The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-04-09
FURNISHING supplies to an enemy II
time Of war has always been held to be al

time Of war has always been held to be an
!. aes.of treason. It is certainly giving ''aid
and eouSfort" within the meaning Of that
clause Of our Constitution which expressly
defines what shall constitute treason against
Ithe UnitedIShtes: Perhapsfn these times
when the constitutional definition has been
so)fsr extended as 10 include many things
heretofore undreamed of in the category Of
. Reasonable acts. even to the extentof put
ting fhestigmaof disloyalty upon the en-
ioyment of certain rights guaranteed ~
] that constitution ITSELF it may be that the
furnishing of arms clothing, provisions
and medical stores to the armed foes Of the
nation is no longer reasonable. 1t may be
that the new definition since it has been
= drawn 90 fer to one side ss % cover and
5prohibit free speech and interfere with the
freedom of the press, may have uncovered
and removed from its ban on the other side
such acts as the traffic in arms, provisions
8 and clothing. We say it may be that, in the
new order Of things which is now uPen US,
all these old crimes have lost their treas
enable character and assumed the form and
hue ofSirthss worthy Of the imitation and
adoption of all who now desire to be con.
sidered strictly loyal men. Upon what
other suppasition can we account for the
f,cts set fsrth in the article on this sub
ject which we publish on the FIRST page OF
this mornings REeIsrER2 Arc not Col
lector Barney, Of the port of New York,
A. Lincoln, of Washington City, and Mr..
Chichester, of Arkansas, all loyal men? Is
not Mr.. Barney one of the chief Moguls in
the Union League in the State of New
York? and has he not often evinced his devo.
ton to his country by denouucing the'"cop-
perheads" in unmeasured terms? Is not Mr..
Lincoln the very pink Of perection and the
Grand Panjandrum of all excellence and
the essence Of loyalty itself? Does any
body suppose that he would give his mighty
sanction to an act Of treason, or that he
would send supplies to the rebels unless it
were eminently loyal SO to do? Would Mr..
Chichester have obtained permission from
the War Department to furnish the rebels
with clothing and munitions of war unless
the old constitutional definition of treason
had been entirely abrogated and reversed
We commend the subject to tho atten.
ton of Congress, and ask that treason be
defined Let the Constitution be amended
in that particular Congress, aided by a
proclamationor two, can do anything no W
adays) and let the new definition be pnb.
lcly made known for the benefit of those
who desire TO comply with its provisions.
We know of dozen or more merchants
who, lift be true that to furnish supplies to
tho rebels is no longer reasonable will
soon show their loyalty by doing a thriv-
ing business in that line. Il
The statements made in the article which
we copy this morning, we believe to be true.
That concerning the N. Y. Custom House
has never been denied and is accepted by
all parties as strictly fact. The story con
corning Mr.. Lincoln and his SIS ter in law
Was first published by the Tribune and de-
MED by the World; it was afterwards pub
'lished as true by the World and we believe
it was denied by Major milford at Fortress
Monroe. Since that denial however, the
a u.
story has been deliberately reaffirmed by
the TT. Monroe correspondent of the World
under circumstances which leave no doubt
p Of its truth. The statement concerning the
operations of Mr.. Chichester is affirmed by
the N y. Times which ought to be good
evidence of its reliability, at least in the
estimation of the Republicans, the only per-
sons likely to doubt its truth. h
The Electoral College.
ITndar tho narp onno,tiop,,ont, bo Tol