The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-22

q
ton is to show to the Legislators what
an old fool WASHINGTON was, and how
far he was behind the loyalty and in
telligence of these times. 1t is merely
intended that the Legislature may see
the grievous errors under which WASH
1NeToN labored, and avoid the commits
sion of similar mistakes. His example IS
to be held up as warning to the patrl-
OTIS of the present day, and his recon-
mendations show what our Legislature
has most carefully and studiously de-
termined not to do.
To show how disloyal he was, and
how little WASHINGTON knew Of the
kind of "brotherly affection" taught by
the spiritual TRAINERS of the present
day, we quote the following passage
from the address, merely promising that
it was spoken to the whole people and
that not even was the South to be ex.
cluded from the liberty and 'happi-
ness which WASHINGTON prayed for.
He said;
Profoundly penetrated with this idea,
shall carry it with me to my grave, as
| a strong Indictment to unceaslng VOWS,
that Heaven may continne to you the
choicest tokens of benifcence; that
your union and brotherly affection may
be ne rpetual; that the free constitu'
| ton, which is the work of your hands,
may be sacredly maintained; that Its
administration, in every department
NAV be stamped with wisdom and vir'
tue; that, in fine, the happiness OF the
people of these States, under the auspi
ces of liberty, may be made complete by
| so careful preservation and so prudent
use of this blessing as will acquire to
them the glory of recommending 1t to
the applause, the affection and the adop'
ton Of every nation which is yet stran
ger to it "
| But not content with rebuking the
the political preachers, WASHINGTON in
dulges in the following severe remarks
concerning the War Department, 1t i;
fortunate for him that he did not live
during the reign of STANTON, tor he
would assuredly have been arrested
tried by military commission presided
over by HUNTER and HARRIS prosecu
ted By BINGHAM, and committed to Fort
Lafayette or sent TO the Dry TortugaS
for the public utterance of such senti
ment as this:
Hence likewise, they will avoid the
necessity of those overgrown milit AIRY
establishments, which, under any form
| of government, are inauspicious to lib
| erty, and which are to be regarded as
particularly hostile to republican liberty
| in this sense it is that your union ought
to he considered main prop to your
liberties and that the love of one ought
to endear to you the preserT alton OF the
other"
And now observe what WASHINGTON
SAYS about the Constitution, and how
he condemns the usurpation by the leg
islature of powers which the Constitu
ton does not confer:
" If, in the opinion of the people, the
distribution or modification of the con
stitutional powers be, in any particular
wrong, let it be corrected by an amend
ment in the way which the Constitution
designates But let there be no change
by usurpation; for though this, iii ont
instance, may be the instrument of good
it is the customary weapon by which
free governments are destroyed The
precedent must always greatly oyerbal
ance, in permanent evil, any partial OF
transient benefit which the use can al
any time yield"
Of course Our legislature knows q
great deal better than this OF course
they are we'll aware that any act they
may pass has more validity than mere
constitutional prov ision, and they have
already discovered that if it be deemed
advisable, merely as a matter of form, 10
amend the constitution SO AZ to diSiran-
elise voters law may be framed
to prevent any person from voting eS-
cept those in favor Of the amendment
GEORGE WASHINGTON was evidently "au
old fogy, IA conservative" and pos
sessed of no rights which the West Yir-
ginia legislature would he hound to re
spect