The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-07-22

Able aud Manly Letter ffsm Goyer.
nor Pierpeint

Governor Pierpoint has feeently ad.
dressed to President Johnsop an admira'
BILE letter which cOmmends Itself to the
public for its logical power and magnan'
imous tone and temper 1t agnes almost
with the force of demonstration, that
every "participator in the rebellion
who fully complied with the terms and
conditions of President Lineoln's procla-
nation, prior to the issue OF the amnesty
proclamation of the 18th i May. 1865
is entitled to full pardon, qhinesty and
restoration, according to tie terms OF
the proclamation, perfect aud indefeasi-
| BILE e
He shows that Mr. LincOlgs amnesty
proclamation was offered Is one of the
| means which was deemed blythe United
! States indispensable to the tSerthrow OF
a powerful organization, WHICH possessed
vast armies, millions of cfizens, enor-
| nous territorial extent and great re-
sources, and which Threatened the over
| throw of the Government. tWithin the
range of the rebellion" the authority
of the United States was-entirely dis
placed. at a time when the military
| bower of the Government seemed unequal
| TO the subiugation of this organization,
or was operating with butpartial sue
cesscs, President Lincoln sought, by his
amnesty proclamation, to call In the aid
of peaceful and mercifnl measures to
| prevent the useless effusion OF blood -
As long as the people of Virginia were
within the lines of the Confederate ar
mics, they were naturally deferred, by
fear of the consequences, from taking the
amnesty oath, nor could they have done
so without abandoning their homes and
families and becoming pefniless fugl-
tives.
As soon, however, as they gould do so
with safety, relying on the paEhted faith
of President Lincoln, and iu3sponse to
the earnest solicitations Ofsfhe Federal
officers assigned by Presidenta johnson to
the command of the State, 8 very large
proportion of the people of Virginia took
The oath of allegiance required by MIR
f.incoln's proclamation, and have faith
fully performed all of its obligations
Among these persons were thousands OF
those who have been excluded from the
DEMENT'S of the amnesty of the 29th OF
Nav, 1868, and who, therefOra,i In spite OF
the plighted faith of.the aOyernment,
are still subject to all the pains and pen.
alties of treason because they possess
estates which exceed in valne the sum of
twenty thousand dollars. Hthe re-elec-
tion of Mr.. Lincoln, GOvern4 Pierpoint
very forcibly argues that Che amnesty
proclamation of the Presid6nt was ap-
proved and endorsed by theSnation and
given the force and sanctitypf law. 1t
vested those who availed themselves of
its merciful provisions witBiyested and
irrevocable rights, which codIdn be de-
troyed by any subsequent pkoclamation.
Governor Pierpoint also demonstrates
that President Lincoln place. construc-
ton upon his amnesty presentation to-.
tally different from that wifcb MI. At
torney General Speed has nce placed
upon it He entertained hefini0u tAat
his tender of pardon was COZ >h6e :
operative on existing and Ikf6tdll0
offenders, as upon those. wla datee
had ceased to do evil, and yholS
withdrawn from the reb9594v. Gov
ernor Pierpoint shows THAI 1nriHg NJ.
Lincoln's life, and after hia fPath, ttfs1
construction was placed ~ ane
nesty proclamation by it's at3hOss RsT sG1
as by President JohnsOr's Military Off
cials, until the proclamatiof6 the 29th
of May, 1865, was published
As the design of the procl lnation was
to reach those in "rebellio8,T for they
were dreaded, and not thao who had
withdrawn from it, for thy were not
objects of the slightest apppdhensiOn, the
argument that the amnesty was not pros
pectivc, is shown to be utttrly untena.
Bile. This construction of President Lin
coins amnesty shows that twas the pro-
duction of a far seeing atd sagacious
statesman, whereas the CONSTRUCTION
which limits it's operation y those per-
sons who had become homeless, renders
the proclamation most idb and lnetfi-
cient measure.
Governor Picrpoint examines, discus
scs at great length, and utterly demol-
ishes the argument that the Prcsidrat
can only pardon past and completed Of
fences-Or offences prior in date to the
pardon. He shows that HIe constitu-
tional power of the President TO grant
pardons is, with n single exception, un.
limited This power cannotbe restricted
by Congress, nor can the Judiciary, by
defining it, limit it. Pardons are as valid
before conviction as theyare afterwards.
A pardon may be granted and valid to a
party guilty of no crime. II may rule and
even wisely operate to project from vex-
atious prosecutions aud. expense where
the party is guiltless, asThsre one is but
suspected
Governor Pierpoint forcihy contends
that the power of pardon shall remain as
it stands, unlimited by technical restric
tions that may be adoptedin an hour of
present passion or excitement, and prove
to be mischievOus in the future. Other
times and new exigencies in the life of
the nation may require OF the Govern
ment the most liberal and unrestricted
exercise of that gentle and efficacious
prerogative A. there arenot | IS than
ten thousand persons in Virginia whose
right to pardon vested asd accrued by
the terms of President Liicoln's procla-
nation, before they were excepted by the
proclamation of the 10Th iof May last,
Governor Pierpoint asks that their rights
shall be acknowledged and that they
may be excepted from the sxpepse, vexa-
tion and labor which the liquidation of
their rights entails upon tbsm.
This able letter is too loRffor insertion
in our crowded columns. and for the rea-
son we have presented fst Of its many
strong points to our readsf3