The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-01-18
A Case Of COnseIenee---who Is to
RInme2
Our readers wiz have noticed in the

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that in the organization OF the TWO
Houses, Mr.. .Withrow,, of sGreenbrier
i'll the House of Delegates, and in tht
Senate Mr.. Matthews, ofthe same conn.
ty, elected from the sth Senatorial Dis.
trict, formally declined TO quallly; and
that the action of the two Houses upoI
their cases was what We anticipated il
our remarks on Tuesday morning.
These gentlemen stated that they could
not swearthat they had not voluntarily
aided and comforted the rebellion, al
the oath of ofiice requires. The Two
Houses could accept nothing less. and
80, of course, they could not take their
seats. Under the circumstances all par
ties did right. These gentlemen being
unable toqnalify, we respect their hon
estyin candidly admitting the fact but
we submit 1t Is their fault, not the fault
ofthe law. The maxim, 'tEngland e3-
poets every man TO do his duty, "shas a
broader meaning than the mere words
imply. The country has rightto ex-
pect every man 10 be loyal and do his
duty by the Government. If heis not,
he is to be the sufferer by it-nOt the
Commonwealth. These gentle have
nobody TO blame but themselves, and
they have neither right TO ask, nor rea7
son to expect, thatth barriers raised 10
protect the community can be taken
down for their particular accommoda-
ton. We entertain no unkind feeling
towards them, or others in like situa-
lion; but we submit that the loyal people
should not be made to suffer for their
misunderstanding II TO be mistake
merely. The people Of Greenbrier and
the sth Senatorial District committed a
mistake in ielectingi men who. we sup
pose, Judging by their present candor,
inhde no secret oftheir inability to quail
ifJ II elected;i and those men made a
grnye mistake under such circumstan-
ceIs In being candidates. If these things
WE'RE done ignorantly, or under a mis-
an prehension, tits n matter for simple
rttgret; If done knowingly, wilfully,
aid obstinntely, lesson has been
I'd ught them which 1t Is TO be hoped will
hive its influence for good hereafter.
We understand that Mr.. Yawter, the
colleague OF SIr. SVithrow, hasnot yet
ouaIided and declares his inability to
do so. These gentlemen urge AS the
strongest justification in asking
TO be admitted to seats with
out qualifying, that they were elected
as the least Objectionable men who
could be found in their county; that
they arc the nearest approach to Union
men there; and were therefore candi-
dates and voted for from a sincere dis
position to comply with the wishes Of
theloysl people and authorities; We
disclaini any wish to reflect on the per
sonal veracity of these gentlemen, but
such assumptions as these carry abb
surdity on their fnce. We understand
Judge Harrison OF the Greenbrier Cir
cult asserts that they are little short OF
insult to the people of Greenbrier and
Monroe, and that there are plenty OF
men there of ability and standing who
could have qualified, II the dominant
party there had chosen TO give them an
opportunity We suggest that enough
men OF capacity TO represent Greenbrier
and Monroe for the next twenty years
could have been found among the men
who fed from those counties TO avoid
rebel CONSUMPTION and Joined the Union
army. There are hundreds of them
and they could swear that they had not
voluntarily aided the rebellion. The
real difieuIty Is that there is noIwish to
elect such men; aud we are compelled
to believe that the preteneeto the con
tEary is simply an zexpedient to excite
sympathy, .for,.cseT n,f,p..
esate elected from Putnam, also de,
clines to qualify-not, as in the Other
cases, because he cannot; but because
he deems the oath Unconstitutional
and is disposed tOrresent it as an In
engagement on his liberties. With al
deferenee, we submit this is rather 4
singular view of the case. We believe
it is universally conceded that the oatl
of office Is constitutional, even by thos'
who deny the cOnstitutionality of tn,
voters test oatll't uaUI
go Mr.. Lamb, who, we believe, Isl con
sidered authority on test oaths by th'
conservative side OF the house, freel,
afllrms the constitntionality of the Off
eers' test oath, while he denies that o
the voters oath, the two resting on en-
~ tireiS distinct grounds. We trust DR.
Thompson will reconsider his determi
nation. and not leave Putnam withou
a representative. = - az 4 9i'i"i4
.tffzl--z--s4--sA----
General Harris TO Speak T9-MoProS
highland ON saturday Night
General Harris will not. speak to
night Mt the Court House. as ut frs
proposed. and as announced yesterda.
tnortiing. no viii speak, however, a
follows: .5tlN-aizTr u
0To-morrow, Friday, night, at tn
Fourth Street NJ. +. Church, on behal
of the Fteedmen's schools and othe
charities, in his military district, a
fredericksburg admission, twenty
2 live cents. Il fsfsyrfytgl .{gYrfN
BE- On Saturday night ut the Cour
House, he Will deliver a free address =
the peopIe OF Wheeling. members of tn
I.cGislature,, dc, on the questions OF Tn
day 30 a1F artts i-s.- siE.s
we hope that our fellow citizens vii
turn out in large numbers to both thes
meetings. General Harrls is q MAJ
worthy TO be heard by the best audien
ces we can give him, by reason bot
of his services in the war, and on &C
count of the cause for which he pleads
THE House of Representatives ha
wisely taken measures TO preventlsu
abuse of the call for the ;.preyiops CUES
Iu' tionn as has been made the means o
procuring nasty and ill-considered leg
islation. on "Wednesday last, Mr.. Hale
republican member from New York
offered ID resolution declaring tina