The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-08-30


eye, must expect his political associates
and co-workers to change also to some
extent; aud he will often find it neces-
sary, in order TO oprove true to his object,
to cooperate with men and parties that,
on other issues and at other times,
he uncamprOmisingly opposed. This
has been my condition in respect to
some measures deemed vital to the State
at this time.
The civil war broke the political
hands which before united our people
and placed them in the attitude of pub
lie enemies. 1t was an appeal from
constitutions and laws to the arbtra-
ment of the sword, where the public
law Of war alone governs, as well its
conduct as it's results-irrespective of
antecedent rights. The vanquished be-
came entitled emily to the rights and
immunitles which that public law pre-
scribes, OF the victOrs see fit to give.
They eould impose the extreme penalty
or lesser ones upon the persons, and
conliscate THEN property during the
lives of the vanQuished at least.
Where the supreme government at
Washington had decided not TO hang,
Danish, or confiscate, but to perH:it the
vanqushed to live amongst us, and they
and theirs to enjoy their property and
civil rights, | had supposed that sound
State policy required that the most lib
eral and conciliatory means should be
adopted which the safety of the nation
and State would allow, to the end that
| old grudges be etfaced as soon as posi-
bic, and they become again one of us in
! heart as they and theirs are to be in i'll
tercst, hope and destiny, for it is eX-
treme folly for those who are destined
to live together in one family, to az
gravate and get each other by the ears
every morning, whatever may be the
antecedents of the respective members.
When it was settled that lthey should
live together, conciliatcry policy
would seem to follow as matter OF
course, and to be dictated by self-inter-
est, if no higher motive.
The Constitutional amendment pro-
posed by Congress to re-organize the
vanquisLed and TO restore them to
proper practical relations with the Gov
ernment, seemed to me fair and eXpe
dent, and l deplored on this account,
as also the country's, the shOrt-sighted
policy which induced the vanquished to
reject So the State law, passed Febru-
AIRY both, 1865, called the Test Oath
Law" appeared to me to be just the
thing needed and authorized by the
Constitution. l supported both. 1t
recognized privilege in all returned
rebels to vote, unless actually challenged,
and in that case they are obliged to take
the oath. This placed them, so far as
voting was concerned, on their future
good behaviour, and i'll the keeping Of
their loyal neighbors, whose feelings
were then generally favorable, and for
Cancellation, and would not have permit
ted challenging, except when improper
conduct should justly provoke it. The
opposition w2ged against this law by
their professed friends, rather than the
boys that had been in the front, pro-
vOked the passage of the amendment to
! the Constitution, which absolutely dis
franchises all who had given, since June
lst, 1861, or should give, voluntary aid
or assistance" to the rebellion. i am
confident that this would not have been
ratified if such opposition had not pro-
voked it. What constitutes the giving
voluntary aid or assistance" in the
meaning of this amendment had not
been defined any further than the Fed
eral courts had defined what constituted
tho covert acts" necessary to raise SYM
pathy 10 the eminence of treason. Nor
could this be said to authoritatively limit
the State amendment, which referred to
rhe right of voting merely-a right
which every loyal State has the power
to determine for itself, The scope and
meaning therefore of the terms 'volun-
tary aid or assistance" must depend
much on the disposition and views OF
the interpreter. AS soon as this con-
stitutional amendment was ratified,
men who had violently opposed it, as
we'll as the "Test Oath Law" though
they helped to inaugarate both, changed
sides: thinking doubtless it SO bound
their old friends that they could be of
no further assistance for the present at
least. and Others who had stood indif-
ferent during the war, even espOused the
dominant party with flaming ard0r, be.
gan and have continued TO cry, "Rebel.
Rebel. Rebel!!r' while they have been
filling their pockets with official pluA-
der.
To make their position more secure
they passed tie registration laws, which
placed the whole registration offices
together with the ballot-box, Mt the
sole absolute disposal of the Chief Ex-
ecutive. who at the same time is Com
mander- in Chief of the military arm OF
the State, and holds the sword, Such
tremendous power, with the strong in
ducement to abuse it in perpctratlng
the rule of his party, should never be
tolerated unless i'll times of eminent
peril to the State, which none will say
exist now. The results of such ire
sponsible power in the hands of one
man are, on all sides, visible. Observe
the enormous taxation without any,
in some, and in no case are there
adequate returns: the Hospital, with
ont plan or bottom, into whose insatiate
NAV the last Legislature cast the last
VI
scarcely expended, without taking the
trouble to investigate, and still but for
ty-three patients accommodated to this
day. and one of its managers recently
stated that it would require more than
another half million to finish, If there
be any definite end: the Penitentiary,
with a plan of four hundred and eighty
cells. four times as much space as is re-
CURED By any other people Of o"r num-
Der in the country, and to cost,
doubtless. over half million more: the
"West Virginia College," by which
about Sl3S, 900 donated to the State up
on the express condition that it be ap-
piled to the education of young farmers
or mechanics-is is attempted to be direct,
ed from the channel prescribed, and
thereby forfeited and lost; the pro-
portion of our last Legislature that
was bribed by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company, with free tickets
at least; the character of some who
assumed to lead In that Legislature;
its disregard of the Constitution i'll