The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-08

Messrs. John Janney, William Martin
and All. ii. Stuart.
A Tub That WinNot HOLD water.
Thepersistentresolutio of our friends
the selE-stylei !" conservatives " to APP
pear as the special defenders and endor-
sersofPfesidene Johnson Is ratheramus-
ing. It puts them into all sorts of in
consistent attitudes, and, if fnconsisten-
cy.was OF any consequence to them,
they would labor under continual en-
barrassments. Happily for them, how
ever, they are never troubled by little
mater of that sort, and being largely
endowed with the commodity called
" cheek, !" they put on a bold fhce, shut
their eyes ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, throw down
the ladder behind and take box seats
on the Presidents platform.
Let us see what that platform is. One
OF the Presidents strongest and most
frequently repeated declarations touch
ing the policy of his administration Is,
that for the present, the exercises OF
the powers OF government must be con-
fined exclusively to persons whose fl
deity to the United States isunques-
toned. 2 II is on this basis that he pro-
poses to reorganize the lptely insurrec-
lionary States. In his message vetoing
tile Freetinlen,s BureaiI bill he uses this
explicit language {" hold II my duty
a. lhn admission of every
State to its share in public legts-
'.lation when 1t presents itself IN The
.spcrsons OF Representatives whose
LOYALTY CANNOT RE QUESTIONED un-
:. der any cetSting constitutional or LIZ LIZ
COAL TEST" And; as still more COM
prehensive and even more explicit, in
reply to tho Virginia delegation, he
made this emphatic declaration " ALL
responsible positions and places
fought to be confined distinctly and
aelesrlyto men who are USansTAKA-
"BLY AND UNoUEsrIoNADLT LOYAL
Our conservative" friends, in their
excessive zeal TO carry of the President
and become the party OF the adminis-
tration and his special admirers, ne
cept his policyas set forth by himself
in whole, and without. reservation
They OF course then declare with Pres
ident Johnson that fall responsible po-
"sitions and places ought to be contin-
"ed distinctly and clearly tolmen who
are unmistakably and unqnestiona-
ssably loyaI.ps Very we'll. This con-
cedes all we claim. This is precisely
and most cotnprehensively the ground
that the Union people of this State, in
-..1.-..,., 1,aI,nIf xs.a ~ nfsPnnV
But how does the practice of our en-
terprising friends comport with these
professIonsa SurprisingtO say. we find
That in their treatment of local politics
they desert their great chosen expound-
or, and altogether lose sight Of his
teachings. ilit,5
The loyal people of this State, COM
prising a very large majority of its pop
ulntion, guided by the wisdom that has
since been SO well embodied by the
declarations of Andrew, Johnson, have,
ever since the issue of loyalty and dis
loyalty to the United States was forced
ON them, taken care to elect to "respon-
sible positions and places" those only
who were. ''distinctly and clearly"
known TO be ''nien who are unmistak-
ably and unqueslionably loyal TO the
United States.
This course has been distastefuI Ito
say the least of tito the gentlemen who
now constitute what they themselves
denominate the "Conservativer party,
That portion OF this party who Joined
the army of the insurgents are of
course excluded by such a policy and
OF course don't like 1t. That portion of
it who arc well known to. have given
the Insurgents moral support alsofind
themselves excluded by it;while still
third class who tried the ''good Lord,
good devil" policy as long rs the result
was doubtful, have also found them
selves LEFT out of the count, for the ren-
son, We suppose, that they were not
"distinctly and clearly" "unmistaka-
bly, and unquestionably loyal as
President johnson says they should be
before being entrusted with "responsi-
BILE positions and places" These per-
sons were all LEFT outin the cold togeth-
er, because the loyal people OF the State
acted upon n policy now declared by
President Johnson, and endorsed by
themselves. How then can they blame
anybody but themselves But they do.
All through the rebellion the second
and third Glasses of this Organization,
as enumerated before, grumbled be-
cause people would not repose comic
dence in them; and Fnpw that the other
class have como home from an unsuc-
c.sssful enterprise, these defeated and
otherwise unhappy persons get together
and agree among themselves that they
have been very badly treated and that
they won't stand 1t. They accordingly
denounce and abuse everybody else ms
''ratiicaIs'' and t'destructivoS.''
The Legislature particularly, as rep.
res enting and carrying out the will OF
the loyal people, Is obnoxious to them
Tho neasonlm may be briefly stated. The
Legislature Tor the people through the
L4Sislature) desiring to continue the
policy pursued from the beginning O
the rebellion, and now. declared. by thS
President, have proposed to nddla pro.
vision to the organic law OF the State
which will not permit the elective fran
chise toany person who rebelledagainsi
the United States. It has also imposed
nm oath which prevents any such per.
son from holding Irresponsible positions
aud places" and temporarily an oath
TO keep such persons from exercising
The franchise till tho people have rati-
fled the amendment to the constitution.
Alt this, OF course, is an obvious dis
.