Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-01-02
our STATE RELATIONS.

A similar bill was, TT the same time, intro
duced in the House, and referred to the Com
mittee on the judiciary. Mr. Wade, from
the Senate ConlMittee, reported favorably up
on the bill IA the Senate and We presume
that the same will be done in the House, as
we are told that that Committee has placed
the matter in the hands Of Mr.. Lawrence,
a member from New York. These reports
mean nothing, although we would have teeu
better satisfied had they been made against
further action by Congress. The real fight
will be when the bill comes up for passage,
and if right and justice are to prevail, aud
not bitter radicalism. We will have our two
counties placed where they properly belong.
The State of West Virginia was conceived
in wrong to the people iuhabiting that por-
ton of the old State, and brought forth in
fraud to both the Federal and State Consti~
tutions, and to the plaincst laws of the land
We have had occasion, heretofore, to COM
rnent upon the very small vote of the people
that favored the creation of the new State,
and have shown that the whole affair Was be-
gotten by miserable minority of the voters
and We have also had occasion to exhibit the
contemplate farce Of an election by which it
was sought to annex these two counties to
''the bogus concern aud We now near, on all
sides, OF the grossest misrepresentation made
to members of Congress by those who seek
to fasten Boreman's heavy chains about our
necE5.
A writer, in the last Shephcrdstown Beg
lister, says that these who are opposed to this
scheme of annexation are rebel disorgani-
zcrs, rebels and none other" and charac-
terlZes their action as presumptuous arro>
gance and consummate impudence" and
g meddlesOme and ofEcious interference with
the interests of their loyal fellow citizens"
This is ridiculous nonsense. The petition
which was sent from this county to Congress
bears the signatures of upwards of twelve
hundred voters of the county, aud am ng
them are large number of men who have
always been adhererts of the Union. who OPP
posed secession from the start, and who never
swerved in their allegiance to the Federal
Government. The names too, of many gal
liant men, who fought the war against scces-
sion throughout its whole four years, are found
appended to it; and We believe that nearly
every man, If not every one, living in this
county, who bsckcI his opposition to scces>
sion by joining the ranks Of the Union army,
is firmly, if not bitterly, opposed To being put
out Of the cid State and into the new What
will the gallant Majors, Quinn, Bailey and
Yelott, and Captains, New, Warner, and the
two Andrews, and many others who wore the
Federal colors and bore their arms in the
storms OF many battles say to being called
'rebel disorganizers," and charged with pre-
sumptuous arrogance and consummate impu-
dence?
1t is not to be wondered at that the most
of those whowere in the rebel army, aud those
rho sympathised with the rebel cause, should
be found hostile to the western concern, for
they all absolutely outlawcd either by
force Of the legislation of that State, or the
decision, of the learned gentleman who has
been dealing out law and justice" i'll this
circuit for the last several months. They are
not allowed to vote, to collect their just debts
BY suit. to sit as jurors, to practice law in tho
courts, to act executors, administrators,
trustees, guardians, or i'll any other fluciary
capacities. They are decided to be accounta-
bic for all and any damages done to any
Z" loyal" citizen by the rebel army, and in
dIctabIe as fclOns for the same acts, notwith-
standing the parole Of Gen. Grant, ard the
amnesty Of President johnson. They are not
permitted to held any Office of honor, profit
or trust. Their testimony is not weighed for
4 moment against that Of loyal man, be he
white or black. They arc compelled to pay
taxes based upon extravaganza assessments Of
thcir property made by ignorant and i'm
proper officers; and, in short, they are denied
the commoncst rights of citizens and property
holders, and required to pay heavily for the
benefit of those who Cypress them in every
conceivable way, and to occupy lower po-
sition than the blacklist African in their midst.
These "rebel disorSanizcrs' have renewed
their allegiance to the constitution and laws
Of the United States in good faith have ap-
plauded the magnanimous course Of Gen
Grant, have approved the wise policy of the
President, and pledged their support to him,
and have, in every way, contOrmel honestly
to the new order # affairs, and given strict
obedience to the requirements OF the rcstora>
ton policy, but they are unwilling to be
handed over to the outlawry and political de-
graduation that awaits them in West Virginia.
Who, on the other hand, compose the pitt
full handful Of men who favor our transferto
the new State? Radicals Of the deepest hue.
delghting now in fighting {" rebel disorgani-
zers," butwho rcTer pulled trigger or pointed
bayonct against organized rebels in arms and
in defence of that Union to which they now