The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-09-19
IhC Address.

TIE APrEAL or T!fE LOYAL MEN or THE SOUTH
TO THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS or THE UNITED
STATES.
The representatives Of eight millions OF
American ciIiz.nS appeal for protection md
Justice to their friends and brothers in the
States that have been spared the cruelticS Of
the rebellion and the direct horrors Of civil
war. Here on tho spot where freedom was
prolTtred and pledged by the fathers Of the
Republic we implorc your help asainSt rcor.
gnnizcl oppression, whose sole object is to re.
init the control of our dcSlinies to the con.
trivcrs Of the rebellion, after they have been
yanqniShed in honorable battle, thus Mt once
TO punish Us for our devotion to our country,
and to inlrcnch themselves in the official fort.
ificationS of the Government. Others have
learned the thrilling story Of our WRONGS from
reading anl observation. We com, before
you as unchallcngcl witnesses, url speak
from personal knowledge, our sad experience.
lf you (nil Us wo arc more utterly deserted
and betrayed than If the contest had been dc.
citlo,l against i<, for in that case, even veto.
rous slavery would have found profit in the
speedy pardon Of those vino had been among
its brnvcst foes. Unexpected pcriily in the
highest placc.0r the Government, accidentally
followed hy one who adds cruelty to ingrati-
tudc, and lorgivcs the guilty Ms he proscril,cs
the innocent has stimulated the almost cx.
tinsuiShcd revenge Of the beaten conSpirltorS;
and now the rebels, who Offered to yield every
thing to save their own lives, arc seeking to
consign us to bloody graves. Where We cx.
pectcd bcnet;lctor we find prosecutor.
Having lost our champion, we roturn to you,
who can make Presidents and punish traitors.
Our last hope, under God, is the unity and
firmncSs Of the States that elected Abraham
Lincoln and defeated Jefferson Davis. The
hest statement of our case is the appalling yet
unconscious confession Of Andrew Johnson,
who in savage hatred of his own record, pro.
claims his purpose to clothc four millions OF
traitors with the power to impovcrish and
degrade eight millions Of loyal men. Our
wrongs bear alike on all races, and our ty.
rants, unchecked by you, will award the Sane
fate to white and black. Wc can remain as
We are only MS interiors aud victims. We
NAV ily from our homes, but we should fear
to trust our fate with those who, after dc-
nouncinS and defeating treason, refused ia
right thosa who have bravcly assisted them
in tho good work. Till We arc wholly res.
cucd there is neither peace for you nor pros.
pcrity for us. We cannot better define at
once our wrongs anil our wants than Ivy dc.
claring that since Andrew johnson affiliated
with his carly slandcrcrs and our constant
enemies, his hand has been laid heavily upon
every earnest loyaliSt in the South. History
the Just Judgment Of the present, and the cer.
tain confirmation Of the future, invite and
command us to declare that after rjcctins his
own remedies for restoring the Union, he In,
resortcd to the weapons Of traitors, to bruisC
and beat down patriots; that after declaring
that none but the loyal should govern the rc
constructed South, he has pracliccl upon tho
maxim that none but traitors shall rule; tha
while in the North he has removed conscicn
,iou. mon from office, aud filed many Of ,hN
vacancies will, the sympathizcrs Of treason
in the South he has removed the proved pat
riots and selected equally proved and con.
yicted traitors; that after brave ,ncn who had
fought for the oil ilaS have been nominated
for positions, their names have been rrcal.cd
and avowed rebels substituted that every
original Un;onist in the South who stand:
fast to Andrew ,Johnson's covenants FROM
1861 to 1866, has been ostracised that he ha;
corrupted the local Courts by Offering prrn
ums for the defiance Of the laws OF Congress
and bv openly discouraginS the observance o
the oath against treason; that while refusin:
to punish one single conspirator, though thou
; sands had earned the penalty Of death, mon
than one thousand Of Union citizens have
been murdered in cold blood since the sur
render Of Lee, and in no. case have their as
sassins been brought to judgment; that HI
has pardoncd some Of the worst Of tho rcbe
criminals North or South, including some wh'
have taken human life under circumstances
unparalleled atrocity; that while denouncins
and lettering the operations Of tue freedmen
Bureau he, with full knowledge Of tho false
hood, has charged that tho black men ARC laz,
and rebcllious, and has concealed tho fact tha
more whites than blacks have been protect
ed and fed by that noble organization, and tia
while declaring that it WAS coTuptly y.m1nAset
and expensive 10 tho Government, he has con
nived at . system ot peoaiSacy IN tho use Q
! !ths public patronage and public money, Who'll