The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-10-19

Amendment.
E7itOys Pr eTsbHEg ISnles:
Much Is said at the present time about
the disposition, among loyal men to
ostracise those who have been engaged
IN the work of treason. An earnest In
quiry on the part OF our citizens as to
what policy will secure safety in the
future Is tortured into a persecution OF
rebels. The whole thing Is intended TO
play upon the sympathies of one class,
and the preiudlCes of another for po-
lttical effect. In no other State have the
Union citizens exhibited SO much
Weakness under insult, or so much
magnaninity. In the hour of triumph.
In what city but PArkersburg have the
people tolerated the presence, and even
submitted to the swagger and taunt OF
the returned rebel, in silenceP
Is It to be wondered that the people
Of the mountain counties, who for four
years have been the victims of a mer.
ctless guerrilla warfare, whose homes
have beenIdestroyed by Jenkins, jack
son, Imboden and Mostly, should be
anxious about the presence and power
OF such men and their followers In the
future9
s. And what Is the pretext for all this
clamorr Why simply this: the Legis-
lAture adopted certain measures which,
in their opinion, were needed to secure
the present safety and future peace of
our State. One of these is the s'oath
bill intended TO prevent actual rebels
from voting another; tho proposed
amendment to our State constitution,
designed to accomplish more effectively
the same purpose. Upon these meas
ureS two parties exist in our State. One
OF these parties propose to admit to the
entire rebel population, those who re-
manned at home, and those who were
gNIN
who served in the armies OF the rebel
lion, Immediately to nll the rights of
citizenship, including the right to vote
and hold office; thus, in effect indora-
ing the war against the Union by ignor-
ing the fact that treason hns been COM
mitted against the United States by
these guilty parties.
The other party insist that as a mat
ter OF selt-protection, and in order that
just odium may attach to the crime Of
treason, and those who went voluutar-
lily into the rebellion, should not exer-
else the right ofsuffrnge, except at such
time and upon such terms us will Sc
cure profession to our people, and pre-
vent rebels from obtaining through the
ballot box, what they. fniled to accom-
pltsh at the point of the bayonet,
The tugle men of this first-nnmed
party inform us with considerable
flourish of trumpets that the oath bill,
and proposed amendment, are unconsti.
tutional-yes, and the same men told
US four years ago that the war against
the. rebels was unconstitutional; and
further, that no power could be found in
the Constitution Of tho United States to
"coerce" State that was in rebellion
there was no remedy for secession, but
for the Union to submit quietly to its
own dissolution. Both notions are alb
surd; time has exploded one, the other
But this Is not all. These measures.
say these men, are eE post JdctO-indeed
Webster says, " An ex post facto law in
criminal cases consists in declaring an
act penal and criminal which was limo
cent I0heR done" Treason, then, was
an innocent" act, and those commit
ting 1t were innocent men per force, and
any legislation disabling them must H.
eE post Jdctoi legitimate reasoning, cor
tainlY. III
But 1t is further stated that these
measures are opposed to the declared
policy of the Government. Such is
not the fact. If there is any feature in
the Presidents policy about which he
has spoken plainly, it is that each
State has the right to fix the oualifica.
tons OF, its own voters. The Legisla-
ture of the State of Tennessee passed
an "oath bill" more rigid than even
ours, and the rebels there, as here,
threatened to disregard it ut the last
election In thRtStnte. The President, in
q letteTato Governor BrOwnlOw, author
lied that officer to use nll the civil power
OF the State to enforce the law, and Il
that failed to use the military force
against those who should violate It,
Inc same course was adopted in reDnrd
to Missouri when rebels were disirnn.
chlsed by the new constitution, and the
rebels IN 0oth cases proved the wisdom
OF the policy, for it saved those States
at that critical moment, from falling nv
the ballot MS they had already sufiered
by the bayOnets of traitors.
II Is not true that the loyal people OF
our State favor any unnecessary seyeri.
| ty against the dislOyul, or that thew are
actunted by yindictive feelings in the
premises. II any milder means than
those already adopted will have the de-
sired effect, be assured thew will rendi.
ly accept them. tits, however. iInnos.
sibIe to overlook the fact that those who
propose to strike down nll the restric-
lions put upon rebels, offer no remedy,
for the evils that must arise IL thew ms,
All and at once TO participate in public
1t ought to be remembered too TINT
these measures were we'll aud carefully
considered by the Legislature, and
We're finally adopted as the only practi-
cable plan of avoiding the caiamities
which threaten us. II the entire dis
loyal population of our State are to be
granted the right ,toSvOte, whatSare to
become OF the liberal laws we arc striy-
my % introduce among our people {?
VIII the township system be Imperfect?
what Is TO become OF the free school
system we are laboring to build mn
HOW long will 1t be before an effort viii
be made 10 blot out our existence as n
separate State3 just as certain as We
abandon these measures before we hive
!illi the loyal people on some ot6e1.
that VIII protect their interest, we will
be ut sea without rudder or Compass.
and at the mercy of the enemy.
a VOICE. FROM THE VIII DERNBSs.