The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-10-22
LETTER FROM a SOLDIER.


General LIshtburn's Appeal to the
Soldiers and other Loyal Citizens OF
West Virginia.
We.find in the Point Pleasant Regis
ter the following letter from. General
Lightburn to e. NJ. Fitz Gerald, ESQ. !,
editor of that paper. ~ el
MY DEAR SIR: Yonrs of the 24th.uIt.,
is at hand requesting me to meet the
citizens and soldiers of, Mason county
on the 11th inst. am truly sorry to
say that circumstances are such that ]
cannot comply with your request. Our
enemies are energetically at work here
hoping to carry this county, and it will
require all the energy we have to de
feat them, as the contest will be close
consequently it will be impossible for
me to'meet'you as requested. A@
I would say to my fellow citizens OF
Mason county, and especially my fell
low sold diersS that the issues of the pres
sent canvas are no less important than
were the issues Of 1881 The 6iestions
Involved are the same. There Is now
an attempt being made by the same
people TO accomplish at the ballot box
what they lost by the sword. On, the
Fourth Thursday of this month, You
will be called on to say whether the
GoN6TAAu6ut O1 w S6g lf6lQlHf- res
main in the hands of,its friends, ,0r be
trans sterred to those who but yesterday,
as 1T We're, participated ina war for It's
destrne eti0nA fether you will endorse
a policy for the reStprati don of the rebel!
lious States dictated by therebels ttem-
selves. or policy that, requires guar
rantees of loyalty and good 5behRyforiin
ffhtnre, as the basis Of frestofati ion. These
are de questions, and as d citizen. of
sNNesttgY Virginia, and a'loyai citizen of
the United States, 7, for one, will
never cast my ba allotf for the transfer
Of the 3oyetnmett of West Virginia
into the hands ottraitors or. men, who
affiliate with traitors, nor will Tsupport
a policy for the restoration of the South!
ern States dictated by traitors, Inthk4
Ing this position i do not propose to
'extermtnate llwho participa in the
rebellion, but simply as a certain. traitor
once remarked in Tennessee that they
shall "taket back seats" / would
say 10 the Boys in Blue, or rather those
who once wore the blue honorably, let
netthese signing dem gogues, wheth+
er they come to you IN the garb of blue
or the assumed garb of loyalty, defeat
your purpese Of earfying ont hat you
SO nobIy fought Tor. Let them harp
upon negro suffrage and negro equality;
these are questions we are not AFRAID of.
II the rules Of the society of those con-
Bsrvative gentlemen are such that they
are afraid of negro equality, let them
correct them. If their conservatism
causes SO many fears of negro equality,
let them abandon their conservatism. i
do not desire to make negroes my
equals and I do not intend to- do SO.
These arequestionsn used TO deceive you .
Beware also of the class of men that ask
your suffrage. There can be but the
two political parties, one for the Gov
ernmentI the other against it, Their
names Conservatism, Conservative
ssunled. Tor 'polit ica1} or rather party ptlf-
poses. The true status of the, paroles, Is
antt-WaF Democratic, alas SVaIlaudig!
ham party, and the Republican or
Union party. The object ofthe one was
Southern indepeTd dence and Is now to
restore to the rebels what they lost in
their attempt, or rather failure TO gain
that aindependen the object of the
other was the suppfe esston OF tile rebel
lion, and Is now 70 mdiutAin the Gov
ieFnment In the hands of its friends.
can always be found cooperating with
that party, advocating that policy that
has for its object the maintenance of
the Government In the hRnds of tried
and loyal men. -, st.s7i.S -
el9Pardon this hastily writtens scrip, and
believe me truly yours, :
FRN1AHuslrSL UP. There are
a good many little straws which indi-
cate that the wind blows in the dlreC-
ton of another Fentan raid this ian,
upon Canada. Northern bound trains
daily drop just thisside Of the border a