The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-05-02
Incipient Rebellion in West Virginia.

AMCAPAOuU RCHCAAfUN IA VVSb VIZ SAhlNs
IA serious state of affairs exists in
West Virgins. A petition, signed by
the Assessor of the Second District
of Wayne County, the Sheriff and
Deputy Sheriff, has been forwarded to
GoVernor Boreman, as king for mill
tary assistance to enforce the civil
law. The people are mostly secession
lists, and the petitioners say that such
isthe state of public feeling that they.
can not execute the law. They have
been beaten by mobs and shot at in
the streets of Cassville, the County
g seat The rioters swear that il, they
can't have power, no one else shall.
The petitioners suggest the formation
OF company of volunteer militia
one hundred men, under proper Off
GERS, they think would be sufficient
-B3They. say in the body of the petition
1--WE must have from twenty-tiye to fifty
here. This is tue landing place for all the
lumber that comes down Tug River Those
big buck rebels come down in time of high
water, sometimes in dozens, from Logan
County and from Pike County, Kentucky,
with their nayies revolvers4 buckled
around them, hurrahing for jeff. Davis,
cursing the Government, cursing Union
mem and then we have 10 get Dat. Sir,
frequently see men come in here who are
indicted for murder in Kentucky, defying
everybody Not more than eight miles
from here as some of the Home Guards
on, a company of rebels fell on them and
beat and abused them severely, calling the.
they would not submit to onr laws. A few
days ago they gathered I'M here and raised
q riot with our Sheriff, and fell on him
with clubs ard weights, and tried to kill
him and his brother His brother ran
into my house for protection. They stoned
my window out, knocked two panels out
Hof my door, and nearly killed my little
O child.n srssrs $500
~. This feeling of hostility to the Gov
u eminent and all who have been in
10 strumental in sustaining 1t, or are now
engaged In enforcing its laws and au-
s9i thority, is not confined to Wayne
~ County. The Wheeling I1etelligencer
~ declares that it IS prevalent In all parts
s2q Of the State outsideof few counties
bordering on the Ohio. Only the
other day, Judge Harrison, of the
ls@ Ninth Judicial District, received a
cowardly anonymous letter, warning
him to bid farewell to his family be-
$50 1i fore starting on his Circuit, as he
9eY would never see them again. There
is persistent effort to keep alive the
fires of the rebellion on the part of
i'li these maleontents.
s s4is It is known that in West Virginia
rebels and secessionists have been dis
sfranchised. The Legislature does not
think it safe to entrust them with po-
litical rights at present They have
,.s not shown fruits meet for repentance
or in any way manifested the least
respect for or. sympathy with. the
Government. They have been len
ga iently treated, however, and the
'as magnitude of their crime considered.
no They have been permitted to return
,ass unmolested, to their homes and the
n8oenioyment of their rights Of property
.sen No. prosecutions have been brought
io3 against them, and all that has been
required of them is to lead peaceable
ilsn5 and orderly lives. This they are not
1ina disposed to do. They will rule, or
~ they will ruin. 1t is the old intoler-
d ant presumptuous spirit. There is
.sa but one way Of dealing with this class.
~ If Kindness and forbearance do not
,ha influence and restrain them, arms and.
a'f1 the rigors of military law will, and
there should be no hesitation In using
them Fortunately, West Virginia has
an Executive who holds the reins with
'n steady and firm hand, and will not
permit this spirit of lawlessness and
r rebellion to break out in deeds of
-i5 crime without Visiting upon it the
seVerest punishment-Cin. Com.
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