The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-05-23
To the People Of West Vir-
ginia.
ADDRESS OF THE CENTRAL
COMMITTEE. ''
Shall tho Traitors Of the Late Re-
.bclliOM Rule the State?


Shall tho Traitors Of the Late Re
bclliOM Rule the State?
FELLOW. CITIZENS: 90 Thursday tho
24th day of Nay, lSGG-a very few day.
now-,he people Of West Virginia will
be called upon to vote upon the follow
iug amendment to their State Coustitu
ton, viz: ............ ....-.-.....-
"Ho person wio, siHrs tie frat dug gf JHnr
1861, has given Or shaR give rOi"ntarg an o.
ds,i,anee to NE reJcliioH GgHnst the Emtrd Smies
IhdH be & citizen ef this Stats, or he aliO~cd fC
vote at any election held therein, unir,, he ha'
volunteered into the military or naral ,rrriee @ th'
United Stutt,, and hdI been Or shaU Le hOnoraLly
discharged thrcfrom.'
The design of this amendment is to
keep out Of power all those persons who
plunged the country into the late war
and who arc responsible for the two
bundled and cighty.Gvc thousand lives
that were lost on the Union side in put.
ting down tho rebellion, aud for all the
widows and lathcrless children who
mourn throughout the laud, and for tho
great debt Of twcnty.sevcn hundred
millions Of dollars that has kecn entail.
cd upon Us for generations to come.
This Amendment does not hurt or in
any way offend q single man who did
not, Of his own FREQ will and choice, DO
come n traitor during the rebellion, or
who, in 80 doing, did not render aid
either by taking up arms or contributing
money or means Of some sort to those
who were in arms.
And We ask you, felow.ciIizens,
whether in your hearts you believe That
u man who, Of his own free will and
choice, left our midst und went South
10 tukc up arms against the Government
Of his country, irom which he had never
received 40 injury Of any sort dnriug
his life, hut which was uud,is as We all
know, the best and frees. Government
on earth, ought now to come back among
US und be the same in public respect and
in political rights as those who remained
at home and either bore arms in defense
of the good old flag Of freedom, or else
remaincd at home with their families
and wished we'll to the Union armies,
and, at times, as they were called upon,
gave all tho assistance in their power to
the final success Of the Union cause?
And we further ask you, fellow ci'i.
zcns, If those who remained hero along
side Of you. and who enjoyed the pro-
lection Of their lives and property The
same us yourselves, und who never gave
even SO much as good wish for the
Union, but who secret Y gave money,
clothes. and other aid and assistarc' to
rebels in ar,us, ought now to he consid'
cred just Os good in all political respects,
and to hc eu,i:lcd to equal honor with
those who wcro true and loyal to their
native or adopted country?
The amendment for which or against
which you will vote on the 24,h, pro-
poses ouly that those men who gave act
ual aid und assistance to the rebellion,
and who for years sought either Of them
selves or by furnishing money and means
to others, to break UP the Union, to
destroy our entire form Of government,
to blot out our free institutions, aud to
reduce US all under the dcspo,ism Of q
slave empire, shall not again control us
nor set up among us any Of the remains
of their wicked rebellion.
These traitors and their symraihizcrs
tell you grcnt deal about the negro
They would like to keep your eyes away
from their conduct during the war hy
keeping them on the negro. Unless
they thus induce you to overlook their
wickeducss they know full we'll that you
would vote them down oa ull occaslons'
But they believe that if they can make
YOU think that the great Cuiou party Of
the couutry-your own friends and
ueishbors being members ofthat party
desire to make the negro equal with the
white man-that then you will forget
all about traitors and rebels and be will
ling to join with them ia order to put
down negro equality. This is their
cunning game. Wc fear some Of you
have been already deceived.
Follow.citizeus, ycu must know that
no party in this country desires to make
tho negro the equal Of the white man,
1t would be impossible. Traitd RS mud
rebel syupa,hizcrs toll you so in order
to get YOU to vote with them, und thus
cover up their own records during the
war. The Union men Of tho country
simply desire that the negroes OF the
South shall enjoy in peace and quiet the
freedom which was gained for them 10
the war. They desire only that the ne
gro shall be recognized us a man by his
lat. masters and oppressors--one ofGod's
moor creatures-and that hc has right
70 own bis own wife and children, the
.ame us other meu, and be paid wage,
for his daily labor insssOd OF !aShes at
tho whipping post as in the days before
tho war. The rebels aud their sympa'
thizers hate tho negroes, not for any
fault Of tho unfortunate creatures them
selves. but because they are not white
and have not as, much scnso as white
man. and because they; wore truc to the
conn,rv 10 tho dark aud doubtful day.
vhsn Ill Unioa, meu were glad to got