The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-01-30


bolical purpose TO overthrow the Cow
ernment of our fathers, in, order that
they might establ lish securely the legal
right, without, however, the shadow OF
q moral Tolhddtt ION, to deprive a fellow
man of freedomS and to degrade and
oppresS him. But this does not end the
dark catalogue of their damning crimes
against the State, and against their fell
low-citizena. q ygffE5II 0I9HW sIIf
They organized an irregular warfare
against the State and her loyal people,
which was carried on by predatory
bands. whose object was plumber and
murder; and by these bands the peace,
quiet and safety of the. State, in, some
parts of its territory were constantly
brokenian disturbed; its power over
thrown, and it's people PlpndeSedg and
to be cruelty and systematically starvS
ed out of ther. mo rial existence. ?. These
bands committed these outrages in sec
tons of the country where they were
well acquainted and thus sought to de-
stroy the very. people amongst whom
they had been raised, and with whom
they had held the relations Of neig hbor
and friend and in every neighborhood
they had their friends and symp4thi-
secret enemies of Cthe Govern
melt, who, under professions of loyal
ty, nnd'in most instances in disregard
OF the obi cations of an oath counte.
nanced, encouraged fed, she Itered ana
secreted, and by every nnea ans in their
power, aided these 1awless, bands in
carrying ON their treason against the
State. These, then, are the people who
would on the above hypothesis be ex-
patriated; and should they each and
every oneT leave the country to-day,
who could say it would not be for their
country =. 81 i.,;ia li2i.j4 80, J
DBut Mmay be nbje ected that we should
show spirit of forgiveness; that the
thing we want Is decentralization, and
that to secure this the pastdnust be for
gotten, and its memories ,buriedI Very
well-but this is all pred cate upon the
hypothesis that these rebels \ have re-
turned pentant. .ElNo onewould have
the hardihood, or the folly to declare
that You should forgive rebel who Is
still a rebel and absol1s him from all
Iprivileges!d The mere fact of the laying
down Of arms upon ncompplsions cannot
be- assumed as evidence, that the dis
armed rebel is in q, state of mind, and
has a purpose of heart, that will justify
you in thus dealing with him; and, for
fer us, lwe.are not left in dark
ness, or in. doubt on this question. Who
has ever yet heard rebel ask for par
don from his old neighbors and friends
whom he has injured2 1t is true, they
may ask the government for pardon,
but it Is only to secure a restoration of
lights, and a removal of disabili iliues.@
Who ever heard a rebel, profess any
change of views or purposes, except SO
far as expediency demanded that his
purposes should dforthe present ,cbe kept
In abeyance2 Who ever heard a rebel
do anything but justify hi h1inllsef in his
former eause2 %. issi tsstf 10 .r,i-.ti HI.
Who ever heard a rebel regret any
thing but the failure of his hopes, pur-
poses, and efforts to destroy the Gov
ernmeht7 Who ever heard rebel say
that he would act differently under the
has acted Who ever heard a rebel talk
that failed to affirm that his cause was
iustg and ought to- have succeeded; and
declare that he was not whipped but
merely yeoverpoweredia 3 And that they do
not relinquish hopes OF ultimate sue
cess lisuabnndantly evident from their
determined efforts to revive among us
which many Of them were the former
leaders, and the remainder the mere
bYuinIeSS tools, and restore 1t to Its for
ner prestige, under. the same leader
ship, and with the same political prin-
cipIes and purposes that led them to the
commission of treason.
Should we, then, to conciliate and
reconcile these people, absolve them
from all, the colseq quences OF their for
mer treason, merely that we may put
them in arfavorable position for carry
ing on this same treasonT la4 1la Sin
They. have not only set at naught the
authority of the State, and trampled
upon its.laws, but have been, and still
are, concoeting schemes to overthrow
it altogether. How then, let me ask,
can we safely and wisely do anything
but hold them under the disabilities
proposed by the constitutional amend
fnent which we have been discussing.
II indeed the effect of this. amendment
would be TO Danish them from the State,
then we Rave only to. elect between the
evil of their expatriation, il indeed It
be an evil, on the one hand, or that OF
putting the peace and welfare of the
State in, Jeopardy, with a possih lity, Of
its oyerthrowing thesother. Who could
hesitate in his choice iisis 90 5toy5 -.
But I do NOT see how any sane man
cand predict any such consequences
from the proposed amendment, which
Iithink I have conclusively shown not
10 be afnenabfe to any of the objections
that have been urged against ii !; and
which would only operate the with
holding from these people political
privileges, which, according to the laws
of all civilized nations, they have for
feitad by their crimes, and which can
not, as the-case- now stands, be safely
restored to them.TIEJ . ITGTGHD
! ,El6 Very Resp eetfnIly, Yours,
T. NJ. HARRIs.