Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-10-09
Pro Pudor 2

10 me GuUoF or tie SpIrIt of Jefferson
SIR There are birds that from instructive
horror, die at the approach of certain reptiles
confess to some such feeling as l approach
the subject of this communication. IF L
tremble however, it is not from dread, but
with indignation ard disgust. Political in
fanny 1t seemed to me-exhibited in policy
the most comprehensively oppressive, The
most infinitely vexati9us-had already in the
passage of the Registry law, law that in its
leading feature, its h, had gone to the full
length of Tillainous possibility. 1t is not ne
cessary that Goethe should tell US, that we
cannot handle cinders without soiline our An
gers Nor is it necessary for me to say, that
to carry out such law would be dirty work.
But this is not all. It is the dirty wav in
WHICH the dirty work was done by the Board
OF Registration. in this county, and especially
in recent illegal and harrass ing instance.
that has aroused not only mine, bit the in
dignation of the<Whole community.
need not inform you of facts which are
known and reprobatcd through the whole
comfy About fifty regularly registered vo,
tiers, including such men as Mr.. Yantis of
TINS place. and a number of poor farmers,
bound by the necessities Of their crops and
the II season, and unable of themselves, to lose
the time or make the journey, were sum-
tnoned to Shepherdstown. And for what ?
10 prove their loyalty Mark you! These
men had oil been examined and cross ex-
ahmed by the local Registrar. when re-
CURED, they had taken the Gath. Had sat
fsned all the nice arguments of his patriotic
conscience, and had been regularly registered
Some OF them had voted at the last election.
10 summon such men from their stores and
ilelds, at this season, to the out of the way
place IN which our county seat is located, to
undergo further examination without cause
Tor cause there was none, was not only illegal
but an oppression sj;ch as the revolutionary
fathers had hardly to complain Of The mat
ter ending here would have been sufficiently
shocking. Let me pause here then to ask
what could have been the object of such DO
l!tIcal rasca!ity? Why this, and OILY this
the calculation, that the summons would not
be attended to, and so, so many conservatives
would have been disiranciIised and thus de-
prlVed by an ignomiuioUs trick of the most
precious of earthly rights But sir, the mat
ter did not end here. The climax had to be
capped. With the assistance Of GOOD men
and true, many of them, to their credit be it
spoken arrived in Shepherdstown
at noon; %hen, will You believe, will
American citizens whatever their political
opinions who have any regard for political
rights believe, they ,cere told H9t tie Board
A"I adj0urned oCcr TOR one acccA., to tie very
last day allowed by law to register.
If for such conduct as this, there is no
reputation, then, to pirate about freedom and
justice and law, is to quote from Sir Thomas
AIoore's Utopia. It would be mercy, if af.
ter the manner of the inquisitiou physicians
were employed by Gov. Boremun to examine
the pulse Of the people to see how much now
they can endure. 1 tell you, sir, they can
endure no more And herein is my hope.
There is an under-currcnt Of good feeling in
he masses, latent power, that when OPP
preston becomes insutfferable. will arise, and
make itself felt. That hour, prccipitated by
the power it will punish, has arrived. Our
fall election is upon US. And what with the
number OF r"Probating radicals who arc hour
y d1serting their party, and reporting for
duty in Conservative ranks, and the impulse
given to conservative activity, by the con-
duct l have described, some Of the wrong
some ignoble banners will trail in the dust.
TINION