The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-02-25

troops furnished Dy Gens hellcy. ~
The next witness against me Is Mr.B.
Kitchen, who testifies that am regard
ed as man of doubtful loyalty Mr..
Smith, (of Berkeley testifes that am
not regarded inshis county as a Thorough
LOYAL man. Mr.. Chapline states that
what he knows of myloyalty is lphat he
has heard others sag. As to the hrst two
witnesses l scarcely know what to say;
have always, regarded a man as toyat
or disloual AS to Mr. Chapline, a man
who has resided in Jefferson country for
wears, | am astonished to think he would
come up here and assert that my general
reputation in that county was tor DIS
LOYALTY. stand here to-day as the Judge
of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, elected as
such by the loyal people. Mr.: G. stands
here as the Delegate in this House elect
ed by the loyal people. We both stand
ON the same footing in that respect. |
come here with petition signed by sew
enty loyal men. Mr.. Chapline has char
acterized the signers as boys of six years
of age. rebels, drunkards, loafers, &c
Let Mr.. Chapine 60 to Harpers Ferry
and make this assertion, and / assure
him he will never return to this House.
The evidence of Mr.. Chapline was not
substantial, it had no foundation, it was
merely verbal. -.' ''.'.
George w Smallwood was the next
witness for the prosecution. Smallwood,
in 1861, had raised rebel flag over his
saloon where he was making beer for the
rebel soldiers. This is the kind of man
brought here to testify as to my loyalty.
LaShorn testifes that / rode through
the town of Bolivar waving my hand
and using the following language: "Old
Ace Lincoln has run away from Washing
ton; ,ce have whipped the 9TH New York
hurrah, boys, for Old Virginia" Who is
Mr.. Lashorn2 Has this House any evil
dence to prove that there is such man,
living OF dead? Ihave had no opportu-
nifty Of rebutting this evidence against
me- l now solemnly assert that such
words were never uttered by ne. Is it
possible that man who voted against
the ordinance of secession, as l did,
would have used such language?
think | have sufficiently ventilated
the testimony for the prosecution. l
come here with documents from the
leading men of my district, which testi-
fy to my loyalty and devotion to my
country. Surrounded by fifteen Thousand
Confederate bayonets, in 1861, went to
the polls in my county and voted against
the ordinance of secession. | was told
The day before the election that if | vo-
ted against the ordinance | would be
killed. | put a pistol i'll my pocket and
walked into the Court House and voted
against it, and yet am stigmatized as a
disloyal man. consider that the proud-
est act of my life Gentlemen, you may
take away from me the Judgeship, an Of
fee which never sought, but you eau
not deprive me of the honor of that act.
You may call lie traitor, but you can
not prove it, Men may he base enough
To come up here and malign ne, but they
can not show as good record for loyal
ty as have done. Gen Sheridan, Col.
Strothcr, and Gen. Lockwood testify to
you that am loyal man. Would they
come up here and swear to a lie? As
the evidence shows, l have time and
time again given commanders of the
United States troops information which
proved to hc to their advantage. Would
have done this if was disloyal man?
Gentlemen, you may take away my Of
fee, hut before doing so be cantions how
YOU act Do not stain my character
YOU may rob me of my Office, hut do not
rob me of my good name. | have from
my birth (although Isay if MYSELF sus-
tanned good name and good charac-
ter If yon have any other man who
Won would sooner see occupy the office
of Judge let him take it will sur
render it to him The mere dollars and
cents accrning from the office are moth
inc / would not lose my good name for
Il million Judgeships
Last night / was subjected to taunts
aud jcrts in this House! | have never
seen a cause conducted with such vim
dictivc and revengeful spirit ~ this has
met with here Notwithstanding the
assaults made upon me
last night, come Up before You today to
defend myself.
As to the appointment of the men who
were said to he disloyal, to the Office of
Sheriff in unOrganiZed counties he had
only to say that the appointments were
made at the suggestion OF some OF the
most prominent Union men of said cOun-
ties, and as he (the judge was not well
acquainted with the people OF those
cGunljes he could not be held responsible
for the appointments. sa
As TO the charge that ] said that the
restored government OF Virginia was a
usurpation and the government OF Vest
Virginia bogus concern | here sol
emnl; declare that never used any such
language 10 5ir Wheat OF anybody else
Does any man suppons that inst after |
had taken solemn oath to support the
Constitution of West Virginia, | would
have gone to such loquacious vapor as
Joseph s. Wheat, especially when Wheat
was a member Of the Legislature which
had the power to impeach ME
As t. the charge of nOn-residence III
the district, | have only to say that my
dOmicil is in Charlestown, where | have
resided TOT the last forty-two years. |
have admitted in the evidence that |
have been in Baltimore for the past three
months. Owing to the unsettled c0ndi-
ton of affairs in my District, / can not
live at my home. | have no desire to be
captured and taken to Richmond aud
placed in Libby Prison, and would not
do SO for twenty times my salary,
Ii was said that would not qualify
county officers elect, So as to forward the
organization of counties; i have quail
fed the officers elected in Berkeley coun-
IL; the Hampshire county officers refused
to qualify. as they thought it was too
hazardous the officers elected in Jefier
sou county did not come forward to quail.
ify on the day appointed by myself, as