring,
inexorabls arm of loyal, national power
struck right aud left in the loyal States.
Had that been the case our yallandighams
{ aRoWslIs would have shared the fate of
tho loyal BrownlowS, Bolts, and Maynards,
and Hamiltous, and Johusous in the South.
why are not these latter men preaching
treason 10 the Confederacy in their places
4 home. just as Yallandigham and Wood
and PowsTt,and olda are preaching treason
% the government of the Union Can any
ono tsli7 Not voice is heard in AL the
Southern land pleading ever SO remotely
for the Uuion to-day. Ali sound is gone
ont. A night of despotism reigns undisr
tarbed. Nota Union paper exists Not q
breath of loyalty is family heard in the
isontbsrn wind. All is smothertd p
IS that the policy for wsr2 Answer, ye
.loyal men. fit is, what viii be the re-
cord q our rulers in history viii it be
that millions Of pounds OtheFcalean power
ast5ally svaporated and died ont in their
hands because they bad no will to use it, no
.c.pssi,v 10. appreciate the humberless OPP
poFtunitieu that presented themselves
.Ihersin the nation might have been saved.
God forbid that this shall be the record.