The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-08-20
plete misrepresentation or an unjust per-

plete misapprehensio or an UNJUST per-
version of existing facts.
We do not hesitate to affirm, that there
is no section of the country where the
l Cjonstitutions and laws of the, United
States, find more prompt and entlre
Iobedience than in those, States, ana
among those people who were LATELY IN
arms eoa;nst them, or where there Is less
nnrnose or danger of any future attempt
70 oyertbrow their authority. 1t would
soem tn be both natural and inevitable
that in States and sections 80 recently
swent by the whirlwind of war, where
ali the ordinary modes and methods OF
organized industry have been broken up
! and the bonds and influences that guar
| antee social order have been destroyed;
where thousands and tens OF thousands
of turbulent spirits have been Suddenly
loosedI from the discipline OF war anu
thrown, without resources or restralnt'
upon a.disorganized and chaotic society,
| and where the keen sense OF defeat Is al,
ded to the overthrow OF ambition ana
hope, scenes of violence should defy for
time the imperfect discipline OF law
and excite anew the fears and forebod-
| inrs of the patriotic and well-dlsposed:
1t is professionally true that local
| disturbances of this kind, accompanied
| by more or less of violence, do still oc-
cur. But they are confined entirely to
the cities and larger towns of the South
ern States, where different races and in
terests are Brought most closely in con
tacS, and where passions and resent
ments are always most easily fed and
famed into outbreak; and even there
they are quite as much the fruit of un
timely and hurtful political agitation as
of any hostility on the part of che people
to the authority of the National Govern
ment 80
But the concurrent testimony OF those
| best acquainted with the condition OF
society and the state of public sentiment
in the South-including that of its rep
resentatives in this Convention-estab-
fishes the fact that the great mass OF the
| southern people accept, with as full and
sincere Submission as do the people OF
| the other States, the re-established su-
! premacy of the National authority, and
are prepared, in the most loyal spirit,
and with a zeal quickened alike by their
interest and their pride, to cooperate
with other States and sections in what
ever may be necessary to defend the
rights, maintain the honor, and promote
| the welfare of our common country.
History affords no instance where a
people, SO powerful.in numbers, in re-
sources and in public spirit, after a war
so long in its duration, so destructive IN
It's progress and SO adverse i'll It's issue,
have accepted defeat and its consequent
ces with so much of good faith as has
marked the conduct Of the people lately
in instruction against the United States
Beyond all question this has been largely
due to the wise generosity with which
their enforced surrender was accepted
by the President of the United States
aud the G. enerals in immediate command
Of their armies, and to the liberal meas
ures which were afterwards taken to re-
store order, tranquility and law to the
| States where all had for the time been
overthrown. No steps could have been
better calculated to command the re-
spect, win the confidence, revive the pa.
triotism, and secure the permanent and
| affectiopate allegiance of the people OF
| the South to the Constitution and laws
of the Union than those which have
been SO firmly taken and so steadfastly
pursued by the President of the United
States.
EFFECTS OF LEGISLATIVE EXCLUSION.
| And if that confidence and loyalty
| have been since impaired If the people
| of the South are to day less cordial in
their allegiance than they were lmmedl-
ately upon the close of the war, we be.
| lievC, it is due to the changed tone OF the
Legislative department. OF the General
Government toward them; to the action
by which Congress has endeavored to
snnplant and defeat the Presidents wise
and beneficent policy OF restoration; to
| their exclusion from ali participation IN
| our common Government; to the with.
| drawal from them Of rights conferred
and guaranteed by the Constitution, and
to the evident purpose of Congress, IN the
exercise of Il uSurped and unlawful au-
| thority, to reduce them from the rank OF
free and equal members of republic OF
States, with rights and dlgnltles amin
haired to the condition OF conquered
provinces and conquered people, IN all
thugs subordinate and subject to the
viii of their conquerors; free OILY l."
Obey laws in making which they wc'e
net allowed TO share.
No people have ever yet existed whose
loyalty and faith such treatment long
continued would not ALLEVIATE aud IN
pair. And the ten millions OF Americans
who live in the South would b" nnwor-
thy citizens of free country, degenerate
sons of an heroic ancestry, unit ever 10
become the guardians of the rights and
liberties bequeathed to us by the fathers
and founders of this Republic. II they
could accept, with uncom planning sub
misSiceneSs the humlllatlous thus 'nG ut
to be imposed upon chem ko,
sentiment of injustice Is always ana
everywhere essential l" freedom; and
tue sp.rlt which prompts the States ana
peolIe lately in IuHurIeot'on, hn" lIsnr
cent l.ow 40 longer, 10 protest "sdiust
tho imposition of unjust ard degrading
cvud lions, makes them all the more
worthy to share in the government OF
free commonwealth, and gives still hrin
er assurance of the future power aud
freedom of the Republic.
SUFFERINGS OF THE SOUTH
For whatever responsibility the south.
ON people may have incurred III resist
lug lie authority of the National Gov
vrnment aud i'll taking up acms for its
overthrow, they may BE- heldito answer,
AS udiduals, before the judicial tri.
bmals of the land, and for that CON
dnct. as societies and organized conmu-