The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-01-23
it to him-and hence it is not liable. to


either of these objections.
Now it only remains to consider
whether it is expedient, whether good
policy requires 1t; and about this L do
not think there can be any two opin-
ions in the minds of men who have
watched the! history of this thing
from the beginning, and have watched
closely the conduct of these rebels since
they laid down their arms and re-
turned to our State. Had they come
back in good faith with the pur-
pose of submitting to the Government,
and being good, loyal citizens of West
Virginia and of the United States, and
had shown by every act and word all
the time that this was their purpose,
then this proposed amendment would
be very. injudicious, very ineXpedient
and unjust. But have they done this?
No; rebels in West Virginia have acted
just as rebels are acting every where
else, and they are all acting together
and in conformity to a certain plan OF
action. Now who were these men2 Most
of them were leading men in West vir-
ginia before the war-leading politi-
clans, educated men, men of talent who
led in politics and attempted to pervert
the people of this State, and led them
into the crime of rebellion against the
falling in this then, what did they do3
Why they instituted all sorts of threats
of violence and persecution to coerce
the people into their measures. And
falling in this forsook our State and
cast their lots in with the rebellion, and
from that as base they embraced eve
ry opportunity to harasS and plunder
onr loyal people, and often murder
them, and for no cause only that they
were loyal people. They have been
guilty of a double treason, treason
against the Government of the United
West Virginia, because they waged war
with more interest and eagerness
against this organization, which they
called o bogus government, than they
did against the Government of the Uni
ted States. Now they come back, and
instead of behaving themselves like
modest men who. have been decently
whipped, they show the utmost desire
to reinstate themselves in the position
they occupied before they went away,
o take charge of public affairs and con-
troll the policy of the State. They want
to be the chief politicians; and their pur-
pose is to build up party based on
their purposes, which are purposes of
enmity against the Government of the
United States and against the State of
West Virginia. Why just look at it,
They have been rebelling against your
laws wherever they have the numbers
to enable them to organize and do any
thing. They elect men who say and
tell them they cannot take the oath, and
elect them knowing you require it,
They elect men that avow they cannot
do it and send them up here. Is not
that rebelling against the law and
treating ii with contumacy? Now
if my son should rebel against
my authority and should act so wick
edly and badly as to make it my pain
full duty TO inflict corporeal punishment
on him to compel him to obey my
authority and respect it, and after Civ
ing him a pretty good thrashing he
should think he could not stand It much
longer, and begin to beg and say hew was
going to do better, he wouldgo in anoth-
er room and would hear him mutter,
'tDamn you and your authorityl If
was only able would show you; never
mind i will grow up to be a man after
while and then I'll show you" Gould
take that son into my arms and give
him candy or a new suit of clothes?
No, should be compelled to take him
through course of sprouts-not disci-
plined enough. And the principle will
hold good all through in the family and
in the State: contuInacy requires more
discipline. And this is just The position
these people are in: They are contuma-
cious and have no loyal purpose. In
them the whole purpose is to cooperate
with the rebels of the South and get up
a political party that can carry out
their purposes to a triumphant end.
That is what they want TO do.
Now say, the peace and safety and
consequently property of this State abb
soluteIy demand this constitutional
amendment. You must have this
guarantee for self-protection. What
will be the effect of itH Why some of
these people that are very conciliatory
and kind in their disposition say it will
cause all of these people to go off and
leave the State and depopulate 1t. / do
not think it would have the effect of
making them all go away, but there is
class 1t would drive from the State,
and that is these aspiring ambitious
men who want to clutch the power of
the State and govern it. Finding they
never could hold office and be restored
to their political rights they would
leave the State and cast in their lots
somewhere else, and 1t would be a
grand good purgation for the State,
which would be far better without them
than with them. We can dispense with
these gentlemen. They have done
harm enough. Let them go; and they
being the leading men gone, the others
by and by would come around, and
after a while when they see 1t is useless
to entertain this purpose against the
Government, they would give 1t up, and
If there ever should come time when
the people of the State were in good
faith loyal and law abiding citizens and
had no evil purpose against the State,
then you might amend your cOnStitu-
tIon and restore them again to full priv
ileges. Until such time i would hold
them under these disabilities.
I believe there are no other questions
of which care at present to treat, 1
have touched very briefly on those of
most importance now claiming the at
tention of every body in this country.
L feel of course very deep interest in
them because have done what could
during this war to sustain these princi-
pies and to preserve the integrity of this
Union and vindicate the authority of
the Government. i have seen more
than many of you what this thing has
cost. If you go upon battle field and
see your fellow soldiers falling around
you dead and wounded and mangled,
then you can begin TO have an appreci-
alton of what this crime of rebel
lion is, that you never can get any
place else. Having seen all this, ] feel
the deepest interest in having this thing
wound up wisely and well. It would
be great pity, IL after the army hay-
ing achieved q victory over these rebels,
and compelled them TO lay down their
arms. through mismanagementand I'M
wise legislation on the part of those
who have charge OF civil affairs, the
results of all these sacrifices and all
this great expense to the Government
should be lost, or that a nest egg should
be left for future war, because this is
a thing that will repeat itself If you
allow rebels to come back before they
are thoroughly purged of their treason
able purpose. As / said before, we
must have security for the future. The
past we shall have TO let go, but If
we do not secure peace for the future, |
SO far as concerns these issues about |