The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-08-29

of Centre w heel1ueSi IoF Nv lcop4eS VI
f6e Philadel llia 6 psad dent GaEetzI
fssJ,R ate fVelys January 10th,
ind Ami "a, 5g5 two old and Wellsl
worn prints. 50 tongh and heavy
however, IS the paper on which the
gazetteer was printed, that the letters
still stand out ON the pages very clear
Eahd1sgIbl mere are very few OF the
nes papers printed nowadays that
yin stand the wear and tear of time
halfsso well. Int the issue of January
10th, 1895, we find tho charge of Judge
Alexa kd 5isony president of the
Court 81 Comm ns Pleas, Z. delivered to
the several grand iurfes of the counties
of Allegheny, Westhoreland, Fayette
and Washington, . in the State of Penn
sylvania. Those were the days Of
the " whisky insurrection," and.
the charge was mainly devoted to
the scenes, incidents and misehiefs
growing ont of that famous but
nowadays diminutive rebellion. It
was a great affnir then, however, and
thought to be altogether worthy not
only of the grave charge of Judge ADJ
Olson, but of the SOLICITORS anxiety and
interference of the great and good
Washington, who was then President
of the new republic. After rehearsing
to them the wise and conciliatory meas
ures adopted by the government to sup
press the insurrectio especially the
tender of amnesty by Washington-the
Judge warns them that firmness and
force will follow, and was then follow
ing, up the offer of grace. 1t is inter
esting to note the analogy between
those days, small as was the theatre of
action, and the days of our cutbreab;ng
rebellion. The judge speaks of the re-
Iuctance of citizen soldiers to answer
n call against any portion of their coun-
try, but he also points to the fact that
the necessity being once made clear,
and the call at last being made, citizens
did rally, MS they ever will, to the side
of law and order and just authority.
The language of the Judge in, this con-
nection is so applicable, as we'll as so
prophetic, that we copyi it as matter
almost of close connection with our
recent great rebellion: +,
tsThe merchant abandoned his ware
house, the lawyer his office, the me-
chanic his shop, the gentleman his
pleasures, and every man the gains and
enioyments of domestic life; to en-
dure hardShips, which they never had
experienced Before, and hazard their
lives in defence of the laws. At the
call "youf country is in danger,n the
rich and the poor man met together,
forgetting all tdisttnc tions OF nation and
circumstances, and blended in one
common class of patriots. Even the pa
cifiic Quaker whose principles restrain
him from shedding blood, now assum-
ed the garb and weapons of war, and
marched in arms to maintain the peace
and governmental of his country.
In this We receive lesson of the
power of government, and are taught,
that, however, riot and anarchy may
triumph for a while, there is an energy
and strength in government to, crush
them, that reason and the laws
are the only true protection of free
citizens; that violence only brings
ruin on its authors; that in times OF
sedition, 1t is the true interest of all, to
be not lukewarm and Indifferent, but
firm and perseVering on the side of pub
lie authority and that the fstitiIful
friends rof law and order, however
botle down for time, will, in the end
be protected, and rise above oPpressio Ion. !.
There were people even in tile days OF
the whisky insurrection who thoughtvi'
olence and force could not be safely used
to coerce rebels-and some there were
who considered 1t doubtful whether the
Western Pennsylvanians would eve
live willingly again under the Federal
Government, twas a matter of doubt
It seems, whether they would not seek