The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-17
LEwIsBURG, w. Va, Dec. 5, 1866.

In your paper of the 23d of November
you state that the Greenbrier Independ.
emit informs You "that one DR.. j. F,
Caldwell has been expelled from lit
erary society in the town of Lewisburg
because of his being totally unworthy
of the privileges of the society"
We are strangers to each other, sir,
but you have allowed yourself to be
instigated to Houndskel and slander
me in scurrilous and libellous manner.
The society" in the town of Lewis
burg, above alluded to, has for its name
"The Stonewall Society,"" which is in
disative of the character of about o
dozen members who compose it. All
of them are, OF have been, rebels, and
did what they could to destroy the
Union; but being defeated and disap,
pointed in their purpose and attempts,
their necks were only saved from the
gallows by the amnesty of the Presi-
dent. And now, finding that by their
attempts to expatriate themselves, they
have become disfranchised, and, as
aliens, have no political power, they
have gotten up "The Stonewall Society"
as q iunto or factious cabal, aud are
ccaselsss in their Vaccinations to en-
gender treason, and to instigate mn-
tiny, sedition and insurrection.
They, without any desire, wish or as
sent on my part, elected me an honorary
member of their Society" but have
subsequently, / have been informed,
expelled" me from it. To be expelled
from the society of rebels against
the Union, and traitors to the country,
l regard as a compliment to, and an
honor done me. As Commissioner OF
Registration and Registrar, | have aided
in applying the law which excludes
such men from political power. 1.-The
whole head and front of my offending
hath this extent, no more" The SLAM
derous charges which you hare been in
duced to assume and prefer against me are
false, and plead "not guilty" to them;
and l call for the proof, and demand the
name of your informant.
have not been disposed to notice the
Billingsgate assaults made upon me, for
the same reason an Irishman gave for
not killing o pole-cat which had dis
turbed him by its fetor. 'Let such
darned creatures alone" said he, "and
they will soon die of their own stink"
In Justice to me, ask you to give in
sertiOn to the above.
Respectfully, j. +. CALDWELL.
The author of the above finished pro-
duction called upon us day or two
since, and requested us to give our read
ers the benefit of his "piece." Inas-
much as he intimated no desire to pay
for its publication, we infer that he is
an ardent aspirant after cheap celebrity
1t is not our habit to crafty, at our own
expense, that ambition for notoriety
which is SO common among men of this
gentleman's class, but We have con-
cluded to make an exception IN
his favor. If he is content
to feed his vanity upon the
crumbs of newspaper charity, we are
not unwilling for this once to patronize
pauperism, and to make a gratuitous
exhibition of such qualities as he may
offer for public inspection. We would
prefer to proclaim the merits of men OF
a different class, but as those who de-
serve an honorable fame are generally
disinolined to be made the subjects OF
newspaper comment, we must be con-
tent to bestow our favOrs upon those
who are as anxious as they
are unworthy to receive public at
tention. 1t is not our fault that the
subject ofthese remarks answers to this
description, and if he is dissatisfied with
our comments upon the elegant text he
has furnished, we can only remind him
that this advertisement costs him moth
ing. "Let him not look the gift horse
in the mouth, but bid God bless the
giver."
1t may be seen that he charges us
with having slandcred him Gin a sour,
rilous and libellous manner" Upon the
principle that "the greater the truth,
the greater the SANDER" there may be
some force in the accusation, but if there
were scurrility in our language it was
only because dignifed and decent terms
would not describe the character it was
our purpose to depict. We derived ouI
information from those who know him
best, and if he deems us harsh, we car
honestly assure him that what we said
was almost complimentary in compare
son with what we suppressed.
With the action of ''The Stonewall
Society" in expelling this gentleman, We
have now nothing to do. We have
already expressed our opinion of tho
act, and have no desire to reiterate it
He tells us that he was elected without
any "desirc, wish or assent on his part:'
but we are reliably informed that he no
only assented to his membership, but re
peatcdly availed himself ofits privileges
If ''The Stonewall Society" "engender'
treason, and instigates mutiny, seditior
and insurrection," what business had
"a loyal man" in their midsti
We shall not question his taste in
considering his Expulsion" conpli
ment to himself. Some persons art
accustomed to court the kicks of gen
tlemen and deem themselves honored
by the salutation. If our friend choose:
to classify himself with such parties
we shall not object, although we can
not commend his choice.
He advises us that, as Registrar, ht
"has aided in applying the law which
excludes such men (rebels) from polit
ical power" Whether Intentionally ol
not, he has stated a fact. His Owl
election is the best evidence of the Wig
orous application Of the law, withou
reference to the fact, 30 creditable Il
himself, that out Of two thousand voter
in his own county, but three hundred
were allowed to vote at the last election
and of these but one hundred and min,
voted for ], F. Caldwell. He assigns