The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-22
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! warning 10 our west virginia

l n
No impartial man who has carefully
watched the course of events in the
South since the overthrow of the re-
bellion, can deny that many of the
Southern people are more defiant in
their attitude towards the Government
than they were year ago. They were
stunned by the downfall of the Confed-
eracy. They were humbled. They were
ready to accept any terms of settlement
whichthe Government might choose to
fix. But a great change has come over
them. Under any nycircumstances, some
reaction from their extreme quiet
would probably have ensued, inas-
much as that quiet was in part the re-
suit of the partial paralysis occasioned
by the sudden collapse OF the rebellion.
AS the Southerners recovered from that
paralysis, they would of course display
more of the hatred which was ranking
in their hearts. 3
II may be an open question whether
any policy could have been. adopted,
which would have prevented the mani
festations OF arrogance on their part.
But it is clear that the majority of the
southerners who do not yet abandon
theirtheory of the right of secession, do
not believe that Congress has the right
to impose on them any conditions pre-
cedent to the resumption of their old
relations to the Union, and nre resolved
that the Union men in the south shall
have no power and but little comfort.
We are sorry to say this, but we are re-
luctantl ntlyiconstrained to believe that 1t
is true. Look at the following contrast
drawn by Ex- Gov. Holden between the
condition of North Carolina now and
its condition twelve months ago:
"Then the State was submissive, and
ready for any terms the government
mightimpose. Now, a majority of the
people seem to be defiant, and unwtl-
ling to return to the Union, save on
their own terms. Then the test oath,
hard as it is even on the great body of
the Union men, was respected as the
I.law. of the land; now 1t is regarded as
I,disreputable to be able to take 1t. Then
the prime authors ofall our woes, the
secessionists and latter-day war men,
were, TO all appearances, S,uncondltlonu!
IUnionists; now they are imPudent ana
arrogant, and the true Unionists are
detected, cowed, prescribed, underline
ban socially, pecuniarilya and political
3ly. The eSecessioniStS of and by them
selves were comparatively powerless;
but as soon as Gov. Worth and the lat
ter-tlav war men Joined them, govern
ed as the latter were by vanity and the
| lust for Office. they became the ruling
Ilpowerin the State. What Is to be the
end of all this we are unable to toresee.
l5Weonlyj know that those public men
who now control affairs In this state
are among the worst enemies the Pres
lident has: and that they are augment
ling the general distress and ruin. by
Keeping the State out ofthe Union"
He also says that hundreds of loyal
men. are leaving North Carolina for the
Northwest, because they will not stay
where theyare subjected to annoyances
and prosecutions from the rebels.
Are not these melancholy. facts a
warming to the loyal people of West
virginia. Do they not show us what
we may expect If ever the oyerthrown
rebellion should regain its ancient
"democratic', ,ascendancy in our midst ?
We may rest assured beyond the possssi-
bility of mistake that our experience
in that event will not be different from
that of the Union mem of North Caro-
lima. The spiris of the rebellion is the
same everywhere. Our only guaranty
of security is in measure like the
constitutional amendment, which pre-
serves the dominancy of the Union ele-
i.nent in the State.