The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-01-15
FROM WEST VIRGINIA.
oOrTs,pondenoe af ne Springfield RpuS'ioa


z1ed CEREDo, WEST VA, Dec. so, '65.
There appears to be as much difficulty
in reconstructing the courts In West
Virginia as in organizing the townships
and counties. In this county, in 1861
the prosecuting attorney, and the ablest
lawyer in all this region went into the
rebel military service, He was a Colo
mel. and occasionally, brought his regi-
ment into this section to regulate" the
disloyal Ito the Southern cause in this
and neighboring Counties. During
these visits horses and money were sto-
len, citizens captured and killed, and
other outrageS com mmttted by detach-
ments from his regiment. Now he
come into our court room with all the
papers belonging to the unfinished
business he had IN hand before the war,
business of his clients, for he had a
large practice, and commenced Work as
though nothing had happened. No one
interferes, and he Is retained as counSei
for a large number of guerrillns who
are Indicted for various crimes per-
petrated during the war. But IN
Kanawha. Greenbriar and Monroe coun-
ties the same kind ofmen have been re-
quired to take the test oath prescribed
by our Legislature two years ago, before
they are permitted TO practice law 1t
was contested in Kanawha, and the
circuit court Judge decided that the reb-
ell officers must take the oath. 1t goes
up to the next higher court, and in
those counties where it has been tried
lawyers who have been in the rebel SER
vice cannot now practice their profes-
sion. In ourjudicial district, there are
four counties where there is not single
LAWYER who pretends thai he was loyal
during the war, and the judge will not
interfere unless forced to do so. In fact,
no business can be done II the rebel law
yers are prohibited from doing business.
the HnnFL
have been held since peace was pro-
claimed, but no business has been COM
pleted, while there are over three hun
dred indictments pending for crimes OF
guerrilIas during the war. In Raleigh,
Logan and Wyoming counties u y
the incompetency ofsberitfs and clerks.
In these mountain districts every man
wants office, and great majority are
SO ignorant that they never learn by
experience or otherwise, that they are
not qualified for Offices of any kind
They were elected in troublous times
and where only two or three were met
together and no brains among them.
Hence the dragging of court. business
and consequent delay of other import
ant public matters. In about one year
more 1t will be very much improved.
THE ISSUE AT THE STATE ELBCTIoN.
AT our last State election, (october,)
the issue was on the ratification of tho
amendment to the constitution, propos-
Ell by the Legislature last winter. The
amendment is as follows:- ' -isi'
scNo person, who, since the first day
of June, 1861, has given or shall give
voluntary aid or assistance to the re-
bellion against the United States, shall
| be citizen of this State or be allowed
to vote at any election held therein, un-
| less he has volunteered into the m1iltary
or naval service of the United States,
and has been or shall be honoraply uls-
charged therefrom.n h.. 80 ,.nl 81
Those in favor of the amendment
were called "iron clads, the other par
ties went by the names of conservatives
and rebels. In this county we elected
| to the Legislature an opponent of the
amendment; but in Cabell an iron clad
was elected by i've or six to one over
the conservative. The House and Sem
ate both are about six iron clads to one
opposed to the amendment,Efi1n IN + Ut
nam, Mason, Jackson, Roane, kanaW-
| ha, and other counties above here the
radicals had it all their own way in the
election The returned soldiers made
the mischief by threatening all who
could not or did not feel inclined to
take the oath, but they Were led on and
encouraged by the meanest and most
unprincipled demagogues that ever
ruled and ruined in State. In some
of the interior counties the elections
were managed differently.
THE DIVISION OF VIRGINIA.
You occasionally speak of the divi-
sion of Virginia as unwtse andunneces-
sary. The division was talked of and
agftated more than twenty years ago.
| The two sections had no common in
terest except In the ancient lame. Ihefe
was no trade betweenthe east and west ;
there was no good highway communi-
cation. No appropriations Were made
| for internal improvements in Western
| Virginia. The representatives from the
west in the assembly, with very few
exceptions, were never treated wltn de
cent respect; Though to tell the truth
many of them did not deserve II, and
the eastern members looked upon
| Western Virginia as a tnx-paying de-
pendency, very convenient. to aid In
paying expenses of public improve
ments in the enstern part OF the state.
| While in the army, was all over the
State, except in the southeastern cor.
ner, crossed the Blue Ridge three times,
the last time two hundred and thirty
miles distant from Harper's Ferry, and
was in the valley thirty miles south.
east of the Allegheny range were abun-
dant evidences of the outlay of pub-
lie money for improvements. Rail-
roads, macadamized roads, costly
bridges, canals, &C., as in an enltghten-
ed and non-slaveholding country. 1t
is a better agricultural country than
this side, that's all. West Virginia is
inexhausGbly rich in bituminous and
camel coal, salt, iron ore and timber,
and there Is also an abundance of other
under-earth productions to contribute
to the wealth of a State. The soil and
climate are admirably adapted to the
culture of grapes, apples, peaches, &c.,
and to stock rRising and wool growing.
But never a dollar of public money
would get over this way except for the.
poorly kept turnpike roads and the
State officials. They Of the east could
not be made to look upon this part of
| the State for any purpose but to draw
money from. The people were tired of
| 1t, and were preparing for n furious agi-
| tation of the matter when the war came
on. Secession favored us, and we were
successful. j don't think you can re-
alize how much rejoieed the people
were. All except a very few mouldy
fogies breathed freer and appeared TO
| feel relieved when it was completed.
| Now, do not see q man, even OF the
before-mentioned fogies, who is not
| glad ii is accomplished. cannot help
| thinking, therefore, you are slightly in
correct in condemning the job. G.
THE "SocIAL EVIL In CHICAGO
The Chicago Tribune makes the follow
ing statement: The city of Chicago
contains population which may be
set downin round numbers, for thepur-
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