The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-15

this meeting, voluntarily placed theil
services and lives at the disposal of oIl
Government for its preservation. Then
offer was accepted, and in this relation
to the Government, several of them
stood almost from the commencement
to the enc of the four years war. And
now, Messrs. Editors of the iaioa, who
nave taken it upon yourselves to ina
Pugn the loyalty Of these gentlemen,
what did you do for the Union during
that period that tried mems souls?'
Let us have your record? We wish to
give you full credit, but we must first
have the items. What voluntary sacri-
fees did you make for the Union through
the war? What service did YOU render
in its armies, or elsewhere? When :?
Where? How? Certainly you would
not set yourselves up as model Union
men as you do. and dare to Judge others
as you do, unless you were able to es-
tablish your right and authority, by
irresistible proof of the most unselfish,
the loftiest devotion on your part to the
preservation and honor of the Nation
in the hour of her great trial. Let us
have full revelation of your noble
deeds OF self-sacrifice for your country,
that even the faintest sentiment of dis
loyalty may wither in the presence of
such immaculate purity of patriotism,
such intensity of love for the Union.-
hn, 80 4
that you performed no such deeds, made
no such sacrifices, manifested no such
love-that you took the most tender
care of your precious persons, keeping
them ever at the safest possible distance
from rebel bayonets, but did nothing for
the Union cause, except at the earliest
moment practicable, rush in, and in a
spirit Of the noblest disinterestedness.
seize upon two fat offices apiece with
their emoluments, for the good of the
country. OF course Madame Rumor
lies, but gentlemen convict her of it, by
giving to the public the glowing record
of your self-denying patriotism, amid
the clouds and tempests of war 1t will
furnish new and brilliant illustration
of human valor and inpart fresh lustre
to the virtues that adorn humanity.
You say ave have not so much objec-
ton to endorsing ANDREW JOHNSON as
to mingling with the crowd who did
it, But gentleman, would you COM
promise your loyalty any more by min
CLING with the crowd you refer to, than
you do by daily and intimate association
with those who were prominent in the
rebellion" You mingle with such pro-
fessionally and socially, and unite wiA
them IN derising measures to secure leyis-
hatire action for tie benefit q Berkeley
since YOU insulted and abused those gen
tlemen through the columns Of your pa
per, and denied their right to return to
this county at all. But we see that a
marked change has come over your
spirits and in quarters where your
rankcst hate was excited, we now see
you gentle and cooling as turtle doves
This is well, and we shall expect ere
long to see you sufficiently transformed
to ningle in such y crowd as gathered
on the sth, without experiencing the.
faintest tWinge ofyour radical conscience.
But if you have no objection to endors-
ing ANDREW JOHNSON, why not do it?
The Berkeley Union has published
neither the Veto Message of the Presi-
dent nor his speech OF the 22nd of Feb
ruary, nor expressed its approval of
either; but on the contrary has admit
ted to its columns communications con-
talning the most scurrilous abuse of
President JOHNSON for these acts. Now
gentlemen, if you are favorable to the
principles and policy of the President, it
would doubtless be highly gratifying to
him and his Cabinet and his friends
throughout the nation, that you should
avow your sentiments. You can do so
through your paper, without mingling
with the obnoxious rebel crowd PRAY