The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-11-27
aDnusor Van Wrinkle and the Wheel
ing Intellixeneer.

nnE 1mtell1x emeer.
As we expected would be the case, the
Editor of the Intelligencer is not pleased
by Senator VAN WNKLE's recent letter
to the citizens of Wood county. He finds
in it no endorsement of the pet schemes
of the radical party in this State, and
proceeds to deliver to the honorable Sen
ator serious lecture upon the error of
his ways and, with alternate fattery and
-rsbuke, labors for the conversion of the
Senatorial recusant. But the Editor must
have an exceedingly poor opinion of Mr..
VAN WNKLE's mental ability, if he ex
poets to convince him that the test oath
is authorized by the constitution or that
the proposed amendment can legally be
adopted, by such arguments as were put
forth in Saturday mornings Intell'geaoer.
1t requires much less than Senator VAN
Wrinkles penetration to discover that
the objections urged against the views
expressed by that gentleman are trivial
and have no basis in truth. They are
mere arrows of straw against armor OF
steel.
Mr.. VAN WINKLE stated that at the
time of the late election in this State the
occasion OH which only test oath could
be required from citizens, as such, had
ceased to exist" The InteIligeRcer argues
that the "time of war, instruction or
public danger" during which the consti-
tuition authorizes the imposition of an
oath, still erists. 1t may be that mem
beers of the radical party regard any po-
litical movement which threatens to
GUST them from Office in the light of an
instruction or public danger" but we
think it would be difficult to find III this
State any instruction" in any other
sense of the word. Certainly there is no
such ''insurrection or public danger" as
is contemplated by that clause of the
constitution authorizing the imposition
of test oath, The State and the nation
are at peace. The national flag is per-
mitted to float over every foot of our ter
ritory, and the sun nowhere shines upon
an armed foe of the United States The
assumption that a state of war still eX-
lists is an insult to the intelligence Of the
people; everybody who knows anything
knows that the war has ceased. And
this fact is established not only by "the
memorable logic of events" but also by
official recognition by the national and
State authorities. Prisoners sentenced
to confinement during the war have
been released; soldiers held to service
during the war" have been discharged
dent of the United States called upon the
people to give thanks to Almighty God
for that it has pleased Him "to relieve
our beloved country from the fearful
scourge of civil war, and to permit us
30 secure the blessings of peace, unity and
harmony" And, still later than this,
the Governor of West Virginia, reciting
in his'proclamation the causes that should
impel us to thanksgiving, says that "the
tempest of rebellion which darkened and
devastated the land and left desolate
thousands of once happy homes, has
passed aaray, and peace again blesses the
land with sunshine from her white
wings" Dare President JOHNSON and
Governor BoERMAN mock the people
and insult God by calling upon us to rem
der thanks to the Almighty for that
which does not exist =? Are We called
upon to thank God for peace while tUar
still continues Is this the way in which
tho lntelRgenoer understands the procla-
nations we have quoted? Nonsense :
Tho war Is over, and there is not a school
boy in the land who does not know it,.
Governor BoREMAN's lofty sentence
about sunshine" and wings" notwith.
standing rigid criticism might object to
some Of It's phraseOlogy, is faultless as
regards the truth of the general idea it
Is intended TO convey. The rebellion
"has passed away" and we are not aware
that any person entitled to a reputation
for veracity, except certain radical pol
iticians who are compelled to invent
legal fiction in order to excuse their viola
tions of the constitution of the United
States, has the hardihood gravely to as
sert the contrary. The "time of insur-
rection or public danger" having ceased,
Mr.. VAN WINKLE was right in saying
that "the occasion on which only test
oath could be required from citizens, as
such, had ceased to exist"
But suppose the Ihteligencer to be right
and that the war is still in existence,
either actually or by fiction of law
Suppose, if you will, that the armies
under GRANT and LEE are still confront
ing each other and that large portion
of West Virginia is still held within the
confederate lines. Even if this were all
true and had been the case at the time
of the late election, the constitution
would not then authorize the imposition
OF such an oath as that which the legis-
la