The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-22

leaders OF the radical party. Are they
or their party unionists. or disunionistso
They know very well that the mainte-
nance of the Union under the consti-
tuition, will be the downfall of the party
throughout the country, Just as the
restoration of harmony and free govern
ment here will prove the downfall of
the same party in West Virginia. They
do not intend, if they can prevent it, to
let these feuls subside. The ascendancy
of their party depends upon keeping
them alive; and they are disunionists,
because they value the perpetuation of
their own power, more than they do
the constitution or the Union. We have
high authority for saying-there are
disunionists in the North, as we'll as in
the South.
But it is said that if these test oaths
are repealed, and the constitutional
amendment rejected, disloyal men will
obtain the control of the State Govern
ment; and this is the main argument
Which is relied upon to vindicate these
measures. Has it then come to this?-
Must we abolish free elections, because
we dare not trust the people OF West
Virginia to vote? Must we put our
whole confidence in these members of
eiiS iLN WIZ ttlI us. w Z OILY
are loyal-give us the power of the
State, for the people cannot be relied
upon:" Shall we suppress the freedom
of elections, of speech and of the press,
upon such a pretence as this, and to
make such men our masters?
Approximations have been artfully eX-
cited that there is danger of the State
government passing into disloyal hands,
but this is a mere preteXt, used by these
men to keep themselves in power. An
overwhelming majority are, and always
have been, true to the Union and the
State. The disloyal element, unless we
count all disloyal who are opposed to
radical misrule,) cannot obtain the as
cendancy by means of free elections, for
the simple reason that they have not
votes enough. All our elections show
this to be the fact. When the secession
ordinance was put to vote in May, 1861,
there were about thirty-seven thousand
votes against it, in what is now the State
of West Virginia. The majority against
it was twenty-five thousand, and not
one-fourth of the vote given was in its
favor. More than three-fourths of our
voters We're loyal at that time. When
the amended constitution of West Vir-
ginia, including the provision to abolish
slavery which was proposed by Congress,
was voted upon in March, 1868, the
vote stood 1921 in its favor, to 572
against it. Here then we have over
twenty-eight thousand loyal votes, for,
though some loyal men did not vote for
that the votes which were given for it
We're disloyal. Governor Foreman, in
May, 1868, received 25,797 votes, and
the loyalty of these votes, we presume,
will not be disputed. AT the Presidential
election in November, 1864, Mr.. Lincoln
receiv d %, 1872 votes, and Gen. McClel-
Ian 10,43S. Certainly thirty thousand
of these votes were loyal, and we be-
lieve much larger number Were so.-
But Mr.. Lincoln himself received ma
jority of the whole State; for we cannot
estimate the whole number of voters
now in the State, possessing the qualiti-
cations required by the first section of
the third article OF our constitution, to
exceed forty-one thousand, including
disloyal votes and all, and 2O,5O1 are
therefore q majority of all the votes
that could be given. The truth is, that
the disloyal vote of the State is too small
to justify any apprehension that they
could control our elections, if they were
free. We do not believe that the leaders
of the radical faction in the State seri-
ously apprehend anything of the kind,
though they use the argument, and
have used it with some effect, to brighten
loyal men into their support. This argu-
ment, with the 'denunciations of all
who are opposed to them and their
measures as disloyal, and the appeal to
the natural feelings of malignity and
revenge which too often rule the human
heart, have constituted their political
capital.
In conclusion, fellow-citizens, we
would again appeal to you, in all sober
to exert yourselves in this
crisis of our affairs. Register yourselves
-organize--vote. Let these men see
that they have exhausted the patience
and aroused the Indignation of the
people by their revolutionary measures.
We have everything at stake. Let men
Of all parties, Democrats, Wings and
if they have the interests
Of the State at heart, and value their
own liberties, unite and exert them
selves to put I'm end to this system of
before it has fastened |
upon us forever.
For the furtherance and completion of |