The Greene County Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 185?-1867, 1866-05-30
PRESCRIPTION OF REBELS

PRESCRIPTION OF REBELS
The proposition to exclude for four
years from voice in the Federal Gov
ernment those who were guilty of at
temp,ing.to overthrow that Government
and disrupt the Union, is received with
shrieks of horror by the Copperheads
generally. We do not favor the policy
of disfranchisement, simply because we
deem general enfranchisement every
way preferable; but it is fact, abun-
dantly established, that the Rebels, had
they succeeded, would have disfi anchs-
ed tie Southern Unlonists, not Temporal
rily, but for all time. This truth does
notrest on such testimony as Gov Wise's
alone. There is ample corroboration
from various quarters. -.
In February, 1868, the leading Con-
federates of West Virginia issued from
Richmond an address "To the People
of North Western Virginia" urging
them TO take ground for tho Southern
Contederacy, In this manifesto, they
say:
"7Ne NORTH can nerer c00quer the
South. Neither ,oW the South ever con.
sent to a restoration of the Union. An
inhunan attempt to subjugate brave
free, enlightened and Christian people,
can merer be IorgiUen or forgotten. Tho
atrocities of the North in prosecuting
this war, and desperate attempt to
invoke servi!e lnsurrcctlon, have placed Il
fiery gulf OF hatred between the two
countries. The separation which was
forced by fanaticlsm has been confirmed
by ferocious folly 1t is not the South
which will have to regret the consequent
ces
"As certainly as the atrocious scheme
Of subjugalion is destl"ed to fail just so
certainly will every inch of the soil OF
Virginia remain under her jurisd elton
The sntire South will be conquered or
all Virginia will be free by solemn re-
solves, the Confederate and State Goy>
ernnents stand pledged never to surren>
der any part Of the State. They W Il bv
prompted by every motive of interest
and of honor TO redeem the pledge at all
hazards.
I'VE do not address ourselves to those
who have eagerly engaged with the
enemy to subjugato or dismember our
venerable Commonwealth THEY haze
chosen to aJide tie event Of a ,car in ,chich
they Mre taken tho part Of traitors amd
they must abide byM" *Ifyou have
not al! acted with equal trmness, we
are grati6ed to believe (as we have many
reasons for believing) that large major
ity OF the citizens of North. w ostern
Virginia nave cherished loyal attach.
ment to the State, and that they aJhor
treason and traitors. We know bow to
make due allowance for the cruel necess-
tiles of your situation. While some of
us were able to retire to places where we
could serve the cause OF the South, and
several thousand have joined our armies,
it is just 10 remember that whole CONS
munity so great as ours could not with
draw into the interior, nor could they
alone resist the powerful States on their
borders. Many were hampelel by
poverty, or charged with the care OF
families, or detained at home by other
obstacles which could not be overcome.
Being compelled to remain, their sub,
mission could be enforced by arms
Mere submission to irresistible force will
not be imputed to them as crime
Voluntary and corrupt completely wiM
treason can NEVER be ercusel BY any cir"
cumSfaace.'
This manifesto is signed by Chas, w.
Russell, Robert Johnston, Thomas s.
Raymond, Gideon d. Camden, Joseph
Johnson, William L. Jackson. and ten
other OF the leading Contederates whose
homes were in West Virginia 1t proves
that, before Virginia would join the
Contederacy, here rulers exacted a secret
but solemn treaty stipulation that no
pelce should ever be made with the
Union that did not put loyal West
Virginia under the feet and subject it to
the vengeance OF the pro.Slavery traitors
east OF the mountains 1t proves, moro.
over, that it was the settled Rebel policy
to dsfranchise and PUNISH all "voluntary''
Unionists. The tables being turned,
you see, they sing very different tune
in 1866 from that to which their pipes
were pitched in l8G3.-7ri.