The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-08-23
WE think that many men who few

" = SAA4A 5tlA&4t many men WIN I" ~"
weeks ago desired the government al
once to withdraw the military force
from the Southern States, and allow
them to set up their own governments,
are convinced that they were in error,
and that the President has done well to
keepthe South under the care of garri-
SONS. We all desire to see State gov
ernments re-established in the rebel
States. The American people do not
like to see any part of their territory
under litaryasurveillance. 1t is in
OPPOSITION to all our notions of self gov
eminent. We do not like war. We do
not like to see soldiers garrisoning our
towns. We do not like to see our vigor-
Gus young men kept away from their
productive labOrs at home on the farms
or in the shop. We are impatient to
see the armies disbanded apd the sol
diers engaged in peaceful pursuits. We
can therefore well understand how
many of our countrymen in their eager
haste to return 10 the normal condition
of things, should have been tempted to
think that the government was I'M
necessarily prolonging the military
rule.
But, so far as we can judge of the
condition of affairs Mt the South, the re-
gulating hand of military power is inn
peratiYely needed there. 1t would be
disastrous at present for the President
to surrender the power he now wields
through martial law. The citizens of
Richmond have shown us what kind OF
ment they would putinto office. Rich
mOnd is neither better nor worse than
large part of the towns and counties
in the South. A good many of the hot
headed rebel leaders, acknowledging
that they have been beaten in battle,
are determined to transfer the fight to
the polls. They must be given to un-
derstand plainly that we do not pro-
pose to fight the rebellionat the polls;
that We do not mean that it shall be
allowed to come there at all. Until
they are ready to come to the polls
leaving the spirit of the rebellion be-
hind, the President and the people in
sist that they shall stay away, or that
the rampant rebels they elect shall be
forbidden to assume office. Therefore,
martial law must be maintained for
awhile longer.
Again it is clear that military power
is necessary mt present in the South to
prevent collisions between the whites
and blacks, and especially to protect
the negroes from the injustice and cru
city ofsome of their late owners. Some
of the latter insist that they have a !
right to command the services of the
negroes who have been their slaves.
and attempt to punish them for DISC
bedience. When contracts are made
difficulties arise between the parties;
and the United States officers are the
dispensers of justice. The prejudices
and jealousies between the old masters
and the negroes are so active that there
would be danger of unhappy disturb
ances in some quarters mt this time, if
our armed conservntors of the peace
were not at hnnd. We ought not to be
surprised if the rebels, who have for
four years been fighting us with such
passionate hnte, cannot at once so far
change all their feelings and habits as
to render 1t safe for us to confide in
them now the full direction of affairs in
the South. Nor ought they to be sur
prised that our government, against
which they rebelled, should not deem
it safe to restore them Immediately to
their old privileges and power. AMER
having expended so much blood and
treasure it is for us to SEQ thatywe do
not peril what we have gained, by un-
due haste and lack of>wise flrmness.