The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-07-17
The Richmond Whig-snIutnfOry Of
Robert RidSway, it's Editor, for
which IL was suppressed-He DE
ueumcc. ConfiscatiOn as Brutal.
SAIUTATORI.

I'm resuming editorial control OF the
Richrnond Hhig, after four long and
weary years Of desperate and disastrous
civil strife, need only assure my friends
and the public generally, that | have no
old political opinions to recant, no new
ones to announce: no selfish interests to
subscrve. and no personal resentmentsto
crafty. With mind and soul and
Strength, | deprecated denounced and
resisted the folly and madness of precipi-
tate and unjustifiable secession, and
sought. with devoted earnestness and
singl enes of purpose, to pre- serve the
utility and harmony of the Republic,
and TO save Virginia and the South from
the sad and melancholy fate which has
so surely and irrevocabIy befallcn them.
| thought and believed and proclaimed,
tour wears ago, what the people OF the
entire South too painfully realize now,
that secession and war would intalllbly
result in the sudden and violent eXtinc-
tion of slavery, and in putting the llber-
ties. tie lives, and the possessions of he
people of the South at the mercy Of a
triumphant and truculent Northern ina
iority demonstrated, cntreated, i'm
plorcd, and prayed the Gods, on bended
knee. that this cup might be permitted
To pass from us. But III vain The evIl
and pcrnicious counsels of SUBSCRIPTIONS
self-seeking demagOgncs, and wild mind
ed. half crazy enthusiasts unfortunately
prevailed and the result is upon rs III,
at least, temporary loss OF liberty, IN the
fruitless sacrifice of thousands of valua
ble and precious lives, in the destruction
nc cherished institutions, in untold mil
lions Of property needlossly squandered,
in unavailing lamenration aud mourning
at almost every tireside, and III wide
spread devastation, poverty and rum
Suffering, distress, humiliation-such is
the fatal and frightful heritage of woe,
which the boasted champions of the
South. in conjunction with the reckless
fanatics OF the North, have bequeathed
to the once free, prosperous, happy peo.
pie of Virginia and her sister Southern
States Alas that such a people-so
patriotic, honest, generous, noble and
confiding- should be thus victImized by
mousing politicians.
But while, in my Judgment. the au-
thors of our calamities deserve the 50.
verest punishment which it is IN the
pover of a betrayed, outraged and suf
fering people to infict yet, on the score
of policy, prudence and humanity ] am
sternly and infexibly opposed either TO
the execution, Imprisonment or further
harrassment of any person, who vas con'
nected in any way, officially or other
| wise. with the Late revolution All clas
ses and conditions of our people have
4 .-,g-.ral anarn1r fha .rr.tlfr- nd
! the innocent alike have drained the cur
of misery and humiliation TO its very
dregs. Let there, then be genuine fra
ternal feeling among all our citizens, and
a solid, substantial peace throughout al
our borders.
lam equally opposed TO the mean, bIu
tai and cewardly POLICY of confscation
| The possession OF property whether lit
| tie OF much, is not crime, nor is II rec
ognized as such in any code, written O
unwritten, of any nation, civilized or say
age, on the face Of the earth And le
not 'the best government the world eve
saw" make itself the worst and th,
most despicable by the adoption of
policy, which seeks 10 determine an'
measure the guilt of an offender by tn
amount Of his property The revoltinl
absurdity Of such a policy is equalle'
only by its atrocious injustice-for tn
original, fre7eating advocates of seceE
sion, 50 tar at least as Virginia is cor
cerned, were generally men out at tn
elbows, without ''nigger" or dolla
to their names. The men OF substance
for the most part, were men of peace, n
firing in disposition, conservative IN pt
, litical sentiment. opposed to all radica
ism, agitation and discord, and content