The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-11-20
rae Prime object q the DemOcr"t'e


Editors Intelligeheer "
A few days ago, in looking over the
columns of the Regis er of your city, ]
noticed an editorial reprehending the
editor of the National Telegraph, oil
Clarksburg, for applying the name ol
"rebel Democrats" TO the opponents oi
the Union party. The man Of the Reg.
tSter appears to think such names of
fensiVe 10 the members of his party
and hints that II will not ouly embitteI
them Iagainst the National Telegraph
but against the town In which 1t is pub
| lished.
may be afflicted with such mental
obtuseness that cannot see the why's
aud wherefores of things as clearly as
some others, but for the life of me
cannot see why it should offend Dem
ocrat here in West Virginia, to be called
a rebel Democrat" Let US look a
little at the aims and objects of that
party in this State, and see what they
tend to. One of the objects of the party
in West Virginia is TO repudiate the
Government contracts, and thus de-
sLroy the National credit, and bring The
Government into dlsrepute.a This
smacks very much of rebellion.
But the grand object OF the party is TO
relieve the rebels from the disabilities
| tion and statutes. They desire in par
ticular the repeal of the registry law,
thinking that il that rebel bugbear was
disposed of they could elect a Demo-
cratic Legislature, and soon open the
| way for cruising the amendment 10 our
Stale constitution prohibiting rebels
from voting and holding office; and
were this once accomplished, the rebels
would take the front seats-would be
installed into our principal executive,
legislative, judicial and even county
offices. The position of honor would
be theirs. Union men would be forced
to take back seats in the Chariot of
State.
Should Democrats be offended at be.
ing called "Tebel Democrats,n when
many of their leaders in this State are
ex-rebel officers and soldiers? ? They
have about fourteen newspaper or
gans ic this State, and as many as eight
OF the fourteen are edited and con-
trolled by ex-rebels. These make and
publish the political sentiments
of the Democratic party in the
State. They direct and contrOlit its move
ments. The party machinery is now
at their command. They plan its con.
ventions, make its platforms and can
didates, and lay out Its campaigns.
Are these editors who thus WELD such
u potent influence in the Democratic
party, still rebels? Do they entertain
the same sentiments now which they
did in 1861? An examination of the
columns of those papers will show how
the stand.
The Clarksburg Conservative is as
widely circulated and Yields as much
influence as any Democratic paper in
the State, except the Wheeling Register,
and this paper is owned and edited by
Major Cooper, man who went into
the rebellion at the commencement ol
the war and fought until Lees surren-
der-held on to the "lost cause" as long
as there was ray of hope. have
nothing to say against Mr.. Cooper as a
man, but Lam dealing with his politics.
Has he ever expressed any regrets at
his course in fighting four years against
his government II he has, 1 will ven-
ture. to say they have neVer.appeared in
his paper. On the contrary he has con-
stant,y lAuded the heroes of the rebel
lion. The reader of his paper would
imagine from the eulogistic terms
in which he speaks of him
that General Robert e. Lee was
demi- god instead of whipt traitor,
and that jeff. Davis was prosecuted
saint instead OF telOn, deserving
death. He never censures anything or
anybody connected with the rebellion,
but, on the contrary, he represents the
rebels who fought against their gov
ernment, as patriots, and those who
fell, AS martyrs to holy cause. BE has
given no evidence that he has aban-
doned the doctrine which led him into
the rebellion in 1861. He clings to the
theory of rebellion, while circumstances
forced him to abandon the practice.
His paper often contains scraps OF pO.
etry sulogizinS rebel heroes, aud eulo-
giles on dead rebels. BE laborS to make
treason respectable, aud loyalty odious
Ito make the rebel honorable, and
stiglnatIze the Yankee. Such is Mr..
Cooper's course, and yet he Is authors
ty with the democratic party.
AT Weston, there is u paper Of the
same ilk, though not so able and infiu-
ential, edited by Mr.. Knuckles, an
Alabamian, believe, which teens
with accounts of the heroic deeds OF
rebels. Not long since the editor pub
lished ga Tale" ia his paper, by Robert
Rfenzi, a portion of his own name,
which is Robert Rienzi Kunckles. In
this tale" he "unIolds" the "noble
deeds of daring" of rebel, and por-
trays the enormous cruelty of "rebel
bellied" Yankee. 1 find therei is dem
ocratic paper in Charlestown, Jefferson
county; one at Shepherdstown, same
county; one at Moorfeld, Hardy coun-
ty; one at Lewisburg. Greenbrier coun-
ty; one at Romney, Hampshire county,
anu Out ut SulOuI
edited by rebels, and you will lind upon
perusfng them that they are all labor
ing for the same object-to make trea-
son honorable and loyalty dishonora-
BILE.
The editor of the Clarksburg COnSer-
vutiUe, whom L regard as the "head and
front" of this corps of "rebel democrat
ic editors" is now engaged in contro-
versy with the NdtioHdt Telegraph in
relation to the treatment of prisoners
during the war. In his editorials, he
aboFS 10 make the conduct of the rebel
authorities appear ht norable and hu-
name, and that of the Federal. dishon-
orable and without any regard for hu-
mauity. In his issue of the 18th inst.
he, in speaking of the Union prisoners
confined on Belle Isle, near Richmond
says: -
the weather, while the Confederate SOL
diers, whom they had come to snbjn-
gate and deprive OF the freeman's right
of self government, had none."
1t eau be perceived in this short sem
tence that he censures the United States
the rebellion, and justities the rebels In
attempting TO destroy the Union.
Now when the members of party
choose such men to lead them, have
.Iley any right to complain II they are
called Hre6el Democrats?" II they
have no sympathy with the late rebel
lion and for rebels they should show
their faith by escheWing the cOunsel of
rebels. Selecting rebels to direct the
party Is but poor way OF showing
IthnjS InvuItu Wha0 "a church wishes