The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-06-13
which Party. Should I'VE Trust9

Which Party Should I'VE Trust
Az citizens Of free Government, upo.
whose shoulder. ths fs;pon.s!ihs.!aliti!'' IS 2
tho Government rest 4 Reeamsss :SE'
duty TO- cast about us and se' q ~
closely the history and principles q e
I,ps,ti.s claiming our adhesion and sap
bort. Tho wan. Of proper care and At
tsption upon 'thi. subject has been the
means Of very many woll.meaniOg and
honest. hearted men arrayiug themselves
against their own interests, and tho vel
fare Of their country. Many voted 70,
tho ordinance Of secession who we're
strongly opposed to . dissolution Of the
Union, having Been told that secession
would prevent such catastrophe to the
country; when a proper Investigation
would have taught them tho folly Of
such hope. Many continued to sup
port the Democratic party after the lead
or, became so corrupt as to prostitute
that once noble party to tho support and
building up Of principles antagoni'tio to
true Democracy-vere gradually steal.
ing tho power from the majority, and
placing it in the hands Of tho minority
-abridgiug the elective franchise 50 that
the Wealthy aristoorat, Of tho South
might rule this land, and, through op.
pressive eu.ctments, tread down in the
dust and bind in letters Of Ignorance
the poorer masses of their fellow-citizens'
Future generations will be astoui'hed
and 8 hooked a. tho stupid folly Of the
poo. white men in tho South, who fought
four long years bravely, and endured
uubeard-of trials, to assist in riveting
these chains upon themselves. ButGod,
who is tho poor mans friend, made the
late war the occasion Of breaking tho fet.
tors Of all who were bound.
During the war, West Virginia was
not much troubled with party strife,
The leaders Of the party hostile to the
Government e1patriated themselves, In
tending to come back With sufficient
force to drive out and punish the party
opposed to them, whom they threatened
with Punishment and eon6scatiou. Their
political friends, whom they left behind
RETAINED from participation in political
affairs, and allowed the Union men &c
have things pretty much their own way
simply dissenting from every measure to
put down the Notwithstanding the
copperhead cry Of the North, the Gun.
constitutionality" Of every law to up
hold tho Government, and mutterine
omiuous threats against their Union
ueighbors, when their returning rebel
friends should turn the table, against
them. a'TEoy waited apd watched over
the border" in vain. The "star. and
bars" the " bonnie blue aag," instead
Of being permanently uufurled in Yves
Virginia, hid its head in shame and dis
grace at Petersburg and Richmond, while
the "S.ars and Stripes" tho "banner Of
beauty and glory" was uufurled in
earnest by the great Ulysses, and the
"boys in blue" trampled in the dust
the 6endish host who sought the life Of
the nation. This disaster left them
and their sympathizers all forlorn and
hopeless for a time. They wore vii.
ling to submit to anything the Gov
eminent might require, so that they were
allowed to return in peace to their
homes; and We doubt not thoy were
sincere in making promises Of good b.
havior. And up to this time there would
have been no difficulty with those who
had actually been in rebellious service
but for their pretended friends who, hav'
ing by deceit and lies led them into re.
bellion, and then abandoned them when
tho storm arose, now again seek to lead
them into difficulty by arrayiug them in
hostility to the loyal and true men who
saved the country in its hour Of peril
denounciug them as radicals" "ex
tremists," "tyrants," and every odiou'
epithet in the unabridged rebel lexicon
seeking to pour contempt upon The
Union Congress and all others who seek
to protect tho Government against ths
evils which aow from tpo doctrines o.
secession and State.rigbts. Calhoun. De
mocracy. To accomplish their hostile
purposes, these disappointed secession
sympathizers have been actively engaged
for a year in trying to organize som'