The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-11-18
FROM OLD VIRGINIA.

Need OF the People as n Condition /
Precedent to PrOsPeFity--EGeet OF
the Recent Elections.
cOvresp0adenos er ne Wheetiag 1nte1tgeooey.
FREpERIoKsBuRe. Va, Nov. Is, '65.
After SO loug a. time hasten to re-
deem a promise which I made you
when last met you, and II I haysbeen
tardy, 1t has been owing chiefly to the
fact that had nothing to write. I am
happy to be able 70 congratulate you on
the result of the election In your State,
as also in all the other States that have
held elections this TALL including Moo
Gersey." These political victories are
of the utmost importance at this time,
and will have the most happy effect on
the people of the South, who, am sOr-
~ to say, are watching most vigilantly
for a chance to retrieve in the Held of
politics what they have lost in the field
of arms, and who naturally enough
look to the Democratic party as their
allies in treason. The fate elections
will have a most .haTiIV affect IN fbs
work OF rehabilitation, not only by con-
vineing the people Of the South that
their only hope is in return to loyalty,
but also by strengthening the Govern
ment, and convincing the AdminIstra-
ton that the people viii not tolerate the
the recent contest. i think I can safely
bear testimony that the present pur-
poses of the masses of the Southern
people are in the main satisfactory; but
u will not hurt even the best of them 10
have On occasional reminder Of the
power of the Government; and there
hre people not q few all over the South
who would be improved by being made
10 realize its power. Such men abuse
the magnanimity of the Government,
and grow naughty just In proportion as
they arc delivered from the fear of
n just punishment for their Of
fences. 1 think no observing man
can mingle freely with Southern peo-
pie, without being struck with the ne
ceSsity for making treason odiOus, by a
few striking examples. The trial and
execution OF JEFF. Davis, aside from the
demands of justice, and viewed only as
a matter ofPolicy, would do world of
good amongst a large class Of Southern
people.
You may think it very strange, but
there are a great many of the former
large slave holders who cannot realize
that slavery il forever dead, and who.
are clinging to the hope that in some
! way or other, 1t will bereviVed. have
been creditably informed that the chief
magistrate of an adjoining county, is
supporting large and cumbrons eStab
lishment OF negroes at a great expense
/ in the hope that his right of preperty.fIl
them will again be restored. And the
/ majority of those interested in the in
stttution, who realize that slavery can
never be re-estRblished as of old, think
they will nevertheless be able as soon
| as the Federal troops shall have been
Withdrawn, to Cypress them as much
as ever, and get their labor without
compensation. This idea makes them
very FESTIVE under military control, and
anxious to get the whole thing turned
I over to the State. 1t will depend entire
| ly upon the disposition the State may
show, in the laws which the legislature
may enact at its coming session for pro-
tecttng and controlling the colOred pop
ulatton, whether the general govern
ment can honOrably surrender to the
State their management. o chivalry
where Is thy sympathy for, and protec-
ton of the weak and helpless as in GIayS
of yore;S And yet there Is n great parade
of Southern Chivnlry. lai, lTlT-4
Tournament after tournament do we
have. Every county, nay almost every
1etghbOrhood, has its tournaments,
where rebel cavalry that is now trans
formed into knights, give exhibitions of
their skill in hOrsemanshfp, and theuse
OF the lance. But how have the mighty
fnllen, when the successful knight. On I,
recent occasion, after browning his lady
love, queen of love and beauty, dick
cred with the landlord for her supper,
agreeing to pay him for the same when
he, the successful knight, should have
sold his sheep. The knight himself did
without his supper. Now Twill not say
that this is not innocent and pleasant
amusement enough, but I will say that
under all the circumstances these gal
liant young knights had better have been
sowing wheat.
There Is, however, a very great inn
proVement In the business of the coun-
NnffnrnI L,
llshed In all the principal towns of the
state, thus putting it in the power of
business men TO get money, and this
town is, at this time, well supplied with
goods OF every. kind. ( 80
Richmond Is also making rapid
strides toward the attainment of her
former business prosperity, and It ia
truly astonishing to see the progress
that has been made in rebuilding the
burnt district. The country, however.
looks waste and desolpta enough, and
the only hope see for the State To- at
tain to agricultural prosperity, must
come from the division of the large es-
tates into farms OF moderate
size, and getting them into the
hands Of Northern men and for
eigners-and II must ultimately
come TO this. The owners Of these
large estates having lost everything by
the war, except their land, cannot az
ford to keep this land under a system
OF heavy taxation, without reapinR any
peneht rom 1t. It must and will come
into market sooner or later, and that ut
very cheap rates. Indeed there Is al
ready great deal OF land offered in
Virginia on very fair terms and
northern mon have already commence
ed turning their attention 10 this State.
Inc present race of'peOple in virginia
appear to have gone as far as thew are
competent TODD. Northern lntelligence.
enterprise and capital must do the rest.