The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-25
CORRESPONDENCE,
Letter from an Ex.Rebel soIdler-He
Denounees the Doctrine of State
Supremacy and Deals the
; X Democratic Party Some Tel
- ling Rows. ~


DEAR GAPTAIN:-Aftern numerous APP
plicationsi from friends and voters.
Econsented that an application might be
presented to the Legislature for my re-
Lief from the Attorneys Test Oath } and
lIthought itdues to them and myself to
meet theirSwishes in the spirit of can
dor in which they were offered, TO make
the application in a personal petition
also, which 1 did.
As conquered soldier / feel bound
by every impulse offair dealing known
! to combatantS to accept frankly the re-
suits of the war. When I took the oath
of allegiance, which / did in the first
instance after the war, without going
through the formula of surrendering as
prisoner of war, intended al that
oath implies. 1t was either perjury to
take it,, or the act of taking the oath has
subjected us to all OF its provisions,
which are broad enough to cover all
that any lover of the GOyernmentc suld
desire. As to States rights, as under
stood prior to 1861 by persons with
whom 1 acted during our struggle.
thought that was the issue presented by
the sword. II that was not the issue
presented, i am unable to know for
what we fought. 80
cratic party OF the North are strug.
Cling to Lrefnstate the doctrine OF
States rights as understood by the
South prior TO 1861. j am wholly at a
loss to know how any Southern soldier
who understands the issue made and
lost by the war, can now harmonic
with the Democratic party of the North,
so faithless to their creed and teachings
during the war. Every honorable man
is bound to abide the fight and aban-
don State rights, as taught by the Demo-
cratic party. 49,
Is the old struggle between States
Il. uNHV N n
be fought over? Have we only played
the first act in the great dramaR II SO,
when the next struggle of arms closes
we will have no States. The Govern-
lnent must either yield to this pressure
upon its supremacy and go down, or II
must assert that supremacy under the
instincts of self-preservatton and rise
above the CONFUSION and reno dictionary
HereSy of State supremacy. No honor
able man ought now to question the
motives of any soldier who fought in
either army. We. bury the past, bat
we have the right now TO form our
views from what we learned before,
during and since the war.
l deny that any but slave is bound
by any creed or party, when reflection
and reason honestly convince him OF
the errors of opinion. Some OF us en-
tered the late war from sense of duty
to Virginia, and right or wrong, we
acted our part. II is adjudged by the
sword that our States NO longer hold
our first allegiance. All will learn
this result. Some may be slow.
am not SO anxious to return to the
bar AS 1 am to be understood upon
these questions. and L gladly avail
myself ofthis opportunity TO be under
stood. IapFeal TO every Southern SOL
dier to know If the repeated legislative
and executive issues raised in the Con-
fa1n .HnFfntr the SfrnpCr1n did mt
satisfy him that States rights, as taught
by the Democratic party, was too weak
for the practical working OF Govern
ment? The paper was hardly dry
upon which the States Rights Consti-
tuition of the South was written (and
the Democratic party of the North can
now write Rconstltution more in accord
with their theory of government before
by CONSUMPTION and executive en-
croachment incident to the theory, the |
entire powers and machinery of the |
Government were centralized ut Rich |
mond. The South, when again she
shall be free toact with the other States
for the common good, will not again |
consent to adopt the dead theories of
the Democratic party.
/ know that the Democratic party |
excommunicate all other theories than
their own construction of the Constt-
tuition, and deny for all time and to all
people the rlBhG 10 alteF tnat
Instrument. But / know at the
same time that the leading and govern
ing principle ofthe Constitution as urg-
ed by that party is buried under the
ruins of four years OF war; and the
party that uncovers this principle,
must reopen to this country all the
horrors of another war. sa.-
am, captnin, yours respectfully,
-Et tn. b. SWAN.
TO Cart. II. G. McWHoRrER,
Wheeling.