The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-03

The handful OF rebels who went South
from this State have returned, have Ia
ken cheerfully the oaths imposed by the
Federal Executive Judge Polsley has
decided that they did not and could not
commit treason against the State OF West
Virginia; and, in point OF fact, most OF
them left before the existence OF the
State and did not return until after the
close of the war, while all Of them have
Quietly resumed their old avocations,
and by their unobtrusive bearing show,
even to their most bitter opponents, that
thew appreciate the situation and hon
estly bow to the obligations which 1t
imposes. To the liberal and high-mind-
ed opponent this would seem to be
enough, even were their numbers sufi-
cient to excite distrust; but, when we
| consider that they are in fact mere
| handful in our midst, compared with the
sturdy sons of the Union, who have
fought and won her battles in the held
and in the forum, it looks almost as
though we distrustcd the righteousness
| of our cause and the strength Oh our
| arm, to be wasting the valuable time OF
Legislation in striking further q tahen
| foe. They ask no political rights; they
ask no office, but simply that, in their
own way and under equal laws, they may
earn their bread. Is it not better that
they should be allowed to do this
fairly than be forced by evasion
| to secure that to which all men have an
inalienabie right, namely: support for
themselves and their families Some
of them can now do this others cannot.
| Why? Are not the farmers, the mechan-
les, the merchants, the lawyers and the
doctors, who engaged in that wicked re.
beIlion equally guilty Ought not all
to be punished alike? And when the
day of punishment is past, ought not all
| alike 20 have an equal opportunity to
pursue their legitimate avocationsi Is
not this the only way to redeem them
and make them good and useful cltl5ensi
Persecution engenders hate in its OBJ
iect, and sympathy on the part of ebsery-
ers where the prosecuted is honestly en-
deavoring to "act well his part, and 1t
not unfrequently happens that that sym
patty is misdirected and reaches the
cause rather than the object, Is not
doctors profession as much his trade and
property as blacEsmith's trade is his =
Then WHY make a distinction The
same may be said of the lawyer and
| farmer, Both to live honestly and to
be able to discharge their duties, must be
allowed to pursue their avocations 1t
| is to the interest of the State that all
her citizens should have fixed and known
avocations, This prevents fraud, and
oftentimes crime IF there be otIense,
| try tie offender vindicate the
majesty of the laws, and then let the
offender go But do not drive him from
his legitimate avocation, and there
by prevent him from becoming an order
| ly member of the community, make him
disorderly and turbulent, and too often
the very criminal opponent OF law and
order which he is accused OF being now
Pass stringent laws to prevent the repe
| tition of the offense, enforce them, let
them bear equally upon all, and then If
the law is violated, let them be punished
by Jury and Court of the country
The object of the law is first to prersnt
and then to punish crime. Let them
act in the future with their eyes open.
These men are among u.s. they are
here BY law and by virtue of their sur
render They are restored by the SUI
preme law Of the land to their original
rights, and is it not the part of wisdom
and civilization for our State, devoted as
sheis and has been to the maintenance of
the Union and the constitution, to set
the example of bowling TO the act
of the supreme government, and,
while she passes all necessary and strin-
gent laws for the prevention and recur
renee of past offences, at the same time
saying to her returned people, while
we will not put you in public places, we
cheerfully allow you to resume your
private avocations, and trust that your
future conduct will Justify the course of
the supreme government, and tend to
promote the, peace, prosperity and adj
vancement of our common State.