The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-01-25
Union Men as Endorsers.


We copy tho following from Bresrnlor''
Hro-si!'e Wing:
"Hxhave class Of Uaiou men in East
Tennessee whose own loyalty ID unGouoteu.
and they come .to,promiRent ioyalista mere 'oi
,ndor,,noen,, thatsthey. may Mrn round ana
eniorxs for others OF doubtful loyalty anu
e,on.ous,and out rebels. Who have either Decn
In ,Ls rebel army. or lave otherwise given aid
md Gconfort. to the rebellion In this NAY
r.h.I. traitors, and noted scoundrcls have
raudrlcn, claims paid, aud hive obtain
ed permits to purchase goo1s. The idea pre-
1,iis TINT this class Of Union men get con-
.;3eration for their services. Certain It ~,
,h.s men WHO: arc uppatriotic enough 10 net IN
thi. NAY. ar0 mean enough 10 steal. Nor ~
i. strange that such men are losing al tue
character and influence they hnHe, with the
mlhsrr1: authorities. They seem 70 thihX II
legitimate for, any one, by any and all sorth
Of nouns, 10 swindle the Government !hSi
are -o,hcrs who, do these deeds OF treason ana
p.rhly. with = view to make themselves
friends for future purposes. Shame On 'neh
Caion men!"
We nl.o avr .nch I" { MON" men here-,hey
call themselves Conservatives" Leaving
OF 81. frs, lrllstle i, would be more nearly
correct; for they arc serv.a.ives. They Hre
trying TO- ".:rre two ,nasters," but "eilher
they vii. hate the ono and love the other or
else they will hold so'thc ono and despi'c the
o:har." They eanno. serve the Government
and thorebcs. They must either be Union
men and p6rk 70 support and defend our Gov
ernmsa. or else they are serving the cause OF
the reballion. s. ........
We do 70, hold i. entirely essential that
men, should always b talking Of their. Union
ism and lovo for the Government, but VIC do
believe that every man who claims to be
Union lheuld OCT for and no. c3sint. tho Gov.
erument. ,.... ...t.. ...,
A mnn may be dissatisfied, md justly, with
rome p,rteular acts Of tho Government but
when, in such times as these, he makes such
dissatisfaction an excuse for talking and Ge:-
ing against the Government no is clearly serv-
ing tho cause Of the rebels.
Tho evil which has arisen in kanawha
Valley from the endorsement Of traitors by
so-called Union mon, is beyond computation.
Their course has led rebels TO consider them
selves better than their Union ncighbors, be-
eau,. they have boon allowed moro privileges.
Kiss shame on this community that such
lsniency to traitors has ever marked the con-
due: Of those who become offended if you
in,inuste doubt Of their loyalty, and who
aow style ,hemselvc, Conservatives"
DO these men reflect that these very men
hare been instrumentnl> in destroying the
peace OF thousands Of Union families; that
by their course and action thousands who
were comfortable at hume havo been reduced
TO poverty, rags and starvation; tina, thous-
.nds OF our men have been imprisoned, hung,
or forced 10 hide in caves or gorSes OF the
mountains, contracting diseases which have
carried them suffering TO their grave. tina,
thousands Of our own brave soldiers have
been actually starred to death in tho rebel dun
seons ond prisons, and that tho very men for
whom they arc asking "mercy" arc deep.
dyed in all this guil.7
We ask these Conservatives" in oil can
dor, II their hort, are so affected with pity
and compassion for their snemie, and the
enemies OF our Government whether it ever
occurs to them that justice holds up tho cause
Of our otcn brave men and defenceles, women
and children who have been made TO suffer I'M
told hardships and cruel deaths through the
malice ind hatred Of these worse than demons?
Mus, vein the name Of all that IS just
mas, we forget our friends in order that VIC
may forgive our enemics7 For the blackes,of
all ingratitude is to forget our obligations to
those who huvc not only riskcd, but sacrificed
their hvts in our behalf Shame on meu who
will turn their bucks on their friends because
acceptable in their eyes! Shame on q man
who can forget the hundreds Of thousands Of
valuable and precious lives that have been
freely given up in defence Of the best Gov
ernmeu. that ever existed, while he fawns
upon man whose soul is at that moment ac-
eountabls to God for hundreds, yes, even
thousands OF those very lives. Same, we
s.y, TO man-and pity for his weakness
who can forget tho sacrifices, the suferings-
tn, terrible sacrifices, pri1ations and deaths
endured BY his fellows that. our country
might lire-.he ra,ages Of wsr-,he desola.
.ion brought BY death to millions Of hearts
wh1le 10 extends his hand to man who atill
hides beneath his perjured and traitorous
heart the Same demon that has caused i, all.
Do such mon not know and feel tho black
ness Of their own hearts, anil the shallowncss
OF their excuses Of mercy" Ne.7 These are
tho men who speak loud nSainss-our Govern
mcus for keeping re6el in prison month or
few days, while our own brave boys nre
ro,ing in rebel dungeons, and when NC mcu-
ton this to them they have the insolcnt, in
80, t;1,,d. ,n5 hInnknAas Of heart 10 FREQ the