The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-13
THE UNION PARTY OF WEST yIR.
GINA. 1-ES
The Issue before our People. /,
Ftom a. Berkeleg e0untg Unlon.

form of principles for the coming cam
paign.
The long array of facts prefacing the
resolutions, is a living part OF the po-
litical history of West Virginia, too
familiar to our readers to need further
notice or explanation. aFa3f7
The Union men of West Virginia find
themselves drawn up in battle line
again-not in the battle field, but in the
field of politics with the same common
enemy who are desirous of regaining in
the cabinet what they have lost in the
| field. 1t is true the self-styled conser-
vative union party of West Virginia
are loud atpresent in their lnudauons OF
| Andrew-J JohnsOn and his policy of re-
construction, and denounce the radical
union party as "disunionists and null
| lifierS,n This comes with very good
grace indeed from men who for four
| years have been using all their resour
ces of wealth and power, and talents in
| destroying the Union and especially the
State of West Virginia. As between
| the party in this State which during the
war stood firmly by the Union as the
palladium of our liberties-and which
| freely gave its blood and treasure for
| its mnintainance, and that party which
aided and assisted in originating and
I OTRunlZlnE .Iue OuAS
returned to its allegiance to the Gov
ernment when compelledto by the force
| of arms-we say as between these par
ties, which has the better claim upon
the confidence and support of the union
men of the State of West Virginia2
The union people have heretofore had
| little opposition in this State, from the
| fact the conservative party were en-
gagged in the rebellion, took no part in
the organization of the new State, and
though there were no disabilities during
the war to their voting, though impor-
tuned by their union friends to go to
the polls, they treated it all with su-
preme contempt-laughed at the bogus
Government which few renegades OF
the Old Dominion lwere running at
Wheeling, and consoled themselves
with the idea, that the contederacy
would soon be established and these
phantom abortions, the restored Gov
ernment and West Virginia, would
soon be swept awny in recoil OF the
indignant sons of the Old Dominion.
This party which so persistently dur
ing the war refused TO recognize tho
IoYal Government of West Virginia,
and refused to assistin its political man
apement, are now clumorouS for official
power and influence in the state. In
the hands of which party will the inter
ests of the State best be secured? in the
hands of that party which organized the
State, and which has thus far managed
and carried on its political machinery,
or in the hands of that party which has
lust returned from fighting under Stone
wall jackson, Lee, 1mboden and Mos
by, and which was so frequently in
strumental in carrying off as prisoners,
civil officers of West Virginia, and con-
fining them in the rebel prisons ofRich
mond? We think the Union people of
West Virginia cannot be deCeived-the
Inconsistency of their present preten-
tions with their past records, is too APP
parent to deceive the sterling loyal men
of this State.
The platform of the Union party con-
tnins as its main cardinal principle the
integrity and perpetuity OF the State of
West Virginia, and ns means best Sc
curing this, it endorses the constitution
al amendment, which DISTINGUISHES the
late rebels in our midst. The States of
MARYLAND and Missouri have adopted
in their organic laws similar restric-
tion of the elective franchise. Nor was
the Acknowledgement of rebels in those
States the work of passion adopted in
the earlier stages of the rebellion, on
the contrary, the Union men of those
States labored long and patiently with
the disloyal in their midst-they en-.
dured everything which patriotism and
virtue could endure, before they yielded
to the necessity of depriving rebels of
political power. But they at length
found it necessary to deprive traitors
of the elective franchise, and the result
shows MARYLAND and Missouri to be in
harmony with the general Government,
while Kentucky and Virginia by the
repeal of their proscrtptiye laws nave
laid the Union people pOwerless at the
hands ofrebels and presenta most hu-
initiating and sad picture in their fail
ure in the work of reconstruction.
There seems to be a unanimity OF
thought among the loyal people OF all
the Southern States that only loyal men
should rule the State. In Kentucky,
in Tennessee, in Maryland, in NIissou-
ri they are working for the same com
mon object, the edisfranchisement of the
disloyal.
Ifthe verdict ofthe intelligent masses
of the Union people of these states seem
to demand this, what is the suggestion
to the loyal people of West Virginia ?
Turn not over TO the disloyal in your
midst the promising little State you
have lust erected. its free and liberal
institutions with all Its bright prospects
in the future to those who SO lately
would have buried it in the common
ruin of our glorious Union.
As to the right and policy of dis
franchising rebels We want no better
authority than Andrew Johnson. In
his speech to the Virginia delegation,
February 10th, he said:
"In going into the recent rebellion or
insurrectiUn against the government oil
the United States you erred, and i'll re-
turning and resuming your relations
with the Federal government, am Tree
to say that all the responsible positions
and places ought to be confined dis
tinctly and clearly to men who are 10y
al. If there were only five thousand
men in a State, or less numb5r-but
sufficient to take charge of the political
machinery of ofState-those i've Thousand
men. or the lesser number, are eutitled
TO il. II all the rest be otherwise in-
cInded. / look upon it as being funda-
mental that the exercise of political
power should be confined to loyal men;
and / remark it is implied in doctrines
laid down in these resolutions, ana In
the eloquent address by which they
'huvebeen accompanied.
may say that, Furthermore, alter
having passed through the great strug-
gle in which we have been engaged, We
Should be placed upon much more ac-
ceptable grounds in resuming relations
to the General Government, If unmis-
taxable and unquestionably loyal men
were presented to fill the places of.
mower. This being done feel that the
day is not distant q speak in reference
to the great mass of the American peo-
ple) when they will determine thai this
Union shall be made whole ana the
preat right of representation in the
councils of the nation be acknoWl-
edged"
These views of the President are the
same as those entertained by the !oyal
men of West Virginia-they embody
the principles. of our constitution
amendment, which, If adopted pre-.
serves beyonCl a doubt the integrity OF
Il WNu Va