The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-02-07
Reply to Dr.: Thompsons Al
dress" "
PurNAx County, W. VA
February !, 1866, J

!. On, JOHN ]. THOMPSON :-Havlng read your
recent address to your fellow citizens o. 'ni u
County, we beg the privilege to reply % ''ue
~ the erroneous statements and charges upon
lovul,v, mad BY you in that document
Yon will not ccnsure US if VIC should "aop'
the mode which you claim as your peeu''H'
preroga,ivc, when speaking Of the adm'n's'ra'
lion, viz; ~ will criticize in my own 'crms'
.ehoosing my own language
You d firm frat, That yon found the sea' 10
which you had been elected 6drrfa py 'e>'
oatb, which you were unwilling to take.
Upou the words, "to rhichyou have eject
cd me, We ioin issue, and most emphsllcaiIF
DEM TINT YOU were elected, or TINT you 1en' ~
Wheeling clothed with superior author'iy u
REPRESENT the County in the House OF pete'
cntrs, than any other rebel possessed haa he
assumed the responsibility ofprcsentins him-
self to that body for admission, rs SUCH rep
re.eptn,ivc; MS all men kno" Who were nc
ouaintcd with the manner in when the eicc'
ton WINS conducted in the County, that II
yus one grand system Of fraud, decep''on' nnu !,
intimidation, and TINT you aud your reoc'
friends used every corrupt appliance tal'
could be controlled to put you in POSITION
,hot YOUR effort might contribute to The destruc'
,;,r of the great bar Of which you coInp!a'n'
This YOU promised those who supported 20"
and thew believing that your triH wns oil t1iat
wos necessary TO accomplish the remoVni OF
nil restrictions, defining the status OF reoeis
~ Sc, forth in our statute, they, rs you Know
have been hcraldng the fact TINT the test on'h
has none to Hell, assigning the reason lint
| nr Tho.,rsou was elected, and he snys nc WILL
on,iLilu,c il. E2ccfea!' how, and by whom!
Truly no, by the loynl or legal voters OF the
.ountv hut by men that the law rcpndlaicu
no aliens md a.,a.sins--lcd OIL by the balance
~ nover, those holding otfce-men OF equal
ru;.t with Yourself in attempting the dcS.rnc'
e;o, If that Government which you now Chin
! n have been the consistent supporter Of
None of whom were qualified according to the
|, w Of the State; therefore, their efforts 10
n.rIorm legally the functions Of Supervisors
and lu,pcc,ors Of elcctious were mere chortS
10 onnui the law. This lagrant aud unwnr.
run,ablc infringement Of the statute gave you
Tho vote Of those who had been laborinG
with unabatcd zOn! in completely With
Yourself to crush us. and destroy every ''l"'
spark Of loyalty and patriotism III the ca"n'y'
and destroy ciiectuaiiy the great constitution
which you now profess TO have loved al! 'ae
while.
Elected by yucrralas bandith, mnrderer''
copperheads OF conservatives, MS you pIease,
who came to the polls with their rcslnre stained
with the blood of your loyal conntrymch'
They were challenged ny prescribed, win ho
other resul, than to hear you and your tello~
conspirntors pronounce il fnrcr, and the
! State ,hat enacted it Il bp9"s SInte.
The figure employed by you in defining the
! relation that the Legislature ut IL stare OF
government sustaing 10 its conat'tntion--ti'e c.
! that the Constitution is fence, laws made
! inside Of which are valid; but when the Leg
! islniure shall exceed its bounds the laws arc
void lis good onr anil you should not COLI
plain if that instrument ialthongh bogus
! should fence you out We agree Win you'
! tina, any net committed outside Of Tint fence
! is W,gai, aud hence nrc willing that yon may
continue to lesis!atc for Us in Putnam County
as YOU have been doing in the past, being
content 10 hold you amrnablc 10 the laws pro.
s.ribr.i inside the fence. Hu! you resort to 30"
old s,crso;yrel argument that the bars in the
fence of which you speak have been rnt up
iuncnustitutonniiy. Permit us 10 remark TINT
nc have never heard Of the adoption OF ANY
measures That were necessary TO pcrpetuh'e
the Federal government but what have been
pronounced an infringement upon yonr
''r,Shts."
Your objection to the oath in question has
been so frequently and clnhoratriy diSp'sea
| of by the most eminent legal minds OF the
! State and nation, and will he 80 tns'y con-
! irmcd Ivy the present Legislature, and 90
overwhelmingly ratified hy The legal voters OF
Il
. the State At the coming October election, w"
we deem comment unnecessary. Inc cterhh1
howl about. sour rights is again repeated
To whom is ,hs addressed? Certainly not to
us, NJ our privileges nre not ahr!1ge6. Nor
did You have our interests IN view when lie
! sentiment was penned, and we construc II ny
il was Cvilertly intended 10 apply to nose
rho wcre engaged IN a.ped ho'Ghty 10 tie gor"rn.
hscnL or oihcrrise aiding d"d d"citmg as ;~"rn
enemies. What are your rights, or those OF Tie
| parties you seek 10 represent! Alter de''lO'''
| strstng BY words ani acts against the VA
| ,ionnl anil State governments that hatred
! which yuu once pronounced ricr@'i, won'd you
| hare us restore you to power. and lick the
hand tha, has wounded us? No! The constl'
! tuition and government arc sufficiently mag
naui.mog,, and guarantee you the privilege OF
remaining upon Your plantation which you
! have 40 repeatedly forfeited, Nnd yet you are
| SO insolcuI!
1t must be n source Of qualification to the
people to know that you have 80 great conf
lencc in :hc lfcsiient; but VIC regard such
cxnrrsS:oas rs culauatiEg from the lips only,
and predict that his term will not have ca
pirei until you will condcmn vim for endors.
ing tao acts Of ." Yon1er array Of bad men,
las you term our Congress-, who havo been
seut by the people TO enact fresh oathS to pre-
vent rebels or conservatives flom repeating
the liaJnlic,l ucla Of four years ngo.
The aluson to King cutie aud cotton is in
bad ,aste. How the Odor affects you, still long
ing after the flesh pots OF Egypt! The ale
wma delicious to BoncinccS wife; hut to be de-
priyed of both ale and king cutie is an atiiic'
ton which no one but an L. +. V. can apprc
ciatc. "Luxuriatc upon the DOOR, lilo"
often in life do VIC seem to re-enjo pleasures OF
the past! 1t is said that if persons are de-
privcd Of any one Of The senses, that others
become more ncutc, and we presume the effect
is the same upon the chirdlry when deprived oil
the utgro. In this case the senses become sc
keen and penetrating TINT the unfortunate
victim becomes o fanatic, nId he is haunied
with the peculiar odOr during life.
You must hive forgotten yonr past nntece'
dents. Has meWory become 30 tredcheroui that
il refuses 10 rcviow your Eistory Of 1861 and
1861? Did you not present bill to the Rich
mond Legislature, the object Of which WAS TO
| r,-r,;, K mo cutie 10 testify in our courts oil