The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-05-23
ARLEsroN KANAwHA COUNTY, WEST VA, WEDNESDAY,

lfron, the FIirnont vtdeilt.1 ~, . %
Letter from Hon. G. Il. Lnthanl---
His Views OF the; Political Situ:.,
alton. ~ '.'','''. .z. -,
.jF, ,;:..ts wA.ulso7os: D. c., May 8, 1861.
j. N. BOYD, ESQ: ., - %,:,5,q:- ~
Dear Sir Your favor is received.
Matters are in about the same condition
US when you were here. I think the op.
posing parties hero will not barmonize.
There being no sufficient cause for q
quarrel between the President and his
friends, as ia usual in such cases, the!
tendency is to magnify rather than rec.
oncilc the mctapbs ssioal differences be-;
tween them. Men sccm more tenacious.
of underlined gcncrulities'tha Of living
practical issues !; and in no~wny can, you
so eFcctually touch and excite their.
pride Of opinion as by affecting disre:
spect for thoir preconcoiyed opinions Of
what they call janelamsnmi principles.
Sir. Lincoln;was remarkable. exception
to, this role: All, our reconstruction
troubles arc upon theories, and no. upon,
practical reSults.:.. - -. =
Tho appeal made to tho people will
therefore have to be settled by them. 1t
will be the great issue in the: Congress:
sionul elections. pcSt fall, as,it is evident
from the report Of tho committee on-re.
construction thatthey do not intend tho
admission Of reprcscntutivcssfrom the
States lately constituting the so. called
Confederate States Of America, during,
tho present session-tho report denying
the right Of representation until Hho
conditions precedent arc complied with,
which can not bo 4dono within twelve
months. g., -. - -
Our local issues arc to US Of as vital
! importance as those Of national char.
acter-except only as the nation is Of
more i'm portanco than tho State. Should
tho rebels, or those who are in sympathy
with bcm-conssrvu,ives, democrats, or
Whatever name they may nssumc-gct
the political powet tho State Of West
Virginia. will see its end without much
ceremony. The division of tho State Of
Virginia i, one of thcrcsults Of the war;,
which was not accepted" by tho rebels
upon laying down their arms, and its
rcdintegration i, now aleading Demo.
ocratic principle. Tho disfrap chisement
of West Virginia rebel, is a question iof
uot nero party policy-it is duty The
State owes to itself, us;involvinS ito own
cxistcncc!: It is i point which. euh not
DO too we'll guarded, Tho platform Of
ltbe !" conaeeHatiyes. :" Of sMest, :,Yirginia
accepts the new State asI-"nTaxcdi ifaotF.
but / hope tho Union men of,thc,
Stato understand such clap trap. Thoss'
Of us Who understand tho boating Of ~
national pulse, know tho feelingsilpd
purposes upon this point and t4sfo is
about as much, sincerity 10 these hypo.
critical pre.cnsion, now Us a6ste was 10
those Of devotion to tho USion, by the
same party, inf1860-Gl. SssS3S2 = ;.
As to the Justice Of .laeh, treatment,
apart. from tho qucsti9S Sof absolute safe.
ty,to tho State, my Dr. opinion always
has been and is thtfstrcuson should be
treated as q crime slbd not as mere
difference Of opif6n:to bc INDUCED 10
with inpuuity. 6hensysr occasion may
,ofFer-,hat, trai jpfs should bc held as
criminals, nd 16tImerely us defeated op.i
ponents in a lfitimute cause-that, as
Of right, tiid8scnn claim nothing but
punishment sneiiher life, liberty, nor
property, andstha. whatever privilege,
they may be- Apermitted to, enjoy .ers Of
grace only, &a%tbat claim to political
privileges o8dhcir part is not only pro;
sumptuous i8thc extreme, butts, oiitself,
calculated HSarouso the most serious
tsuspicidbs. q fthoso who arc really deyo.
ted, to their. ssnn.ry. .r, !
I nm satizHed tho future will fully
yindicate tbl lNisdom Of our late Legis.
la,u.e upon, t6esc qucstiaus; for If they
had acted dferently, VIC would soon
sec; tic day that.we would most sadly
have deplorcd1hsir lack Of risdom-and
the repeal, years hence, Of these dis:
frauchisiug ND Situres, should circum.
stances ever jusAfy their repeal, will DC
no evidence or argument ngainststhclrr
present nccessitysS III n
Very rcspcetfullyssnd truly. .s:., Y.
~ -! ~ - - e. GEo. r. LATHAM. /