Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-02-01
Iron the Wheeling Register.1
Stevens vs.. Chapline.


We have often referred to the indisputable
fact that here in West Virginia the radical fac
ton in politics is more intolerant, bigoted and
proscriptive than in any other State, North or
South, except perhaps Missouri and Maryland.
| In this State, those who have, by means of
bayonets and fraud, been invested with politi-
cal power are found to out Herod Herod in
bloodthirstiness and cruelty. The old adage
says, 8. Put beggar ON horseback and he'll
ride to the Devil" so these men, beggars here
tofore in social and political influence, unused
to holding the reins of power, intoxicated with
their new Importance and success, and fearful
lest returning peace and reason will hurl them
from the positions they are in every respect
disqualified to fill, are violating the most sacred
constitutional rights and the plainest dictates
of sound policy and hurrying EDWARDS to en-
gulf both themselves and the State in IRENE
diable woe. And this, too at a time when the
ablest men of their own political faith, men
who have been looked upon as the opponents
of radicalism in the national congress and
whose leadership in that party has been here
tofore unquestioned and unopposed, are relax
ing something from the bitterness with which
they have heretofore pursued the southern peo-
pie and abating something from the pretensions
they have heretofore set up. AS an instance
of this and of the justice which even THAD.
STEVENS can sometimes show, we note the fact
that on last Monday Mr.. STEVENS introduced
in the House of Representatives at Washington
city the following resolution:
Resolced, That the Committee on Judiciary
be instructed to inquire into the expediency of
so amending the act of oath January, 1865
relating to the test OATH as to allow attorneys
at law to practice their professions without
taking said oath, on an equal footing with the
members of all other professions.
The resolution was supported by Mr.. STE
VEINS in few remarks, the substance of which
was that there was no good reason why MEM
bers of the legal profession should not be al
lowed to practice in the Southern States; that
a large number of men were by the terms Of
the oath prevented from the exercise of their
profession, and that the war being over, these
men should be permitted to resume the avoca-
tions by which they earned livelhoodi in time
of peace. Radical as the House of Representa-
tives is, the resolution was passed; yeas rs,
nays So; Colonel LATHAM voting in its favor,
and Messrs. HUBBARD and WHALEY not vo-
ting.
But in sad contrast with this honorable and
sensible action on the part of the national con-
sress and the acknowledged leader of the radi-
cal party, the destructives here in Westyirgiu-
ia, two days later than the passage Of Mr.. STE
VEINS resolution, initiated a measure for the
adoption in this State of the very disability
which Congress has recommended for abolish
meut in the States lately in rebellion. In the
West Virginia Senate last Wednesday, Mr.
CHAPLINE, pretended senator from the 10th
senatorial district, signalized his zeal in the
work of prescription by introducing Senate
! Bill No. /" the object of which is to compel
all attorneys practising in this State totake the
radical test oath. When the radicals in con-
gress take one step .torirard in the work of re-
Cancellation and reunion, the West Virginia
radicals take a step backwards and pick up the
cast of follieS and re-enact the forsaken crimes
of the congressional fanatics.
We call upon the people to notice and re-
member this contrasted action of the radical
leader in the national House Of Representatives
and the radical would-be leader in the Senate
of W>st Virginia, the one is a fanatic with
brains the other without. So far as the peo-
pie of West Vi. ginia are concerned, the latter
is the more dangerous of the two. 1t may not
be inappropriate also to put it upon record
that, on the first day of thesession when Cap
tain BURDETT, man who has won no little
distinction by his bravery in the field, moved
that as an act of courtesy, the Senate should
hear what Major MATTHEWS, Of Greenbrer,
wished to say in reference to the circumstances
which debarred him from his seat, CHAPLINE,
who took good care during the war to keep his
skin far from danger of perforation by hostile
BAH or bayonet made speech in opposition to
the motion and voted to prevent MATTHEWS
from being heard