The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-05-09
To Rebels.

AZ AbCOcAos
We would address few candid words
,oyou. We call you rebels because you
robcllcd against tho Government Of your
fathers and siguauy failed. We 90 not
propose to hatter you when "e assure
you that VIC respoc. you moro tnao "o
do tho butternuts Of tho North, who en-
courogcd ycu to believe that "tho Fed
eral army would have to march over
their dead bodies" to coerce you into
submission, aud then sncakcd out OF the
scrape, leaving you to contend against
overwhelming numbers. We respect
YOU more than We do the busy, buster
ia:, Intriguing, bad men Of our own Sec
ton, commonly donominated "sympa
thizers," who moved heaven and earth
to prejudice you against tho Gn'tcd
States Government aud your fellow. ci,i
xcns Of the Northern States, urged you
to vote rJs the ordinance Of secession.
snd take Up arms against your country
-wilfuIly dcceiving you in regard to
the power Of the enemy you were going
to oppose. They said there would be
no war If the sons Of the South would
rally to her cause but on the FIRST ap-
pearancc Of an army Of "biue coats
they Eorsook you. and sworc allegiance
20 the Federal Government; remained
nj homo in case and comfort, making
money, while you were making sacrifices
such as history seldom records.
We call your memory back to the time
You embarked in your late fatal enter
prise. loa aud your leaders then con-
tossed that should you fail, the law made
you traitors, md that yon were liable to
be punished us such. You were willing
to risk the consequence for the sake OF
the honor and glory which might crown
Success. You then knew and acknow
lodged tha. the law punished treason
with death. You struggled long and
hard many Of you fought bravely. aud
treated the enemy that fell into your
hands with kindness, although your
cruel leaders, into whose hands they
finally fell, did not; and while we feel
that it is our duty to make your treason
ol;ous, we are disposed to respect all
the manly traits you have exhibited in
this struggle, and now assure you that
ne have more regard for yon than those
who ut this time assume to be your
champions, and are trying to stir up
another contest, and intensity your
hatred ofthc North. They are unprinci.
pied, wire working politicians, who have
been plotting ever since the close Of the
war to change the policy Of the Govern
mcnt towards you, hoping thereby d" get
into Office by means Of yo"r rotes. Their
principles consist of Eve loaves and
two s~a! sasaPa;tthSS , Haa's a& no to-
and the reason for their newborn zeal
in your cause.
It's the determined policy Of Andrew
johnson, whom you profess to admire !;
it is tho policy Of Congress, whom thoy
are teaching you to hate; and it is the
policy CT all the border States, except
Kentucky, to disfrauchisc you for the
present. The length Of time this disa-
bility shall continue will depend en-
tirc!y upon YOU as class. The Union
msn Of this State have no disposition to
continue such u law any longer than is
absolutely necessary for, the protection
rf 4 Government it has cos: us 80 much
to save, and which you havo expended
80 much to destroy; and just as soon as
it can be seen that you, asa class, have
in good faith submitted 10 the great
changes wroust; 10 the State and Ma.
,ional Governments, which are neccsSa.
ry for their preservation, We shall begin
to modify the laws against you; but us
long az you suffer yourselves to be led
by ba',crnu's and cownrlly sympathiz.
crs. to dtnoaucc and oppose our laws,
you will find in the Union men Of West
Virgins 4 watchful and determined foe.
who now feel as deep an interest in the
preservation Of this their Goverumcu, a.
they did during the late war.