Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1865-11-09
The outrage at Martinsburg.

We think it would be most difficult to con-
ceive Of more hagitious and unprovoked out
rage upon common decency and the lowest
rights of citizenship than was perpetrated at
Martinsburg on the day of the late election
so called by an order of the Sheriff of Berke-
lev County which order was executed it
seems, by the military authorities who, on that
occasion, were very injudieiousiy placed under
his control for the purpose of aiding the civil
officers, if necessary, to keep the peace" I'm
der prctext ola threatenedpub disturbance,
which the keen optics of this official espied in
calm. temperate and manly Cord-addIeSscd
to the public on the morning of the election
several of the leading, most worthy and law
abiding citizens of the county were arrested, at
their own homes, marched, under guard of o
ile Of soldiers, through the streets of Martins
burg, to prison, and there closely confined for
the space of several hours Under any circum
stances, such proceeding, ON such a day-a
day Of an election-would give rise to the most
but when the humiliating TRUTHS lisolosedthat
such an indignity was offered to American citi-
zens at the instigation of vile partizanship,
seeking its triumph by the overthrow of the
most sacred privileges that belong to men, there
are no terms of censure, sufficiently strong to
express our indignation at the Gnmitigated ty
ranny Of the act-no penalties known to the
law adequate to punish the outrage. When
we remember that this crime-for such it was
was committed by Che Sheriff of the county
An officer whose special duty it is to protect
the citizen from violence ofany kind, and from
whose very presence wrong and evil-doing
should in stinctively ily-our faith in the very
organization of government itself, as means
of defence against the basest passions of men,
sickens and dies within us!
Let US place our readers in possession of the
facts of this very extraordinary case.
On the morning of the election the following
bin was published by the gentlemen whose
names are attached, and who were the subjects
of the arrests to which we have referred:
TO THE PUBLIC. ad
The undersigned deem it no less their duty
thra their right 70 protest soIemnly against the
enforcement Of the test oath, in the approach
ing election-as palpaHy unconstitutional
They deem 1t equally clear, that the Judges of
elections have the right 10 declGeit void The
failure to do SO, they have every reason to be-
lcvc, viii deter many CONSCIENTIOUS Union men
from the polls from misappreheusion of the
true purpgrt of the law, and an aversion 10 a
public challenge aud discussion Of their riehtto
vote Rejected voters, too, they are advised,
may be remedies in securing register of their
votes as to some of the Offices least, in case
Of a contest, and we shall thus have imposed
upon Us itmay be. public functionariesa against
the viii of those in whom is vested the consti-
tutional right to select their rulers. A free
people may no; be expected TO bear such ty-
RAINY with patience
. EDMUND PENDLETON,
JOHN O'CONNEEL.
A. 5. CHAMBERS.
JOS. +. GORDON.
LUTHER VI. SHAFFER,
c. VI. SHAFFER.
r. A. SONIMERVILLE.
WlT d. BURKHART,
EDWIN DORSEY,
and Others
For this digni6cl expression of their opinion
ofan unjust and unconstitutional law and their
adInonition to the judges Of the election of
F" their right to declare it void, Sheriff Pitzer
that is the name, it ought to be preserved
-PTTZER-summoned to his aid Second
Lieutenant Myers-recently put in commits
sion, and who, unfortunately, was detailed
for duty at Martinsburs on the day of election
oDI 4-o0oo1 with tba all of +bo lo44