The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-03-21


Rod mentioned Ycrc laborIng with herculean
effort to effect the disruption Of the states anu
Government, arc now 10 be classed win nom
est patriots who have not dcfled their & NJ
meuts by wiukinr at secession. or imbru'nG
their hands in tho sacred blood TINT now &C..
mcnts the foundations Of our Government
We say, no! Let the mark be upon their tore.
heads. We will not destroy the only Tora
which separates between the patriot anu tho
traitor-ihe true citizen and the rcbcl--the
lover of! governments and the destroyer OF
Kingdoms. Such u misapplicatlou wouIu' IN
the language Of this eminent son OF hpo.'o
this specimen Of broken down but audaeious
uristocracy and hypocracy, mnEo hohSs' Ius
ism shuddcr ut the sound. But lie declares
that that word-Lnyal.y-iS suggestive. LOW
true, indeed, is the remark Bu' loY"i'y, W.
cording to Thompson, does not accord WIN
the definitions given by other equally coseo...
ted c1postors. Accept the denni1ioh o. '"'s
gentleman, who processes TO have Deen phP-
Used in the purifying waters oil conserve,
tism and we have a. rcsG!t anu "re scoui Sso
with series Of woes which aiiiIct an aunuiou
fold moro than submission 10 inc eou'herh
Confectionery would have donc-hrst, reunion
with old Virginia, reputation OF the h"'lon"'
war ,lcb;, inGemuitcAtion to rebels for proper
70 Lost ma the result, Of their treason, tho
prosecution Of Union men for crimes never
committed, and their expulsion from the
limits OF the Statc-.in O word, We would nave
4 pandcmonium MI over The country.
"Eu, thu, word is sugges,ivc;' one dcGai.
ton Of which il, faithful TO p!ightcd love or
du,y-and suggests that those who have been
umfai;hrul during tic i"ouhlous tines 0! the
past. nrs traitors, aliens aEl enemies o: !Ec
Government, and cannot be trusted in the nd.
minis,rat;on Of n Government, the chief cor.
uer stone of which is Litcrty-the foundation
Of which is laid both wide and deep in the
principles Of eternal Truth, Loyalty and
Fidelity. What imrnlcncc i'll this chiv@lric
son of the South to talk to us about loyalty!
There is l:mc enough for the gcm:icHan to
hnrraMguc the people upon theme Of ~hich
he knows nothing when the Nations wounds
nro hcnlad-wlen the .ad events winch haze
caused 20 much anguish. 20 many sriIi-StrIc%-
en- widows, desolaic hoMes, and signing or
pl.ans- until then it is prudent ana corl:"cnd'
able in the author Of the Pu:n: Pleasant letter,
10 rcmain Quiet. Let him adopt Fraakii?S
maxim to li;!c children, Ee srcA anA act
heard" If he would know what loyalty Sig
proximity to the late r.hci prison pens, y"
permit his imagination 10 eY;Ort Tie answer
from the 1000 mnrtyrcd heroes who slice"
near AnLcrsonyile. Let him inquire w'iat is
LOYALTY CT The S30 0G0 n,mci patriots. some
Of whom 10 t!arcs Indirectly to insult, hecaus'
they will not consent to let those 1T whose
hands they have suffered control tho a.!lirs Of
the State. If not satisfied with the response,
4
oyir, .: tie :tVn,uGJ widows o. l,Wo,GOp o..
,,,aans. made 50 by Conservative gentlemen,
and il his hear; cnn l.. aroused by tender
emotion, be l"ia!h have some IHlnt conception
or ia true i!n..a.:. We think he would yield
tn. rcnI, 81; least, tia: Loyalty mcans ti::h:a.
to rIirh.rl love or dG;y, while the SENTENCE OF
SHELLY. addressed to the Lord Chancellor,
wc,,!i doubtless thunder in his CAL" Thy
cVuntrv's cGrsc IS OIL t!Cr.
His lrus:S y, the Legislative department
are quite ~ impcriincu; ~ the !eunthy refer
enc. made 20 loyalty.
We wo:,I.r i!,:; :!.ncs, Elasticity can
llw.n; hat il il not marvellous 70 ~ tia! he
sLrl Ter. al the soanl Of lo"nltr,,when he
remembers that al ;n$oicht squad q! m:tsil!s
invited him to become member Of the I.cGis.
LATHE Department Of the State, and then put
equally surprising TO US that he should at
.cmnt to s;t in conference with respectable
.c: ticmcn, to participate in cnacIing laws 10
.ovcva - Stale that has become IL by-word'
However, We say, let him Shuldcr :.
lis hid for popularity among those who dis
trusted him at tho corIHencc;mr": Of the war,
is surprising. yet apparent 70 The n'"s; o''9se
IaiGd. They should Tot i.Hy: doubted his Ia
-, H..
oSoohica.ly, i. c., get out VI ;hc Union without
any one Knowing il. "Kead, says he, ''Ee rebel
debtors law" when he knew that the measure,
when adopted, WAS the only security TO The
excited Unionists lie WAS MISC appraised Of
the fact t!a: tho late Legislature had removed
the most Objectionable feature By permitting
OF no-,ililics, where Union men wctc intcr-
cs.cl and il the parties were rebels, no re.
slric:;on is placed ur3u their privileges to
nrins suits, hu, are placed upon the same
footing with white men. IL the gentleman ~
not entirely destitute Of reason, All IS net
wholly givon up to prejudice, lie cannot i"'l "
sec tia: further change, at present, would
10 violence to justice.
We canno, see that he should complain o:
the las as It was, ny the facts in our county
show that :hc rebels we're the first and on:y
ones to take advantage Of it, as in the case o.
.Iaiacs Gray vs. YIN. Henson. EnI he wants
more than this. i is not justice shat he seeks,
but he would haze those men VIII" were true to
the Government and WHO were driven from
their bones for four years, with others WHO
were seized under various prc;cnscs and con-
iucd in rebel prisons, some Of whom never
returned. together with their widows and
ciidrcu, prosecuted and dragOoncd because
they do got nor caunot now pay rebels WHO
expelled them. from their families, thereby
preventing them from discharsins their liabis-
tics, while their plantations were put upon
The block ut Richmond and sold, under TIC
prctense that the owners were dein4ucnts on
tho lax list, the farms being purclaseu~Dy
the parties WHO claimed to be creditors.
There arc many instances Of this Kind IN inc
State. Still this specimen of imbceil'ty ono
rebel luplic,ty, says to loyal community,
" Read the rebel debtors law. and say Is not
the word Tloyai1 50 used rs 10 prompt 10 'ho
reputation Of just dcbts?'
l.e. Mr.. Thompson bear in mind that 1t. was
under the garb Q: loyalty TINT the acts were
committed that neccsStatcd the enactment u
the lnw Of which lie complains.
In bis concluding remarks, he declares That
the people chose him as their representative,
believing that he would 10 all he could 10 COR
rec: the evils under which the country was
groarine," &c. This WAS in keeping with his
trip TO- Richmond, but the people were dissp.
pointed Just rs his constituents were in the
al, L.