The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-17
JOS. n. PENDLETON.
Editors Intc4tgeueer-.

Editors IntcItigenee7-:
L enclose you for publication an artt-
Gle from the Wellsburg Herald of last
week, on the Lawyers Test Oath. The
Union people In this county, without
exception, / believe, cordially endorse
this article, and especially do they with
reference to j. 81. Pendleton, Esq. He
Is we'll known to us as a lawyer and a
gentleman and we need his services as
lawyer greatly. His warmest friends
are members of the Republican party,
and while his old political opinions are
well known yet we all accord to him
honesty in their maintainanceb by which
he has been the greatest sufferer. Since
hls return he has so conducted himself
as 10 command our fullest confidence
that he will honestly discharge in fu-
ture every obligation which he iucurs
to West Virginia and 10 the United
States.
Is it then asking too muclr when we
request, for him, the only rebel lawyer
In this circuit, that he may be allowed
10 resume his profession upon pledges
that insure the future. BROOKS.
FTom The ReulJur0 Herald.
The Attorneys Test Oath.
The debate In the Legislature on the
propriety of relieving lawyers who
were in the rebellion, from the disable
tiles of the Lawyers Test Oath, reveals
pretty plainly that the members of the
Legislature have not been materially
modified by time and circumstances.
There is, evidently, considerable
spice of yindictiveness remaining in
many of their minds, the reasons for
which, folks living in this region can
hardly appreciate, and the imprudent
conduct OF the secesh population itself,
together with the perverse course of
the johnson administration has not
haH NnnHnnRU lR the hnFnPFRF9
more forgiving or forgetful. Much can
can be said on both sides. The rebel
attorneys, 1t is said, form the neuclei
around which the secesh element of the
meaner class circulate, but IL does not
follow from this, that they are any less
mischievous because not regularly al
lowed to practice law. On the con-
trary, unless the denial OF this privi-
lege drives them entirely out OF the
State, it looks as though politically,
they would be the more evilIy die
posed. So long as they remain in the
State they cannot very well be RESTRICT
ed in their political Influences; and
while smarting under such class legls-
lation, which as such, is hardly de-
fensible on any ground, it is hardly
human nature that they should be
scrupulous about how they use it.
In this section, remote from the
scenes of war and free to a great extent
from the acerDltleS resulting from
actual hostile contact, there is, in our
opinion, little, il any, good reason why
tho law should be operative. 1t only
debars few men from their ordinary
means of getting livelihood, in that
much punishing them for their offence
of rebellion, 1t is true, but without ac-
complishing any public good what
ever. 1t excites sympathy in their be-
half, which operates to tho disadvan-
tage politically, of the Union people.
SO far as these counties are concerned
it would be better, politically COnsid-
cred, II the law was repealed.
In this view of the case, we are dis.
posed to advocate the cause of j. 81.
Pendleton, which is now before the
Legislature, and whose application we Q
signed by some OF the most undoubted
and Radical Republicans in this
county.
In signing the petition they by no
means intended to excuse him OF the
offence OF which he stands confessed,
nor did they intend to be understood as
abating one jot or title oil their abhor-
ence OF the political heresies that led to
rebellion, but they signed 1t, wholly
because 1t seemed to be proper thing
considering the circumstances. We
humbly suggest that in considering all
such cases, the Legislature do likewise
consider the circumstances, and if
iustifable, act accordingly.