The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-19
TO the Jus, People of all Parties


regarded by our rulers and lawmakers,
calamity is upon us, and what are we
to do, or what can we do? This may
seem to be simple question. 1t is GER
tainly a most solemn and weighty one.
Upon IL, and npon the way it Is met,
depends the question, whether we are to
be a free people, with orderly and stable
institutions, or whether we, like the peo-
ple of Mexico, are to have government
of chieftains without stability, without
law, and without peace and order one
thing today, another tomorrow. 10
prevent this, and to secure to the people,
their personal rights, and franchises,
constitutions are made-declaring the
liberties of the people, and defining and
limiting what the rulers and legislators
mag do, and what they may not do; with
the great and we'll understood principle,
underlying all this-that all acts con-
trary to the constitution are utterly
void, and of none effect. In constltu-
tisnal Republican Government, this
latter principle is as fired and certain
as is the sun in the planetary system OF
the heavens over our head. The sun
does not shine without comforting its
blessings alike upon the good and
the evil This is the order of
Gods providence-Godsc constitution IN
the government of mon. So we can
not secure the blessings of constitution
| al government upon the good, without
| securing the same to them we may sup
pose to be evil. To avenge ourselves up.
on the evil, or to punish them, We have
no right to violate or depart from the
constitution, or the great principles OF
liberty and human right. We have no
more right to counterfeit these prinei'
pies, than we have to quarrel with the
Providence or command Of our Maker,
| The people by their agents make the Con,
stitution, and Legislators, Governors and
Judges are but the creatures OF the Consti-
tuition The great principles OF liberty
| and free government are OF Gods creation
That men shall have, and observe gov
ernment, and maintain peace, and order,
is the ordinance of Heaven; but the same
Supreme Power, has left it to men to
! choose for themselves the Kind Of govern
ment they shall live under Our liber-
ties depend Oh the maintenance OF
these principles, in their purity and
simplicity. When they are violated the
foundations of social order, and
good government, are broken up
If the foundations are destroyed where
| are we! At sea without compass or
| rudder Men of every class-Republican
| az we'll as Democrats alike deeply
interested in these matters. The pres
emf purpose may be, and no doubt IS, to
take yight and pOWey from the Dem cora
cy But advantages obtained by fraud
deceit OF wrong are 8h0rt-ltred, and as
poisonous to the holder as to others -
Such, like certain ill-omened birds, ney
er fail to return to plague their owners.
What is done 10y one faction or party is
apt 10 be, in turn, done by another. In
| the human body, if one member suffers,
| the whole man suffers; so in the body
polite. When one member Of the body
absorbs more than belongs to it, plethO-
IA, apoplexy and death speedily ensue.
The people who permit tyranny are
sure to become the subjects OF it them
selves. When pestilenCe enters the city
by reason of the negligence Of the PEG
pie, MI suffer alike, and So works the
the pestienCe Of party rage for pOlrrr.
The black spot of black republic anism is
uGN tlODlIR llSCllJ III lLO tvthlGNp sAbNt III
the town, and in every nook and corner
in the land 1t affects the Democrat
with lethargy and dependency, and the
conservative republican With the McaW-
Der consolation, that something will turn
up" to save us, and SO the body polite
mods and sleeps-and nodding, falls into
the gnlf, OF notion that rulers can do
no wrong-an opinion which is the pc
culiar treasure Of kings, and ofmen who
90 to their merchandise, and to their
oxen, regardless of the State and OF lib
erty. Medical men tell us that death it
self is not so unpleasant an affair after
all. to those whose time has come. Is this
the case with the people of West Virgin
ia? Has their time come and are they
prepared tamely to surrender their lib
critics to dangerous and most unworthy
faction of usuTpers-to men who have
no more regard for their oaths, and for
the laws and constitution Of the State
than they have for the rights Of their
neighbors-to men who would sacrifice
| the liberties Of the people to their lust
| of power as readily as they would sacri-
| fee cock to satiate their hunger
A fragrant violation of our cons;itu-
lItu HtS Jucl btCH SIpLStUtCu " Olt
| Legislature, and the very citadel Of lib
erty demolished by the faction which
now rules the government. They have
| broken the Constitution and usurped
| powers never granted to them. They
have taken from the people the right to
vote-at least they have undertaken to
do so, and by the terrors of fine and i'm.
prisonmcnt hope to deter the people
from resenting or resisting their usuTpa-
ton Boraparte or Cromwell did not
more palpably usurp power than these
men have done
In making these observation, We, Of
course, allude to the law just enacted by
the legislature Of West Virginia, taking
ii OH the voters under the Constitution
the right Of voting at the state and Mu-
nicipal elections They have assumed
10 themselves the right to alter aud TO
change the Constitution of the State at
their pleasure This charter of onr
rights expressly declares thst the Con
! stitntion cannot be altered without the
consent OF the voters themselves They
(these legislators) have troddeu the
! ConstitutioUia to the dust, and put their
| heels upon the necks of the people
They have scorned and Knocked the Au-
thor of their being. They are but the
creatures ut the Constitution, and the
servants Of the people they have
tramplsd upon. They swore on the
Holy EvaDgelists TO maintain this IN
! Strumeut in all RS paTts and YET tbev