The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-10
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There is general wall among GER
tain class of people concerning the acts
of the Legislature at its recent session.
OF what kind OF men is this class COM
posed2 They are not the loyal men OF
the country. They are not men who
took up arms in defence OF the Govern
ment in the hour of peril. They are not
the men who have spoke ana ncteu 10, ioE
the Union for the last five years, but
they arc men whose sympathies have
been enlisted in favor of the rebellion
who labored for the downfall of the
Goyernment-men who in 1861 were de-
claring that, as Virginia goes, SO will
Igo." "l'li go with my State" men
with foul and damnable treason yet
lurking in their corrupt hearts. This
devil OF treason has not been cast out,
but still maintains its hellish empire in
the bosonls of its votnries.
There is now spirit of rebellion in
the country. Men are staggering
around, swearing they will resist the
"test OATH law, the registration" law,
and the Amendment to the Const1tu-
tiou1 with tho bayonet. The rebellion
is subdued, but treason is rampant:
ttThe snake is scotched, but not Killed. J"
The men who are now firing the pub
lie mind, or who are rather melting the
rebels TO resistance and acts OF lawless-
ness, are men who opposed the Govern
mgnL anu 4Ah AAA
in their power TO thwart the Govern
ment in crushing the rebellion-men
who wished to destroy the Constitution
and the Government, and they arc now
cIamoring for their constitutional rights
rights which they have forfeited by
their participation in the rebellion.
These men are yet paroled prisoners,
and have the right of protection 70 their
persons and their property, and further
than this have no rights; but according
| to Attorney General Speeds opinion,
| as soon as The rebellion shall have been
| declared ut an end, they will be liable
4 TO punishment for treason. Ibe TeD eIis
and their sympathising riends are tI, tne
men who are now clhfnoElnS ZOE tueih
4 constitutional rights.
The copperheads are denounclng the
Registration law. Why is thisE DO
cause il dobars loyal men from the
privilege of the elective franchise! No,
| for it does not dfyest u loyal man OF any
| M his privileges, neither does IL dtvest
] tic copperhead who stayed at home
| md gave no mid or comfort TO the rebel
! lion, except so far as he could do 1t by
| furious talk, for he will tnke the re-
uuired oath and vote, but the aforesaid
comprehend makes himself very clam
orons for the rights of his "erring repel
| brethren" He does this because he
knows that If his "erring brother" IS
| enfranchised, he can get his vote and
probably will get himself into office.
| The copperhead knows that owing to
his having made himself obnoxious TO
the loyal people by his opposition TO the
war. mat he cannot be elected without
the mid of his rebel brethren; conse-
duently thinks IL Unconstitutional and
| tyrannical'' to deprive the said breth-
rem of the privilege of voting.
Previous 10 1850 certain class OF
white men did not vote in Virginia; be,
cause they did not own specified
| amount OF property, but one-tenth OF
the wailing and cursing was not in
dulged in, because parcel of men
| whose misfortuneS, not their crimes,
shut them Off from the ballot-bo&. On,
mol II was not unjust in the eyes OF
| those who were welded to the old Nir-
ginia manner of Ostracising poor men,
| to keep them from the polls, but 1t is a
great outrage ntheir eyes 10 keep men
| from the ballot-box whose hands are
reeking with the blood of their neigh
bors, whose souls arc dyed with the
dninning stain of treason. 1t was not
| inconsistent with their ideas of republic
| can liberty to shut OF poor mans pri-
leges, but now their eyes roll up in ho-
| ly horror, and their cOuntenances show
all the ngonies of n dying OK mt the bare
idea of Keeping n rebel from voting. IL
was nothing to deprive Il poor man of
political privileges, but it is heinous to
cicbar n criminal fIom them.